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Background: The female locust is equipped with unique digging tools, namely two pairs of valves—a dorsal and a ventral—utilized for excavating an underground hole in which she lays her eggs. This apparatus ensures that the eggs are protected from potential predators and provides optimal conditions for successful hatching. The dorsal and the ventral valves are assigned distinct roles in the digging process. Specifically, the ventral valves primarily function as anchors during propagation, while the dorsal valves displace soil and shape the underground tunnel. Results: In this study, we investigated the noticeable asymmetry and distinct shapes of the valves, using a geometrical model and a finite element method. Our analysis revealed that although the two pairs of valves share morphological similarities, they exhibit different 3D characteristics in terms of absolute size and structure. We introduced a structural characteristic, the skew of the valve cross-section, to quantify the differences between the two pairs of valves. Our findings indicate that these structural variations do not significantly contribute to the valves' load-bearing capabilities under external forces. Conclusions: The evolutionary development of the form of the female locust digging valves is more aligned with fitting their respective functions rather than solely responding to biomechanical support needs. By understanding the intricate features of these locust valves, and using our geometrical model, valuable insights can be obtained for creating more efficient and specialized tools for various digging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current methods for extracting DNA from scale insects typically involves killing specimens or using dead specimens for the first (lysis) step. This creates a quandary when studying species that are difficult to collect and rear in the laboratory. An example is the ongoing study into the phylogenetic relationships among Australia's native scale insects; part of an effort to identify a prey-specific biological control agent for the exotic pest giant pine scale Marchalina hellenica (Gennadius). Clarifying the phylogeny of native scales is important because it helps to determine which non-target species should be prioritised for prey-specificity testing of a prospective biological control agent. However, live insects are also needed to initiate laboratory cultures before prey-specificity testing can commence. Using specimens collected in Queensland, we tested whether it was possible to extract and sequence DNA from live specimens of Monophlebulus Cockerell by removing a single leg instead of sacrificing the whole individual. It was hoped these specimens could also be used to establish laboratory cultures. We successfully sequenced DNA from each leg that had been removed and specimens did survive at least several days post-leg removal, but no specimens survived to produce nymphs. Although this procedure could be used on other archaeococcoid scale insects such as Callipappus Guérin-Méneville, many neococcoid scale insects would unlikely survive the removal of a leg due to their smaller, sac-like bodies and reduced leg morphology. Our non-lethal DNA method for scale insects would be best used for other archaeococcoids that are difficult to collect in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terrestrial ecosystems, the activities of semi‐fossorial animals such as Cape porcupines have important landscape effects that may manifest in the dry season when the availability of above‐ground forage becomes limiting. We investigated the effects of foraging activities of Cape porcupines on savanna landscapes. We measured the size (surface area and depth) of foraging holes of porcupines located at the base of trees in the dry season in two mesic savanna sites at Roodeplaat Farm and Bisley Valley Nature Reserve in South Africa. We also recorded plant and animal activities inside the foraging holes for 3 months. The depth of foraging holes beneath small trees (Vachellia nilotica) was greater than depths beneath old trees (V. robusta and D. rotundifolia). This resulted in the subsequent death of most (>50%) small impacted trees in the dry season at Bisley. The surface area of foraging holes for older trees was greater than that for small trees and even greater for old holes. This study showed that porcupines kill trees or expose them to secondary attacks. The physical impacts of semi‐fossorial herbivores in savannas can be significant, with contributions to direct and indirect landscape transformation and restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Neotropical Mammalogy / Mastozoologia Neotropical is the property of Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamiferos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Granular environments, such as sand, are one of the most challenging substrates for robots to move within due to large depth‐dependent forces, unpredictable fluid/solid resistance forces, and limited sensing capabilities. An untethered robot is presented, inspired by biological diggers like sea turtles, which utilize underactuated appendages to enable propulsion and obstacle sensing in granular environments. To guide the robot's design, experiments are conducted on test appendages to identify the morphological and actuation parameters for forward thrust generation. Obstacle sensing is observed in granular media by measuring the increased force on the moving appendage caused by changes in the granular flow around it. These results are integrated into an untethered robot capable of subsurface locomotion in a controlled granular bed like natural, loosely packed sand. The robot achieves subsurface "swimming" at a speed of 1.2 mm s−1, at a depth of 127 mm, faster than any other reported untethered robot at this depth, while also detecting obstacles during locomotion via force sensors embedded in the appendages. Finally, subsurface robot locomotion in natural sand at the beach is demonstrated, a feat no other robot has accomplished, showcasing how underactuated structures enable movement and sensing in granular environments with limited limb control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The concept and practice of 'Public Archaeology', in the broadest sense, were conceived and developed in the West and then introduced to and applied by other parts of the world. Among its various facets are excavation programmes for the public. This article focuses on and compares South Korea's and the UK's excavation systems for the public to examine cases of similar and different public archaeology practices around the world. In South Korea, excavations are strictly governmental, professional, and academic, and thus 'mock excavation' programmes were developed to enable children to experience replicated excavation sites. In the UK, excavations have been led by interest groups since the nineteenth century. Today, participants in these interest groups are commonly referred to as amateur or community archaeologists and they participate in real archaeological excavations. This study compares the two countries' approaches and systems with motivations to underpin how and why public archaeology practices can fundamentally differ according to internal circumstances and contexts. The aim is to point out how public archaeology practices inevitably become shaped by national and practical scopes and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering Geology / Gongcheng Dizhi Xuebao is the property of Journal