Ricerca
Risultati della ricerca
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Journal article
The genome of the black-footed cat: Revealing a rich natural history and urgent conservation priorities for small felids
Habitat degradation and loss of genetic diversity are common threats faced by almost all of today’s wild cats. Big cats, such as tigers and lions, are of great concern and have received considerable conservation attention through policies and international actions. However, knowledge of and conservation actions for small wild cats...Yuan, Jiaqing ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Lackey, Laurie Bingaman ; Sun, Ting ; Jiangzuo, Qigao …
INTROGRESSION , CONSERVATION , BLACK-FOOTED CAT, and INBREEDING
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Journal article
A Computed Tomographic Study of the Premolar Teeth of Babyrousa spp.
A photographic and computed tomography (CT) scanning study was carried out on the premolar teeth of 18 adult male Babyrousa babyrussa skulls, 10 skulls of Babyrousa celebensis, including 6 adult males, 1 adult female, 1 subadult male, 1 subadult female, and 1 juvenile male. The occlusal morphology of the permanent...Macdonald, Alastair A ; Ziehmer, Bianca ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Gelang, Magnus ; Åblad, Björn …
anatomy, Babyrousa spp., wild pig , tooth , root, babirusa , and root canal
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Journal article
Identification of constrained sequence elements across 239 primate genomes
Noncoding DNA is central to our understanding of human gene regulation and complex diseases , and measuring the evolutionary sequence constraint can establish the functional relevance of putative regulatory elements in the human genome . Identifying the genomic elements that have become constrained specifically in primates has been hampered by... -
Interview (radio, television)
Moby the sperm whale interview
In Edinburgh, Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke remain on the coast for a cetacean celebration before saying goodbye to the wild badger sett they’ve been following all series.Kitchener, Andrew C
contemporary collecting, cetacean collections, skull, Physeter catodon (sperm whale), and whale stranding
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Journal article
Continued survival of the elusive Seram orange melomys (Melomys fulgens)
Many poorly-known small mammals have remained undetected for decades, including , a distinctive orange murid from Seram, Indonesia, that has been unrecorded since 1920. We report previously undocumented specimens of collected in 1993 and 1994, and local ecological knowledge from 2017 including descriptions and recent sightings, providing strong indirect evidence...Turvey, Samuel T ; Jeffree, Timothy E ; Macdonald, Alastair A ; Leus, Kristin ; Kennerley, Rosalind J …
species rediscovery, local ecological knowledge, lost species, extinction, and Indonesia
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Journal article
Historical Mitogenomic Diversity and Population Structuring of Southern Hemisphere Fin Whales
Fin whales Balaenoptera physalus were hunted unsustainably across the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries, leading to vast reductions in population size. Whaling catch records indicate the importance of the Southern Ocean for this species; approximately 730,000 fin whales were harvested during the 20th century in the Southern Hemisphere... -
Journal article
The prevalence of vestigial teeth in two beaked whale species from the North Atlantic
Beaked whales, Family Ziphiidae, occur in deep offshore and oceanic seas, where they are very difficult to study, so that much of our knowledge about them is derived from stranded animals. Most beaked whales (e.g., genera and ) have only one pair of mandibular teeth. A reduced dentition is widely...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Herman, Jeremy S ; Doeschate, Mariel ten ; Davison, Nicholas J ; Brownlow, Andrew …
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Journal article
The landscape of tolerated genetic variation in humans and primates
Personalized genome sequencing has revealed millions of genetic differences between individuals, but our understanding of their clinical relevance remains largely incomplete. To systematically decipher the effects of human genetic variants, we obtained whole-genome sequencing data for 809 individuals from 233 primate species and identified 4.3 million common protein-altering variants with...Gao, Hong ; Hamp, Tobias ; Ede, Jeffrey ; Schraiber, Joshua G ; McRae, Jeremy …
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Journal article
A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species
The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species...Kuderna, Lukas F K ; Gao, Hong ; Janiak, Mareike C ; Kuhlwilm, Martin ; Orkin, Joseph D …
evolutionary and conservation biology, primates, and genomic diversity study
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Blog post
Entangled Knowledges: Sharing collections in Albany
Since 2021 Ali and Andrew have been participating in a project which aims to highlight Menang Nyungar knowledge embedded in a historical collection of fishes and cultural objects and return this knowledge to the Menang community in Western Australia. Here they tell us about this collection, their recent visit to...Clark, Ali ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Research, Collections , Fish , and Colonial Histories And Legacies
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Journal article
Stable isotope ecology and interspecific dietary overlap among dolphins in the Northeast Atlantic