of Engineering Geology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to improve the transmission stability of sensor networks, a sensitive data mining method based on Pan Boolean algebra is proposed. According to the output correctness, reliability and operation efficiency of wireless sensor network, this paper analyzes the characteristics of sensitive data, extracts and clusters the associated features of sensitive data, establishes the information clustering model of sensitive data in sensor network, and detects the fuzzy factor of sensitive data in sensor network with grid block clustering method, The Pan Boolean algebra analysis model is used to realize the hybrid deep learning of sensor network sensitive data detection and realize the optimization of sensor network sensitive data mining. The simulation results show that this method has high precision in mining sensitive data of WSN, and improves the reliability of WSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extractive foraging tasks, such as digging, are broadly practiced among hunter-gatherer populations in different ecological conditions. Despite tuber-gathering tasks being widely practiced by children and adolescents, little research has focused on the physical traits associated with digging ability. Here, we assess how age and energetic expenditure affect the performance of this extractive task. Using an experimental approach, the energetic cost of digging to extract simulated tubers is evaluated in a sample of 40 urban children and adolescents of both sexes to measure the intensity of the physical effort and the influence of several anatomical variables. Digging is a moderately vigorous activity for inexperienced girls and boys from 8 to 14 years old, and it requires significant physical effort depending on strength and body size. However, extracting subterranean resources is a task that may be performed effectively without previous training. Sex-specific and age-specific differences in the net energy expenditure of digging were detected, even though both sexes exhibited similar proficiency levels when performing the task. Our results highlight that both boys and girls spend considerable energy while digging, with differences largely driven by body size and age. Other factors beyond ability and experience, such as strength and body size, may influence the proficiency of juveniles in performing certain physically intensive foraging tasks, such as gathering tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is a significant urban, agricultural, and medical pest with a wide distribution in the world. Surface or mound treatment using contact insecticide is one of the main methods to control S. invicta. In the present study, cycloxaprid, a newly discovered neonicotinoid insecticide, was evaluated for S. invicta control and compared with two referent insecticides, imidacloprid and bifenthrin. RESULTS: Surfaces or sand treated with cycloxaprid, imidacloprid, or bifenthrin caused high mortality of S. invicta workers, and the action of cycloxaprid or imidacloprid was slower than bifenthrin. Like imidacloprid and bifenthrin, cycloxaprid can be horizontally transferred from corpses or live donor ants to recipient ants. In addition, cycloxaprid‐ or imidacloprid‐treated surfaces significantly induced the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and detoxification enzymes; nevertheless, they had no significant effect on the foraging behaviors of S. invicta workers. Also, sand treated with cycloxaprid or imidacloprid did not negatively affect the digging activities of ants. Interestingly, S. invicta workers excavated significantly more sand containing 0.01 mg/kg cycloxaprid than untreated sand in the no‐choice digging bioassays. In addition, extensive nesting activities (sand excavation and stacking) were observed in the flowerpots containing untreated sand or sand treated with cycloxaprid or imidacloprid. On the contrary, bifenthrin significantly reduced the foraging, digging, and nesting activities of S. invicta workers. CONCLUSION: Cycloxaprid is a slow‐acting and nonrepellent insecticide against S. invicta workers, and its contact and horizontal toxicities are slightly higher than imidacloprid. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The action of biological reworking of soils is referred to as bioturbation, and many species of mammals globally have an important role in soil disturbance, modifying ecosystem characteristics.We examined global patterns in the distribution, conservation status, and threats to the world's bioturbator mammals and illustrated the relevant roles these species play in ecosystem engineering related to soil processes and services. We searched the data available on 3932 non‐flying land‐dwelling mammals included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.Using existing literature and online databases, we determined that 869 (22%) of the non‐flying land‐dwelling mammals accessed can be considered as bioturbators in three distinct groups: foragers (n = 123), semi‐fossorial species (n = 652), and strictly fossorial species (n = 94). Of the world's bioturbator mammal species, 16% are threatened, 2% are already Extinct, and 8% are classified as Data Deficient. Foragers have the highest percentage of threatened (35%) and Extinct (5%) species, while strictly fossorial species have the highest percentage of Data Deficient species (12%). Although the majority of bioturbator mammal species are found in Asia (32%), Oceania is the continent with the highest percentage of threatened (27%) and Extinct (11%) bioturbator species, while Central and South America have the highest percentage of species classified as Data Deficient (24%). The threats experienced by the greatest number of bioturbator mammal species are activities related to agriculture and aquaculture (29%), and biological resource use (22%).Soil bioturbation can improve ecosystem health by reducing soil compaction, increasing nutrient cycling, soil moisture, microbe diversity, plant recruitment, and carbon storage. The loss of bioturbator mammals could trigger cascading effects throughout the ecosystems they inhabit. A better understanding of their conservation status is important so that effective conservation measures can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The turmeric and ginger crop was harvested by different types of spade, fork or bullock drawn plow. These methods are very tedious and ergonomically not suitable for the human labour and that results high labour cost and more time and energy consumption for harvesting of the turmeric and ginger. Due to shortage of labour and high charges demands the mechanization in harvesting of these two crops. So a tractor operated digger was design and developed for harvesting of the turmeric and ginger crop, which could dig the crop and separate the fresh crop from soil in field. The digging efficiency of machine was found to be 98.01 and 97.76 % with the exposed percent of 86.42 and 85.93 for ginger and turmeric crop, respectively. The per cent decrease in cost of digging by digger in comparison to manual digging was found to be 69.53 and the break-even point of the digger was 57.59 hours per year. The payback period of root crop digger was less than one year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cicadas, a group of large-bodied insects, are preyed upon at both nymphal and adult stages by diverse range of vertebrates such as birds and mammals. Although the behavior of predators toward adult cicadas is well documented, there is a lack of research