Dolphins are mobile apex marine predators. Over the past three decades, warm-water adapted dolphin species (short-beaked common and striped) have expanded their ranges northward and become increasingly abundant in British waters. Meanwhile, cold-water adapted dolphins (white-beaked and Atlantic white-sided) abundance trends are decreasing, with evidence of the distribution of white-beaked...Plint, Tessa ; ten Doeschate, Mariel T I ; Brownlow, Andrew C ; Davison, Nicholas J ; Hantke, Georg …
stable isotope, Northeast Atlantic, Scotland, dolphin, dietary overlap, and niche
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Journal article
Assessing the identity of rare historical museum specimens of the extinct blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) using an ancient DNA approach
The blue antelope or bluebuck ( ) is an extinct species of antelope that lived in South Africa until ca. 1799–1800. Disappearing only 34 years after it was described, it was the first large African mammal species to have become extinct in recent times. Therefore, current scientific knowledge of the... -
Journal article
On the “screamer-like” birds from the British London Clay: An archaic anseriform-galliform mosaic and a non-galloanserine “barb-necked” species of Perplexicervix
We revisit recently described putative anseriform birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). Phylogenetically relevant skeletal elements of Danielsavis nazensis Houde et al., 2023 are reported that were omitted from the original description, including the pterygoids and palatines. We detail that anseriform affinities of D. nazensis...Mayr, Gerald ; Carrió, Vicen ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Aves, new family, Walton-on-the-Naze, new species, and fossil birds
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Journal article
Early Eocene fossils elucidate the evolutionary history of the Charadriiformes (shorebirds and allies)
We report charadriiform and charadriiform-like birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). A partial skeleton of a small modern-type charadriiform is described as a new species, n. gen. n. sp., and most closely resembles taxa of the Charadrii (plovers, stilts, oystercatchers, and other “wader-like” shorebirds). Affinities...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
charadriiform bird, Walton-on-the-Naze, fossil record, early Paleogene , and Eocene London Clay
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Journal article
Palaeogenomic Evidence for the Long-Term Reproductive Isolation Between Wild and Domestic Cats
Domestic cats were derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis lybica), after which they dispersed with people into Europe. As they did so, it is possible that they interbred with the indigenous population of European wildcats (Felis silvestris). Gene flow between incoming domestic animals and closely related indigenous wild species...Jamieson, Alexandra ; Carmagnini, Alberto ; Howard-McCombe, Jo ; Doherty, Sean ; Hirons, Alexandra …
domestication, palaeogenomics, and cats
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Journal article
The mitochondrial DNA diversity of captive ruffed lemurs (Varecia spp.): implications for conservation
Ruffed lemurs ( and ) are categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and genetic studies are needed for assessing the conservation value of captive populations. Using 280 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences, we studied the genetic diversity and structure of captive ruffed lemurs in Madagascar, Europe and...Vega, Rodrigo ; Hopper, Jane ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Catinaud, Jérôme ; Roullet, Delphine …
Biodiversity, diversity, Lemuridae, genetic, primates, conservation, and Madagascar
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Journal article
How genomic insights into the evolutionary history of clouded leopards inform their conservation
Clouded leopards ( spp.), a morphologically and ecologically distinct lineage of big cats, are severely threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, targeted hunting, and other human activities. The long-held poor understanding of their genetics and evolution has undermined the effectiveness of conservation actions. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation of...Yuan, Jiaqing ; Wang, Guiqiang ; Zhao, Le ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Sun, Ting …
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Journal article
Genetic swamping of the critically endangered Scottish wildcat was recent and accelerated by disease
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Journal article
Limited historical admixture between European wildcats and domestic cats
Domestic cats were derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis lybica), after which they dispersed with people into Europe. As they did so, it is possible that they interbred with the indigenous population of European wildcats (Felis silvestris). Gene flow between incoming domestic animals and closely related indigenous wild species...Jamieson, Alexandra ; Carmagnini, Alberto ; Howard-McCombe, Jo ; Doherty, Sean ; Hirons, Alexandra …
ancient DNA, cats, hybridization , and domestication
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Journal article
Complex Evolutionary History With Extensive Ancestral Gene Flow in an African Primate Radiation
Understanding the drivers of speciation is fundamental in evolutionary biology, and recent studies highlight hybridization as an important evolutionary force. Using whole-genome sequencing data from 22 species of guenons (tribe Cercopithecini), one of the world's largest primate radiations, we show that rampant gene flow characterizes their evolutionary history and identify...Jensen, Axel ; Swift, Frances ; de Vries, Dorien ; Beck, Robin M D ; Kuderna, Lukas F K …
ancient hybridization, phylogenomics, mammalian radiation, guenon, speciation, and evolutionary genomics