on the predation on cicada nymphs. In this study, camera traps deployed in conifer plantations, in which high population densities of cicadas Lyristes bihamatus emerge, were used to evaluate the seasonal and diel patterns of predation upon cicada nymphs by three predator species, namely brown bears, red foxes, and jungle crows, from May to September in 2018 and 2019 in northern Japan. Among all three species, cicada nymph predation occurred until early August when the final instar nymphs fully emerged. Bears were observed to constantly dig for cicada nymphs until early August, whereas foxes and crows were frequently observed foraging from late July to early August, during the season of L. bihamatus emergence. In contract to the powerful digging ability of bears, which facilitates efficient predation upon subterranean cicada nymphs, it is generally difficult for foxes and crows with limited or no digging ability to gain access these nymphs until the period of emergence. Cicada nymph predation by bears and crows was observed primarily during the daytime, despite the typical crepuscular/nocturnal emergence schedules of these insects. Contrastingly, the predatory activities of foxes tended to be nocturnal during the period prior to the beginning of cicada emergence, although subsequently became diurnal during the cicada emergence period. These observations indicate that the temporal activity patterns of cicada nymph predators are determined by interspecific differences in predation abilities and cicada emergence schedules. Accordingly, the findings of this study provide evidence to indicate that the timing and duration of trophic interactions between above- and belowground communities might vary among predator species, depending on their predation abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossorial locomotion is often considered as the most energetically costly of all terrestrial locomotion. Small arctic rodents, such as lemmings, dig tunnels not only in the soil but also through the snowpack, which is present for over 8 months of the year. Lemmings typically dig in the softest snow layer called the depth hoar but with climate change, melt‐freeze and rain‐on‐snow (ROS) events are expected to increase in the Arctic, leading to a higher frequency of hardened snowpacks. We assessed the impacts of snow hardness on the locomotion of two lemming species showing different morphological adaptations for digging. We hypothesized that an increase in snow hardness would (1) decrease lemming performance and (2) increase their effort while digging, but those responses would differ between lemming species. We exposed four brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) and three collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) to snow of different hardness (soft, hard, and ROS) during 30‐min trials (n = 63 trials) in a cold room and filmed their behavior. We found that the digging speed and tunnel length of both species decreased with snow hardness and density, underlining the critical role of snow properties in affecting lemming digging performance. During the ROS trials, time spent digging by lemmings increased considerably and they also started using their incisors to help break the hard snow, validating our second hypothesis. Overall, digging performance was higher in collared lemmings, the species showing more morphological adaptations to digging, than in brown lemmings. We conclude that the digging performance of lemming is highly dependent on snowpack hardness and that the anticipated increase in ROS events may pose a critical energetic challenge for arctic rodent populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering is the property of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Elucidating the factors affecting the foraging habitat selection of wildlife can further our understanding of the animal–habitat relationships and inform wildlife conservation and management. Canopy and understory vegetation may directly or indirectly affect the foraging habitat selection of carnivores through changes in habitat structure and prey availability, respectively; however, the relative importance of these two effects remains largely unknown. Dwarf bamboo Sasa kurilensis is a predominant understory plant that suppresses regeneration in the forests of northern Japan. The purpose of this study was to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of canopy forest type Larix kaempferi plantation versus natural mixed forest) and dwarf bamboo on foraging habitat selection of a large carnivore, the brown bear Ursus arctos. In the Shiretoko World Heritage, brown bears dig for cicada nymphs during summer. We evaluated the frequency of brown bear foraging on cicadas by investigating traces of digging for cicada nymphs. A structural equation model was used to statistically disentangle the direct and indirect effects of vegetation. Our results demonstrated that canopy and understory vegetation directly and indirectly affected foraging habitat selection of brown bears. Dwarf bamboo negatively affected cicada nymph density, which positively affected brown bear digging. This suggests that dwarf bamboo also had indirect negative effects on brown bears. Forest type had significant direct and indirect effects via change in cicada nymph density on foraging behavior in brown bears. Forestry managers in northern Japan, including the study site, try to remove dwarf bamboo for assisting natural regeneration. Removal of dwarf bamboo by scarification might not only promote natural regeneration, but also provide a beneficial foraging habitat for bears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth in wild boars and feral pigs Sus scrofa has negative environmental and economic implications worldwide. Accordingly, it is necessary to monitor population trends for appropriate management. Despite the potential for bias, relative abundance indices based on signs of activity have the potential to be practical, low-cost monitoring tools for data collection at a local scale and over large areas. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific signs as measures of relative wild boar abundance in comparison with reliable density estimates. In this study, we examined whether three activity signs (digging marks, rubbing marks and fecal pellet groups) could be used as relative abundance indices for wild boar. In particular, we conducted transect surveys for signs of activity as well as camera trap surveys from September 2017 to January 2018 at six sites in Hyogo Prefecture and eight sites in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. We modeled the relations between the number of activity signs and wild boar densities or abundances estimated from camera trap data in a hierarchical framework. Fecal pellet counts is a well-established method for estimating the abundance of herbivores, including wild boar; however, we found few fecal pellet groups in our study area, and the counts were not related to wild boar densities. Instead, we found that digging marks were strongly associated with estimates of wild boar density. Although fluctuations in the number of digging marks may be affected by factors other than boar density, including environmental conditions and seasonality, our results suggest that digging marks are an effective relative abundance index for evaluations of the spatial patterns of wild boar in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors affecting the ecology of a large population of Pacific cicada killers (Sphecius convallis) occupying a field of