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Journal article
Getting to the Meat of It: The Effects of a Captive Diet upon the Skull Morphology of the Lion and Tiger
Zoo animals are crucial for conserving and potentially re-introducing species to the wild, yet it is known that the morphology of captive animals differs from that of wild animals. It is important to know how and why zoo and wild animal morphology differs to better care for captive animals and...Cooper, David M ; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki ; Macdonald, David W ; Patterson, Bruce D ; Salkina, Galina P …
Panthera Leo , Panthera Tigris , Diet, Captive Animals, Shape, Wild Animal , Meat , and Skull
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Journal article
Multiple skeletons of Rhynchaeites from the London Clay reveal the osteology of early Eocene ibises (Aves, Threskiornithidae)
We describe a new species of from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK), which is represented by a partial skeleton comprising a skull and most major postcranial bones. Multiple further partial skeletons are assigned to sp. and include skeletal elements that are rarely preserved in Paleogene birds....Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Walton-on-the-Naze, Rhynchaeites , Fossil birds , Aves , and Character evolution
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Book chapter
The Longevity Legacy: The Challenges of Old Animals in Zoos
As knowledge of husbandry has improved with the keeping of wild animals in zoos over the last 200 years, so longevity has also improved, bringing with it challenges owing to the development of pathologies associated with ageing. In this chapter, the principal skeletal and dental pathologies of aged zoo mammals...Kitchener, Andrew C
Pathology , Euthanasia, Enrichment, Teeth, Skeleton , Ageing, and Behaviour
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Journal article
A system for designating taxonomic certainty in mammals and other taxa
Taxonomy and systematics are fundamental to the success of conservation actions. A robust and accurate classification of living organisms is vital for understanding biodiversity, using limited resources wisely, prioritising conservation action, and for legal protection and regulation of trade. However, all too often current taxonomies are not based on the...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Hoffmann, Michael ; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki ; Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christine ; Wilting, Andreas
Taxonomy, Systematics , Conservation , Classification , and Species concepts
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Journal article
Cranial volume and palate length of cats, Felis spp., under domestication, hybridization and in wild populations
Reduced brain size, compared with wild individuals, is argued to be a key characteristic of domesticated mammal species, and often cited as a key component of a putative ‘domestication syndrome’. However, brain size comparisons are often based on old, inaccessible literature and in some cases drew comparisons between domestic animals...Lesch, Raffaela ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Hantke, Georg ; Kotrschal, Kurt ; Fitch, W Tecumseh
skull, conservation, brain size, wildlife, hybridization, and cranial capacity
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Journal article
Genetic examination of historical North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) bone specimens from the eastern North Atlantic: Insights into species history, transoceanic population structure, and genetic diversity
Species monitoring and conservation is increasingly challenging under current climate change scenarios. For the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) this challenge is heightened by the added effects of complicated and uncertain past species demography. Right whales once had a much wider distribution across the North Atlantic Ocean, although the...Frasier, Brenna A ; Springate, Leah ; Frasier, Timothy R ; Brewington, Seth ; Carruthers, Martin …
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Blog post
On the edge: COP 15 and disappearing species
With COP 15 taking place in China this month, Principal Curator of Vertebrates Andrew Kitchener explores the case of the ivory-billed woodpecker. Thought to be extinct, but with potential sightings still reported, this bird is just one of many species we’re at risk of losing forever.Kitchener, Andrew C
Conservation , Birds , Natural Sciences , Audubon , and Natural World
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Blog post
Dedicated collector: Michael Daniels and his Eocene birds
A stunning collection of over 700 bird fossils has been bequeathed to National Museums Scotland. Collected in Essex by Michael Daniels, the fossils date from 54-56 million years ago, the beginning of the Eocene period. They represent the early stages in the evolution of modern birds and contain many species...Kitchener, Andrew C
Conservation , Fossil Hunters , Palaeontology, Birds , Collections, Fossils , and Natural Sciences
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Journal article
Biogeography in the deep: Hierarchical population genomic structure of two beaked whale species
The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet little is known about the processes driving patterns of genetic diversity in its inhabitants. Here, we investigated the macro- and microevolutionary processes shaping genomic population structure and diversity in two poorly understood, globally distributed, deep-sea predators: Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius... -
Journal article
When did Alexander Philipp Maximilian, Prinz zu Wied-Neuwied, first describe Felis macroura?
The margay, Leopardus wiedii Schinz, 1821, is a Neotropical small spotted cat, whose nomenclatural history has long been confused (Thomas 1903; Pocock 1917; Allen 1919). This confusion began with Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, in Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Cabinet du roi published in 1765,...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Sanderson, James G
Leopardus macrourus, margay, Leopardus wiedii, wild cat, Heinrich Rudolf Schinz, Reise nach Brasilien, and Felis wiedii
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Journal article
New fossils from the London Clay show that the Eocene Masillaraptoridae are stem group representatives of falcons (Aves, Falconiformes)
The Eocene taxon Masillaraptoridae includes long-legged, raptorial birds, the phylogenetic affinities of which are poorly resolved. Here, fossils from the London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, U.K.) are described, which corroborate the hypothesis that masillaraptorids are stem group representatives of the Falconiformes (falcons). Two partial skeletons are assigned to a new...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
Oldest fossil loon documents a pronounced ecomorphological shift in the evolution of gaviiform birds
We describe a stem group representative of Gaviiformes (loons or divers) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). The holotype of Nasidytes ypresianus gen. et sp. nov. is a partial skeleton including the mandible and all major limb bones. The new species is the oldest unambiguously identified...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Nasidytes ypresianus, Walton-on-the-Naze, Aves, fossil birds, and London Clay
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Journal article
Early Eocene fossil illuminates the ancestral (diurnal) ecomorphology of owls and documents a mosaic evolution of the strigiform body plan
We describe a partial skeleton of a fossil owl (Strigiformes) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). The holotype of Ypresiglaux michaeldanielsi, gen. et sp. nov. is one of the most complete specimens of a Palaeogene owl and elucidates the poorly known ecomorphology of stem group Strigiformes....Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
The expensive-tissue hypothesis may help explain brain-size reduction during domestication
Morphological traits, such as white patches, floppy ears and curly tails, are ubiquitous in domestic animals and are referred to as the ‘domestication syndrome’. A commonly discussed hypothesis that has the potential to provide a unifying explanation for these traits is the ‘neural crest/domestication syndrome hypothesis’. Although this hypothesis has...Lesch, Raffaela ; Kotrschal, Kurt ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Fitch, W Tecumseh ; Kotrschal, Alexander
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Journal article
Evidence that Temminck described Felis aurata in 1825, not 1827
The African golden cat, Caracal aurata, ranges from west through central to east Africa and is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Coenraad J. Temminck (1778–1858) described Felis aurata (African golden cat) and other new felid species in the fourth of seven monographs collected in... -
Blog post
First British record of the short-finned pilot whale
What is the difference between the long-finned and the short-finned pilot whale? Andrew Kitchener explains how the examination of the skull of a stranded whale revealed the true identity of the species and the most northerly stranding of a short-finned pilot whale in the northeast Atlantic.Kitchener, Andrew C
Britain , Stranding , Whales, Short-Finned Pilot Whale, Pilot Whale , and Whale
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Journal article
Machine learning ATR-FTIR spectroscopy data for the screening of collagen for ZooMS analysis and mtDNA in archaeological bone
Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species that enables the better understanding of the relationships between humans and animals, not only from their morphological information, but also from the ancient biomolecules (lipids, proteins, and DNA) preserved in these remains for thousands and even millions of... -
Journal article
The Scientific Name of the Aardwolf is Proteles cristatus
The aardwolf is one of the four members of the family Hyaenidae (order Carnivora). It is referred to as either Proteles cristatus or Proteles cristata in the scientific literature and on animal diversity websites, but only one of these names is correct. In this short note, we seek to rectify...Werdelin, Lars ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Abramov, Alexei ; Veron, Géraldine ; Do Linh San, Emmanuel
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Journal article
Dental Anomaly Causing Severe Maxillary Lesions in a Male Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby, 1804)
Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) is a poorly known cetacean species, and much of our current information comes from stranded animals. Herein, we describe a dental anomaly in an adult male stranded in 2019 in the Moray Firth, Scotland. The mandibular teeth (tusks) had erupted so their tips converged towards...Plint, Tessa ; Hantke, Georg ; Schwarz, Tobias ; Kitchener, Andrew C
beaked whale, dental anomaly, maxillary lesions, Mesoplodon bidens, and pathology
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Lecture
CryoArks: Animal biobanking for research and conservation
Join curator Andrew Kitchener and conservation geneticists Gill Murray-Dickson and Helen Senn to discuss how museums and zoos are coming together to share their research and help conserve endangered species around the world.Kitchener, Andrew C ; Murray-Dickson, Gill ; Senn, Helen