mine tailings in Ruby, AZ, were examined. Burrows were quite dense in certain areas around the periphery of the mine tailings, but were dispersed randomly within these areas. Approximately 1600 females (based on burrow counts) and 2500 males (based on mark-recapture) were recorded, yielding a total population estimate of 5000-6000 adults. Female wasps were able to dig much more rapidly in the mine tailings than their congeners S. speciosus in soils from PA, suggesting that the habitat suitability was a large factor in this robust population. Provisioning rate was comparatively slow, however, suggesting that cicada abundance in that year was not a contributor to the high population density. The presence of a sap-producing tree may have eased the energetic and thermoregulatory demands of the wasps. Although excavations revealed that the number of burrows and cells could easily maintain the population size, the lack of cicadas probably resulted instead in a population crash the following season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands and grassy woodlands worldwide have experienced declines in extent and condition, with substantial changes to their ground-layer biodiversity. In Australia, this decline has coincided with the extinction of many digging mammals that may have once created regeneration niches for native ground layer plants. These digging mammals are widely recognised as 'ecosystem engineers', due to their influence on biopedturbation and resultant soil functions. Yet there is uncertainty as to the benefits of digging in restoring grassland diversity with current levels of modification and the presence of exotic plants. We investigated the effect of digging by the reintroduced eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) on seedling germination in a temperate grassy woodland in south-eastern Australia. We marked fresh bettong foraging pits and undisturbed control plots in dense and open grassland. We added seeds of seven native forb species and monitored germination and establishment over 2 years. We found significantly more seedlings in bettong pits than controls, particularly in dense grassland. This effect persisted beyond 1 year, suggesting that pits may have increased seedling survival in dry conditions. Surprisingly, native species displayed a stronger positive response to pits than exotic species, particularly in a wet year. There was an initial reduction in exotic species, but this was followed by their increase in 1-year-old pits, suggesting that the disturbance created by digging could eventually lead to an increase in weed abundance. Our results demonstrate that while bettong pits provide a germination niche for native forbs, reintroducing digging animals will not necessarily result in the desired restoration outcomes. Ongoing persistence of exotic species is to be expected, and seed addition may be required for species that are seed-limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al Malweah for Archaeological & Historical Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The clade comprising the soricid tribes Blarinellini (Blarinella) and Blarinini (Blarina and Cryptotis) is notable within the Soricidae (Eulipotyphla) for the large proportion of reportedly semifossorial species. To better define locomotor modes among species in these two tribes, we quantified purported locomotor adaptations by calculating 23 functional indices from postcranial measurements obtained from museum specimens of Blarina and Blarinella and published measurements for 16 species of Cryptotis. We then analyzed relative ambulatory–fossorial function of each species using principal component analyses and mean percentile rank (MPR) analysis of the indices. Species within the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade exhibit a graded series of morphologies with four primary functional groupings that we classified as "ambulatory," "intermediate," "semifossorial," and "fossorial." To obtain a preliminary overview of evolution of locomotor modes in this group, we mapped MPRs on a composite phylogeny and examined the resulting patterns. That analysis revealed that the most recent common ancestor of the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade most likely had an intermediate or semifossorial locomotor morphology. Individual subclades subsequently evolved either more ambulatory or more fossorial morphologies. Hence, evolution of locomotor traits within this clade is complex. Multiple shifts in locomotor mode likely occurred, and no single directional tendency is apparent either among the major modes or in levels of complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate grasslands and woodlands are the focus of extensive restoration efforts worldwide. Reintroduction of locally extinct soil-foraging and burrowing animals has been suggested as a means to restore soil function in these ecosystems. Yet little is known about the physical and chemical effects of digging on soil over time and how these effects differ between species of digging animal, vegetation types or ecosystems. We compared foraging pits of a native reintroduced marsupial, the eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) and that of the exotic European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). We simulated pits of these animals and measured pit dimensions and soil chemical properties over a period of 2 years. We showed that bettong and rabbit pits differed in their morphology and longevity, and that pits had a strong moderating effect on soil surface temperatures. Over 75% of the simulated pits were still visible after 2 years, and bettong pits infilled faster than rabbit pits. Bettong pits reduced diurnal temperature range by up to 25 °C compared to the soil surface. We did not find any effects of digging on soil chemistry that were consistent across vegetation types, between bettong and rabbit pits, and with time since digging, which is contrary to studies conducted in arid biomes. Our findings show that animal foraging pits in temperate ecosystems cause physical alteration of the soil surface and microclimatic conditions rather than nutrient changes often observed in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digging for underground storage organs of plants has been reported in various populations of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). However, it is unknown so far whether chimpanzees display lateral biases in manual digging as direct observations of this behavior are still lacking. It was therefore the aim of the present study to assess, for the first time, hand preferences for digging in a group of nine captive chimpanzees. We found that with only one exception, all individuals engaged in manual digging for buried food. Five individuals displayed a significant right-hand preference, two a significant left-hand preference, and one was ambidextrous. No apparent differences between males and females were found with regard to the direction or strength of hand preferences for manual digging. Only one out of four parent–offspring pairs was congruent in their preferred hand for manual digging. Three of the eight chimpanzees who dug manually also used tools in order to excavate buried food. Among those three individuals, one displayed a significant right-, one a significant left-hand preference, and one was ambidextrous. Only one of these three chimpanzees was consistent in preferring the same hand for manual and tool digging. The present findings are in line with the notion that chimpanzees display significant hand