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Journal article
Expediency of photographs to study the distribution of wildcats in South-west Asia
By compiling a wildcat catalogue of georeferenced digital photographs from Southwest Asia, we investigated the plausibility of phenotypically identifying Felis silvestris caucasica (Caucasian wildcat), Felis lybica ornata (Asiatic wildcat) and Felis lybica lybica (African wildcat) through external phenotypic traits, in order to verify their known distribution, and identify any inconsistencies...Wuest, Dina ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Ghoddousi, Arash ; Gerngross, Peter ; Barashkova, Anna …
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Blog post
Frozen assets saving species with biobanks
How do frozen tissue samples from the 1960s help animal conservation in the time of COVID-19? Andrew Kitchener and Gill Murray-Dickson explore the importance of our Biobank and the CryoArks initiative for continuing research to answer the questions of today and the future.Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
Towards resolving taxonomic uncertainties in wolf, dog and jackal lineages of Africa, Eurasia and Australasia
Successful conservation depends on accurate taxonomy. Currently, the taxonomy of canids in Africa, Eurasia and Australasia is unstable as recent molecular and morphological studies have questioned earlier phenetic classifications. We review available information on several taxa of Old World and Australasian Canis with phylogenetic uncertainties (namely, African jackals, Asian wolves...Krofel, M ; Hatlauf, J ; Bogdanowicz, W ; Campbell, L A D ; Godinho, R …
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Journal article
Diets of European polecat Mustela putorius in Great Britain during fifty years of population recovery
Following nineteenth-century declines, polecats Mustela putorius are recolonising Great Britain. Polecat diet relates to two potential risks to recovery. First, rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, which are important prey for polecats, have experienced extreme population fluctuations, with near extirpation due to myxomatosis in the 1950s, recovery in 1960s–1990s and declines in 1990s–2010s....Sainsbury, Katherine A ; Shore, Richard F ; Schofield, Henry ; Croose, Elizabeth ; Hantke, Georg …
Polecat, Diet, Species recovery, Rabbits, and Mustela putorius
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Journal article
A mitochondrial genetic divergence proxy predicts the reproductive compatibility of mammalian hybrids
Numerous pairs of evolutionarily divergent mammalian species have been shown to produce hybrid offspring. In some cases, F1 hybrids are able to produce F2s through matings with F1s. In other instances, the hybrids are only able to produce offspring themselves through backcrosses with a parent species owing to unisexual sterility...Allen, Richard ; Ryan, Hannah ; Davis, Brian W ; King, Charlotte ; Frantz, Laurent …
evolution, gene flow, genetic distance, and hybrid
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Journal article
Investigating infectious disease threats to the recovery of the European polecat in Britain
The European polecat (Mustela putorius) almost became extinct in Britain in the early twentieth century, but populations are now recovering. As seen in other endangered carnivore populations, disease is one potential threat to recovery. This study assessed exposure of wild polecats (n = 149) to three, multi-host pathogens which could limit reproduction...Heald, Kari-Anne ; Millins, Caroline ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Banyard, Ashley C ; Hantke, Georg …
Mustela putorius , Leptospira , Toxoplasma gondii, and Canine distemper virus
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Journal article
Small carnivorans, museums and zoos
Small carnivorans are generally poorly represented in zoos, probably because they are small, mostly nocturnal and solitary hunters. However, there is limited knowledge about the ecology and behaviour of a large number of these and many species are threatened with extinction or their conservation status is poorly known or even...Kitchener, Andrew C
museums , zoo, small carnivoran , research , taxonomy , conservation , collection, anatomy , and biobanking
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Journal article
Consequences of the misidentification of museum specimens: the taxonomic status of Canis lupaster soudanicus
Researchers are increasingly using museum collections for taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics, and faunal analyses, and they assume that taxonomic identifications on museum labels are correct. However, identifications may be incorrect or out of date, which could result in false conclusions from subsequent research. A recent geometric morphometrics analysis of skulls of...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Machado, Fabio A ; Hayssen, Virginia ; Moehlman, Patricia D ; Viranta, Suvi
museum, Lupulella adusta, misidentification, Canis lupaster, and taxonomy
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Journal article
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis in captive gorillas (Gorilla Spp.): Appearance and diagnosis
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a disorder of unknown cause, in which new bone forms in soft tissues attached to the skeleton. Originally described in humans, in whom it is quite common, it is usually asymptomatic. New bone may completely bridge across joints, especially in the spine. However, it...Livingstone, Brian ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Hull, Gordon ; Schwarz, Tobias ; Vijayanathan, Sanjay …