preferences at the individual level for haptic-guided behaviors, with a tendency for the right hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling of Alzheimer's disease (AD), classically focused on the subject-environment interaction, foresees current social neuroscience efforts as improving the predictive validity of new strategies. Here we studied social functioning among congeners in 13-14-month-old mice with normal aging in naturalistic and experimental conditions and depicted behavioral signatures of dysfunction in age-matched 3xTg-AD mice. The most sensitive variables were vibrating tail, digging, body/face and self-grooming, that can be easily used in housing routines and the assessment of strategies. Sex-specific signatures (vibrating tail, digging, and grooming) defined female 3xTg-AD mice ethogram. All animals sleep huddled while barbering was only found in females with normal aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeologies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The monophyletic group Caviomorpha constitutes the most diverse rodent clade in terms of locomotion, ecology and diet. Caviomorph species show considerable variation in cranio‐mandibular morphology that has been linked to the differences in toughness of dietary items and other behaviors, such as chisel‐tooth digging. This work assesses the structural strength of the mandible of three caviomorph species that show remarkable differences in ecology, behavior and bite force: Chinchilla lanigera (a surface‐dwelling species), Octodon degus (a semi‐fossorial species) and Ctenomys talarum (a subterranean species). Finite element (FE) models of the mandibles are used to predict the stresses they withstand during incisor biting; the results are related to in vivo bite forces and interspecific variations in the mandibular geometries. The study concludes that the mandible of C. talarum is better able to withstand strong incisor bites. Its powerful adducting musculature is consistent with the notorious lateral expansion of the angular process and the masseteric crest, and the enhanced cortical bone thickness. Although it has a relatively low bite force, the mandible of O. degus also shows a good performance for mid‐to‐strong incisor biting, in contrast to that of C. lanigera, which exhibits, from a mechanical point of view, the worst performance. The mandibles of C. talarum and O. degus appear to be better suited to withstand stronger reaction forces from incisor biting, which is consistent with their closer phylogenetic affinity and shared digging behaviors. The contrast between the low in vivo bite force of C. lanigera and the relatively high estimations that result from the models suggests that its adductor musculature could play significant roles in functions other than incisor biting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the principal problems in the harvesting of potatoes is the cleaning of the lifted heap from soil and plant impurities. The low quality in the performance of this harvesting work process operation is the main cause of the withdrawal from fields of considerable amounts of fertile soil. In order to facilitate choosing the optimal parameters for the new design of the spiral potato heap cleaning unit, a mathematical model of sieving the soil impurities through its cleaning spirals has been developed. The obtained analytical expressions have been solved with the use of a PC and the results have been used for plotting the graphic relations between the parameters of the examined process of a variable-mass body's motion on the surface of a spiral, which have made it possible to select the optimal design and kinematic parameters of the spiral cleaning unit under consideration. The obtained graphic relations indicate that the rate of sieving in the spiral separator depends on many factors, including the initial mass, the design dimensions (spiral's radius, helix angle etc.), the frictional properties of the surface, the angular parameters of the position of the potato heap elements on the spiral's surface, and the angular velocity of the rotational motion of the spiral roll itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater turtles can construct their nest in a wide range of soil types, and because different soil types have different physical characteristics such as particle size distribution and compactness, soil type presumably affects digging performance and the energetics of nest escape of turtle hatchlings. Previous studies have reported how cohort size affects the energetic cost of nest escape in turtle hatchlings, but no studies have reported the influence of substrate type on the energetic cost of nest escape. The time taken and the energy required by the same number of hatchlings to dig through two different sand types were quantified by open-flow respirometry. Brisbane river turtle hatchlings digging through fine sand escaped faster and spent less energy than hatchlings digging through coarse sand, and a larger cohort size provided a clear energetic advantage while digging in both sand types. Across all group sizes, hatchlings digging through fine sand spent 33.8% less energy compared with hatchlings digging through coarse sand. We conclude that hatchlings emerging from nests constructed in fine sand have an energetic advantage over hatchlings emerging from nests constructed in course sand because they would have greater energy reserves upon reaching the nest's surface. Open flow respirometry was used to quantify the influence of sand type and cohort size on the energetic cost of digging in freshwater hatchlings. For a fixed cohort size, hatchlings spent more energy digging through coarse sand than fine sand, and on a per individual basis, larger cohorts spent less energy while digging in both coarse and fine sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Boletin de Geologia is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines sites of ruinations that include zones of radioactive decay, ‘illegal’ housing projects, electromagnetic emissions, and e-waste dismantling and metal extraction. These sites have stories of people who are anticipating ruinations such as dreading a nuclear fallout or apartment demolition that has not yet happened. The article argues that ruination is an explicitly political process and exploring relations between humans who are living in ruins with the objects/things they are left with, out there, could lead to questioning power relations – both state power and infrastructural power. Borrowing from research methods such as media archaeology, media geology and media anthropology, the article points to generative connections between mediations of ruins and media ruins (consisting of media objects/infrastructures that are themselves marked by disruptive materialities and (un)planned obsolescence). While approaching media ruins, interrogating the politics embedded within research methods would help in understanding ruination itself as a political project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BRAC: Barcelona, Research, Art, Creation is the property of BRAC: Barcelona, Research, Art, Creation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The procyonid † Cyonasua is endemic to South America and recorded from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene. This paper studies the forelimb of † Cyonasua sp. (late Pliocene of Miramar, Argentina), using an ecomorphological approach to infer morphological adaptations linked to substrate preference and locomotory mode, as well as to grasping and digging