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Book chapter
Systematic, evolution and genetic of bears
Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Bellemain, Eva ; Kopatz, Alexander ; Mano, Tsutomu ; Tsuruga, Hifumi …
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Journal article
Population fragmentation leads to morpho-functional variation in British red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)
It is well-known that population fragmentation and isolation can lead to rapid morphological and functional divergence, with the effect being particularly well-documented in rodents. Here, we investigated whether such a phenomenon could be identified in the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), which was once widespread across the majority of Great...Cox, Philip G ; Morris, Philip J R ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Morphological evolution, masticatory biomechanics, Sciuridae, geometric morphometrics, and mechanical advantage
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Journal article
An assessment of the genetic diversity of the founders of the European captive population of Asian lion (Panthera leo leo), using microsatellite markers and studbook analysis
A European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) was established in the early 1990s, in order to manage a captive population of Asian lions (Panthera leo leo) within European zoos. The founders of this population comprised of nine individuals that originated from a captive population in India. During 2007–2009, 57 lions were...Atkinson, Kirsty E ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Tobe, Shanan S ; O’Donoghue, P
Genetic variation, Microsatellite, Asian lion, Captive breeding, and Panthera leo
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Journal article
Long-term increase in secondary exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in European polecats Mustela putorius in Great Britain
As a result of legal protection and population recovery, European polecats (Mustela putorius) in Great Britain are expanding into areas associated with greater usage of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs). We analysed polecat livers collected from road casualties from 2013 to 2016 for residues of five SGARs. We related variation in...Sainsbury, Katherine A ; Shore, Richard F ; Schofield, Henry ; Croose, Elizabeth ; Pereria, M Gloria …
Bromadiolone, Polecat, Brodifacoum, Secondary exposure, Rodenticides, and Difenacoum
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Journal article
Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in Norwegian waters 2000 years ago
The modern distribution of the grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is restricted to the North Pacific Ocean, but during the Holocene it occurred also in the North Atlantic Ocean, perhaps as recently as the 17th century. In the western Atlantic, subfossil bones of 12 specimens of grey whale have previously been...Hufthammer, Anne Karin ; Arntsen, Lena ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Buckley, M
Ancient proteins, Marine mammal bone identification, and Species identification by collagen fingerprinting
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Journal article
Testing hypotheses for the function of the carnivoran baculum using finite-element analysis
The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back to 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi's fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land...Brassey, Charlotte A ; Gardiner, James G ; Kitchener, Andrew C
biomechanics, copulation, baculum, finite-element analysis, genitalia, and intromission
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Journal article
Environmental enrichment for Killer whales Orcinus orca at zoological institutions: untried and untested
Despite a history in zoological institutions stretching back more than 50 years, with associated improvements in husbandry and breeding, the keeping of Killer whales Orcinus orca in zoos and aquariums has become highly controversial. The recent decision to stop the current breeding programme in the USA does not obviate the...Law, G ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; shaw, mark
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Journal article
The history of taxidermy at National Museums Scotland
Dr Andrew Kitchener charts the history of taxidermy and explores the extraordinary and sometimes inaccurate specimens produced in t eh 18th and 19th centuries.Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
A revised taxonomy of the Felidae. The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group
The main task of the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group is the continuous review of the conservation status of all cat species and subspecies according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species process. A critical subject in this task is the systematic classification of the cat family, the Felidae....Kitchener, Andrew C ; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C ; Eizirik, E ; Gentry, A ; Werdelin, Lars …
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Journal article
Threatened but understudied: supporting conservation by understanding the genetic structure of the flat-headed cat
The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a wetland specialist, currently facing habitat loss on a serious scale due to massive destruction of lowland forests and wetlands in Southeast Asia. Despite its ‘endangered’ status in the IUCN Red List, there has virtually been no investigation on the population structure nor on...Patel, R P ; Lenz, D ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Fickel, J ; Förster, D W …