ability. Twenty linear measurements of forelimb and pectoral girdle were taken from † Cyonasua sp. and a sample of 87 specimens of extant carnivoran families (Procyonidae, Mustelidae, Ursidae, Viverridae, Canidae and Felidae). Raw values were transformed to minimise the effect of size. Morphological variation was explored by principal component analysis (PCA); substrate preference and locomotory mode were further analysed by multivariate analysis of variance (MAV) and discriminant analysis (DA); grasping and digging ability were analysed by DA. In the PCA morphospace, † Cyonasua sp. occupied a unique position, close to extant procyonids. DA classified it as non-specialised digger with poor grasping ability. The results lead to the interpretation of fCyonasua sp. as having a moderately stabilised elbow joint with poor pronation-supination, although some climbing skills cannot be ruled out. Thus, † Cyonasua sp. could have had generalised habits, in agreement with reconstructed palaeoenvironmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammal burrowing plays an important role in soil translocation and habitat creation in many environments. As a consequence, many burrowing mammals have at some point been studied in an ecosystem engineering context. From a geomorphological point of view, one of the focus areas of burrowing mammal research is on the amount of soil that is excavated and the rate at which this happens. As such, reviews exist on the volumes and rates of sediment removal by burrowing mammals in specific environments or for specific groups of species. Here, a standardised comparison of mammal burrowing across a broad range of burrowing mammal species and environments is provided, focussing on both burrow volume and excavation rate. Through an ISI Web of Science-based literature search, articles presenting estimates of burrow volumes and/or excavation rate were identified. Relationships between species body size and burrow volume/excavation rate were explored and the influence of sociality and method of burrow volume estimation were assessed. The results show that, although larger species construct larger burrows, it is the smaller species that remove more sediment per unit time at larger, site-level spatial scales. Burrow volume estimates are, however, independent of species sociality (solitary versus group-living) and method of burrow volume estimation (excavation-based versus mound-based). These results not only confirm previously established relationships between species body size and burrow volume, but, more importantly, they also add to this, by exploring larger scale impacts of burrowing mammals along a body size gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a monotreme and therefore provides a unique combination of phylogenetic history, morphological differentiation and ecological specialisation for a mammal. The echidna has a unique appendicular skeleton, a highly specialised myrmecophagous lifestyle and a mode of locomotion that is neither typically mammalian nor reptilian, but has aspects of both lineages. We therefore were interested in the interactions of locomotor biomechanics, ecology and movements for wild, free-living short-beaked echidnas. To assess locomotion in its complex natural environment, we attached both GPS and accelerometer loggers to the back of echidnas in both spring and summer. We found that the locomotor biomechanics of echidnas is unique, with lower stride length and stride frequency than reported for similar-sized mammals. Speed modulation is primarily accomplished through changes in stride frequency, with a mean of 1.39 Hz and a maximum of 2.31 Hz. Daily activity period was linked to ambient air temperature, which restricted daytime activity during the hotter summer months. Echidnas had longer activity periods and longer digging bouts in spring compared with summer. In summer, echidnas had higher walking speeds than in spring, perhaps because of the shorter time suitable for activity. Echidnas spent, on average, 12% of their time digging, which indicates their potential to excavate up to 204 m³ of soil a year. This information highlights the important contribution towards ecosystem health, via bioturbation, of this widespread Australian monotreme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dirasat: Human & Social Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Allocosa brasiliensis (Petrunkevitch, 1910) is a wolf spider that constructs silk-lined burrows along the coastal sand dunes of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. This species shows a reversal in typical sex roles and sexual size dimorphism expected for spiders. Females are the smaller and mobile sex, which initiates courtship at the male burrow entrance. Mating occurs in the male burrow, and when it ends, the male leaves and the female stays inside. Females prefer to mate with those males showing longest burrows, so burrow dimensions would be under strong sexual selection pressures. Previous studies in the laboratory indicated that male burrows are longer than those of virgin females, which were described as simple silk capsules. Preliminary observations suggested that juvenile burrows presented differences from those of adults; however, detailed observations ofA. brasilienisisburrow characteristics at the field were lacking. The aim of this study was to characterise the burrows of adults and juveniles ofA. brasiliensisunder natural conditions. We recorded the dimensions of burrows inhabited by males, females and juveniles (n = 30 for each category) and created beeswax moulds that reflected burrow shape. Juveniles inhabited tubular burrows with two branches and two openings; on the contrary, adults were found in tubular burrows with a single entry. Males and females inhabited burrows of similar length and width, but those of juveniles were shorter and narrower. We discuss the results and their possible functional explanations according to the selective pressures expected for each developmental stage and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents graphs technologies of onion and a description of the experimental setup for the digging of vegetable crops. In Article pryvedenы hrafы technology Growing onions and repchatoho Description эksperymentalnoy installation vыkapыvanyya эtoy ovoschnoy culture. The paper presents onion technologies graphs and description of the developed experimental equipment for digging out of this vegetable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1933, geologist and explorer Michael Terry collected the skull of a small macropodid captured by members of his party near Lake Mackay, western Northern Territory. In 1957, this skull was described as the sole exemplar of a distinct subspecies, Bettongia penicillata anhydra, but was later synonymized with B. lesueur and thereafter all but forgotten. We use a combination of craniodental morphology and ancient mitochondrial DNA to confirm that the Lake Mackay specimen is taxonomically distinct from all other species of Bettongia and recognize an additional specimen from a Western Australian Holocene fossil accumulation. B. anhydra is morphologically and genetically most similar to B. lesueur but differs in premolar shape, rostrum length, dentary proportions, and molar size gradient. In addition, it has a substantial mitochondrial cytochrome b pairwise distance of 9.6-12% relative to all other bettongs. The elevation of this recently extinct bettong to species status indicates that Australia's mammal extinction record over the past 2 centuries is even worse than currently accepted. Like other bettongs, B. anhydra probably excavated much of its food and may have performed valuable ecological services that improved soil structure and water infiltration and retention, as well as playing an important role in the dispersal of seeds and mycorrhizal fungal spores. All extant species of Bettongia have experienced extensive range contractions since European colonization and some now persist only on island refugia. The near total loss of these ecosystem engineers from the Australian landscape has far-reaching ecological implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.' Although Denis Healey's famous adage () may offer sound advice for politicians, it is less relevant to worms, clams, and other higher organisms that rely on their digging ability for survival. In this article, we review recent work on the development of simple models that elucidate the fundamental principles underlying digging and burrowing strategies employed by biological systems. Four digging regimes are identified based on dimensionless digger size and the dimensionless inertial number. We select biological organisms to represent three of the four regimes: razor clams, sandfish, and nematodes. Models for all three diggers are derived and discussed, and analogies are drawn to low-Reynolds number swimmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into the driving forces behind spatial arrangement of wasp nests has considered abiotic environmental factors, but seldom investigated attraction or repulsion towards conspecifics or heterospecifics. Solitary female digger wasps (Hymenoptera) often nest in dense aggregations, making these insects good models to study this topic. Here, we analysed the nesting patterns in an area shared by three species of the genus Bembix, in a novel study to discover whether female wasps are attracted to or repulsed by conspecific nests, heterospecific nests or their own previously established nests when choosing nest-digging locations. Early in the season, each species showed a clumping pattern of nests, but later in the season, a random distribution of nests was more common, suggesting an early conspecific attraction. Such behaviour was confirmed by the fact that females started building their nests more frequently where other females of their species were simultaneously digging. The distances between subsequent nests dug by individual females were shorter than those obtained by random simulations. However, this pattern seemed to depend on the tendency to dig close to conspecifics rather than remain in the vicinity of previous nests, suggesting that females' experience matters to future decisions only on a large scale. Nesting patches within nest aggregations largely overlapped between species, but the nests of each species were generally not closer to heterospecific nests than expected by chance, suggesting that females are neither repulsed by, nor attracted to, congenerics within nest aggregations. A role of the spatial distribution of natural enemies on the observed nesting patterns seemed unlikely. Bembix digger wasp nest aggregations seem thus to be primarily the result of female-female attraction during nest-settlement decisions, in accordance with the 'copying' mechanisms suggested for nesting vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this short note I wish to suggest that all the most obvious suggestions as to the sig-nificance of ... in Jonah 1:13 make the verse more, not less, curious, and that the use of inn in this context is not simply over-ebullient writing or a clunky metaphor (as com-mentators tend to suggest) but a genuine lexical conundrum with literary implications for the chapter. The extant Hebrew term is relatively unusual, not directly descriptive of the action of rowing (a function which several more common Hebrew terms for digging would perform nicely), and cuts across the other nautical knowledge evidenced in the chapter. Is there a literary explanation for the word choice that does not do violence to the chapter or stretch readerly credulity? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated how American badgers (Taxidea taxus) might exert selective pressure on black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) to develop antipredator defenses. In a colony of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in South Dakota, badgers concentrated their activities where burrow openings and prairie dogs were abundant, a selective behavior that was exhibited by ferrets in the same colony. Badgers excavated burrows more often when in areas recently used by a ferret, suggesting that badgers hunt ferrets or steal prey from ferrets, or both. We also conducted an analysis of survival studies for ferrets and Siberian polecats (M. eversmanii) released onto prairie dog colonies. This polecat is the ferret's ecological equivalent but evolved without a digging predator. Badgers accounted for 30.0% of predation on polecats and 5.5% of predation on ferrets. In contrast, both polecats and ferrets have evolutionary experience with canids, providing a plausible explanation for the similar relative impact of coyotes (Canis latrans) on them (65.0% and 67.1% of predation, respectively). We hypothesize that ferrets and badgers coexist because ferrets are superior at exploitation competition and are efficient at avoiding badgers, and badgers are superior at interference competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 150-300 m thick Ediacaran-Devonian sedimentary cover of Estonia, which contains the commercial oil shale deposit, is divided into blocks by linear fracture and tectonic disturbance zones. Along these zones the bedrock is modified, its composition and strength parameters are changed. Often there are restrictions on the use of new surface-mining areas as local people oppose excavation activities near their homes. Indirect methods were used for determination of the uniaxial compressive strength of rock. A wide variety of rock structures were considered and different excavation methods studied. Feasible mining technologies near the zones of tectonic disturbances have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf-cutting ant queens excavate a founding nest consisting of a vertical tunnel and a final horizontal chamber. Nest foundation is very time consuming, and colony success depends on the excavated depth. Although shallow nests may be energetically cheaper to dig, queens may be more exposed to the changing environment. Deeper chambers, in contrast, may be climatically more stable, but are more expensive to dig. We investigated the mechanisms underlying the control of nest depth in queens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri. We focused on the use of internal information for the control of nest depth, and therefore maintained the soil and environmental conditions invariant during the different laboratory experiments. We compared the tunnel lengths excavated by queens that were able to complete their nests earlier, faster or slower than under standard conditions. An earlier and faster nest completion was obtained by offering queens either pre-excavated tunnels of different lengths, soils at different temperatures, or soft sandy soils. A slower nest excavation was induced by offering queens harder dry soils, and by delaying the start of digging several days after the nuptial flight. Results indicate that the determination of nest depth was a regulated process involving the use of internal references: queens excavated their tunnels either until a particular depth was