Flat-headed cat Habitat specialist Hybrid capture Mitogenome MtDNA
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Journal article
Making sense of the senses across species boundaries: designing the Animal Senses gallery at National Museums Scotland
As one of a suite of natural science galleries in the National Museum of Scotland, Animal Senses presents a comprehensive overview of how animals have evolved senses as they have adapted to different ecological niches in order to find food or avoid predation. Using different sensory channels, they also have...Kitchener, Andrew C
animals, Senses, interpretation, exhibition, and communication
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Journal article
Laparoscopic-assisted insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in a rescued Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus Thibetanus) in Laos
A 3-yr-old Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), weighing 68 kg, underwent a laparoscopic-assisted placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for hydrocephalus in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Rescued as a young cub with a notably domed head, the bear's condition had deteriorated with age, but euthanasia was not a viable option...Pizzi, Romain ; Cracknell, Jonathan Mark ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Broadis, Nev ; Laughlin, Denise …
laparoscopy, surgery, Bear, wildlife, hydrocephalus, and endoscopy
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Detection of foot pathology by 3D radiography in elephants
Foot disease is one of the most important health conditions of captive elephants, but treatment is hindered by the limitations of diagnostic imaging. Despite the high value of individual animals, advanced imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently not possible in live elephants...Bentley, Charlotte ; Cracknell, Jonathan ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Pizzi, Romain
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Book chapter
Form and function of the musteloids
The musteloids are the most diverse super-family among carnivores, ranging from little known, exotic, and highly-endangered species to the popular and familiar, and include a large number of introduced invasives. They feature terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, and aquatic members, ranging from tenacious predators to frugivorous omnivores, span weights from a 100g...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Meloro, Carlo ; Williams, Terrie M
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Journal article
The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles ing of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) I: forelimb, cervical, and thoracic muscles
In quadrupeds the musculature of the hindlimbs is expected to be responsible for generating most of the propulsive locomotory forces, as well as contributing to body support by generating vertical forces. In supporting the body, postural changes from crouched to upright limbs are often associated with an increase of body...Cuff, Andrew R ; Sparkes, Emily L ; Randau, Marcelo ; Pierce, Stephanie E ; Kitchener, Andrew C …
locomotion, biomechanics, effective mechanical advantage, mammal, anatomy, and morphometrics
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Journal article
The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) I: forelimb, cervical, and thoracic muscles ing of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) I: forelimb, cervical, and thoracic muscles
The body masses of cats (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) span a ~300-fold range from the smallest to largest species. Despite this range, felid musculoskeletal anatomy remains remarkably conservative, including the maintenance of a crouched limb posture at unusually large sizes. The forelimbs in felids are important for body support and other...Cuff, Andrew R ; Sparkes, Emily L ; Randau, Marcelo ; Pierce, Stephanie E ; Kitchener, Andrew C …
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Journal article
Frank Haes' thylacine
Until recently, the earliest surviving photograph of a thylacine (albeit that of a dead trophy specimen) was from 1869. An earlier photograph, taken in 1864 by Frank Haes of a living thylacine at London Zoo, was known to have existed, but was feared lost or destroyed. This paper describes its...Sleightholme, Stephen R ; Campbell, Cameron R ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Tasmanian tiger, Ronald Campbell Gunn, Thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus, Earliest photograph, London Zoo, and Frank Haes
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Book chapter
What is a snow leopard? Taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny
Snow leopards: biodiversity of the world: conservation from genes to landscapes is the only comprehensive work on the biology, behavior, and conservation status of the snow leopard, a species that has long been one of the least studied, and hence poorly understood, of the large cats. Breakthroughs in technologies and...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Driscoll, C A ; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki
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Journal article
Saving the unsavable
Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
The taming of the cat