reached or for some predetermined length of time. Queens appear to monitor their movements while walking up und down the tunnel, and to compare this sensory information with a motor command that represents a preset tunnel length to be excavated before switching to chamber digging. In addition to this form of idiothetic control, results indicate that the elapsed digging time also feeds back onto the control system. It is argued that the determination of nest depth, i.e. the transition from tunnel to chamber digging, is initiated either after a preset tunnel length is reached, or as soon as a maximal time interval has elapsed, irrespective of the excavated tunnel length. A control system using both idiothetic and temporal information, as demonstrated in the present study, allows queens to flexibly react to different soil conditions, and therefore avoid excessive time and energy investments. Possible mechanisms underlying the control of chamber size are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Courtship and nesting behaviors and some reproductive parameters were reported for Eleutherodactylus monensis, a terrestrial leptdactylid frog endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico, for the first time on the basis of captive observations of two males and one female. The female, captured in the wild in April 1996, produced a total of 22 clutches, each consisting of 5-28 eggs (x̄±SD: 16.2±4.55), at intervals of 14-59 days (25±15.91) from December 1997 to May 2001. Approximately five days before each oviposition, the female started digging the ground with her hind-legs to make a nest concavity. Then, the female temporarily left the concavity, during which one of the males entered therein and started digging also with his hind-legs. The nest concavity eventually got to approximately 37-43mm in diameter and 10-15 mm in depth. Then, the male moved out of it and started amplexus by mounting and holding the female. The amplectant pair moved to the concavity and the female resumed digging with her hind-legs. She, then, laid a clutch of eggs and buried it also with her hind-legs at a depth of approximately 5 to 40 mm and diameter of approximately 30 to 45 mm. The froglets, weighing 38-67 mg (57.9±6.12), hatched 15-23 days (18.8±2.86) after oviposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey-gathering from bee nests has been recorded at chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) study sites across tropical Africa. Different populations employ different strategies, ranging from simple 'smash-and grab' raids to use of sophisticated tool-sets, i.e., two or more types of tool used sequentially in a single task. In this paper I present evidence of tool-use, and the probable use of a tool-set, for honey-gathering by unhabituated chimpanzees at Bulindi, a forest-farm mosaic south of the Budongo Forest in Uganda. Between June and December 2007, 44 stick tools were found in association with 16 holes dug in the ground, corresponding to the period when stingless bees ( Meliponula sp.) appeared in chimpanzee dung. In 11 cases the confirmed target was a Meliponula ground nest. Two potential tool types were distinguished: digging sticks encrusted with soil, and more slender and/or flexible sticks largely devoid of soil that may have functioned to probe the bees' narrow entry tubes. Reports of chimpanzees using tools to dig for honey have been largely confined to Central Africa. Honey-digging has not previously been reported for Ugandan chimpanzees. Similarly, use of a tool-set to obtain honey has thus far been described for wild chimpanzee populations only in Central Africa. Evidence strongly suggests that Bulindi chimpanzees also use sticks in predation on carpenter bee ( Xylocopa sp.) nests, perhaps as probes to locate honey or to disable adult bees. These preliminary findings from Bulindi add to our understanding of chimpanzee technological and cultural variation. However, unprotected forests at Bulindi and elsewhere in the region are currently severely threatened by commercial logging and clearance for farming. Populations with potentially unique behavioral and technological repertoires are being lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the ecomorphologically diverse Octodontoidea rodents, fossorial habits are prevalent in Ctenomyidae and Octodontidae and occur in some members of Echimyidae. To detect traits linked to scratch-digging, we analyzed morpho-structural variation in the carpus and metacarpus of 27 species of extinct and living octodontoids with epigean, fossorial and subterranean habits. Within a context of relative morphological uniformity, we detected the following specialized traits in the burrowing Clyomys (Echimyidae), Spalacopus (Octodontidae), Ctenomys and Eucelophorus (Ctenomyidae): broad shortened carpus, robust metacarpals, markedly broad and short metacarpal V, and predominance of ray III (mesaxony, incipient in Spalacopus). In addition, the specialized subterranean Ctenomys presented an enlarged scapholunar in extensive contact with the unciform, and with a complex-shaped proximal articular surface. These features are interpreted as responses to mechanical requirements of scratch-digging, providing greater carpal rigidity and resistance to direct forces exerted during the digging stroke. In Ctenomys, the radius-scapholunar joint restricts movement at wrist level. The phylogenetic distribution of traits shows that the most derived carpal and metacarpal morphologies occur among subterranean octodontoids, also possessing important craniodental adaptations, and supports the hypothesis that the acquisition of digging specializations would have been linked to increasing burrowing frequency in some lineages. Nevertheless, octodontoids with less morphological specializations have metacarpal modifications advantageous for digging, suggesting that scratch-digging specialization preceded the acquisition of tooth-digging traits, in agreement with the general claim that scratch-digging is the primary diggingstrategy in burrowing mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unguals of sauropod dinosaurs are notable for their unusual shape and orientation, and differ from those of graviportal mammals to which they are often compared. Early in their evolution, sauropod manual unguals underwent severe reduction, being lost on all digits except digit (D)-I. In contrast, the pedal unguals become hypertrophied and laterally compressed with an unusual angled orientation. Recent workers dismissed an early suggestion of a scratch-digging function, supporting instead substrate-gripping during locomotion, although neither hypothesis has been adequately tested, and rejection of the scratch-digging hypothesis was based on inadequate comparison. Here, we show that sauropod nesting traces are morphologically consistent with being excavated by scratch-digging, and that this behaviour is also observed in extant tortoises, which possess flattened unguals with a functionally analogous orientation. In this initial qualitative study, we surveyed claw morphology and use in a range of tortoises, based on previously published accounts and observation of specimens and video footage. Our findings suggest that there is a good case for re-examining the scratch-digging hypothesis for sauropods, although further work is required. The influence of reproductive behaviours on morphology is discussed, including the suggestion that the single manus claw of sauropods may have functioned for mate-gripping during copulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]