Unlike other domesticated creatures, the house cat contributes little to human survival. Researchers have therefore wondered how and why cats came to live among people. Experts traditionally thought that the Egyptians were the first to domesticate the cat, some 3,600 years ago. But recent genetic and archaeological discoveries indicate that...Driscoll, C A ; Clutton-Brock, Juliet ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; O'Brein, S J
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Journal article
Mapping the spatial configuration of hybridization risk for an endangered population of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) in Scotland
The wildcat in Scotland, UK, is currently at risk of extinction because of hybridization with feral domestic cats (ferals) and hybrids (wildcat × domestic cat crosses). Conservation efforts are hampered by limited information on the distribution of these three cat types and the spatial variation in hybridization risk. From January 2010 to...Kilshaw, Kerry ; Montgomery, Robert A ; Campbell, R D ; Hetherington, David A ; Johnson, Paul J …
Camera-trap – Distribution – Felis silvestris silvestris – Hybridization – Occupancy – Wildcat
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Journal article
How to sex Giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis (Gmelin, 1788) cubs
Sexing living neonate mammals may be difficult as external genitalia may be poorly developed and time may be limited for a detailed examination. Four neonate cubs of the Giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis were examined in order to determine a method to distinguish between the sexes. The distance between anal and...Hantke, Georg ; Kitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
Detecting the elusive Scottish wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris using camera trapping
Population monitoring is important for conservation management but difficult to achieve for rare, cryptic species. Reliable information about the Critically Endangered Scottish wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris is lacking because of difficulties in morphological and genetic identification, resulting from extensive hybridization with feral domestic cats Felis catus. We carried out camera-trap... -
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Journal article
Late Holocene range collapse in a former British seabird species
Aim to determine the taxonomic identity of zooarchaeological gadfly petrel (Pterodroma) specimens from northern Europe, in order to investigate whether an unknown, now-extinct Pterodroma species formerly occurred in this region, or whether extant north-east Atlantic gadfly petrel populations now restricted to the Macaronesian Islands formerly had a much wider Holocene... -
Journal article
The role of cross-sectional geometry, curvature and limb posture in maintaining equal safety factors: A computed tomography study
The limb bones of an elephant are considered to experience similar peak locomotory stresses as a shrew. "Safety factors" are maintained across the entire range of body masses through a combination of robusticity of long bones, postural variation, and modification of gait. The relative contributions of these variables remain uncertain....Brassey, Charlotte A ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Withers, P J ; Manning, Phillip L ; Sellers, William I
posture, force, safety factors, cross-sectional geometry, and effective mechanical advantage (EMA)
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Journal article
Locating specimens of extinct tiger (Panthera tigris) subspecies: Javan tiger (P.t. sondaica), Balinese tiger (P.t. balica), and Caspian tiger (P.t. virgata), including previously unpublished specimens
Recent advances in multivariate statistics, and in ancient DNA techniques, have greatly increased understanding of tiger phylogeography. However, regardless of advances in analytical methodology, researchers will continue to need access to specimens for morphological measurements and sampling for genetic analysis. The tiger has become increasingly endangered, and out of the...Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki ; Driscoll, Carlos A ; Werdelin, Lars ; Abramov, Alexei V ; Csorba, Gabor …
museum, Sunda Islands, Indonesia, Central Asia, and conservation
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Journal article
The genetic legacy of the 19th-century decline of the British polecat: evidence for extensive introgression from feral ferrets
In the 19th century, the British polecat suffered a demographic contraction, as a consequence of direct persecution, reaching its lowest population in the years that preceded the First World War. The polecat is now recovering and expanding throughout Britain, but introgressive hybridization with feral ferrets has been reported, which could...Costa, M ; Fernandes, C ; Birks, J D S ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Santos-Ries, M …
microsatellites, European polecat, Britain, hybridization, Mustela furo, and Mustela putorius
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Journal article
Evidence of the three main clonal Toxoplasma gondii lineages from wild mammalian carnivores in the UK
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic pathogen defined by three main clonal lineages (types I, II, III), of which type II is most common in Europe. Very few data exist on the prevalence and genotypes of T. gondii in the UK. Wildlife can act as sentinel species for T. gondii genotypes...Burrells, A ; Bartley, P M ; Zimmer, I A ; Roy, S ; Kitchener, Andrew C …
UK, wildlife, carnivores, genotyping, and Toxoplasma gondii
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Journal article
Finite element modelling versus classic beam theory: comparing methods for stress estimation in a morphologically diverse sample of vertebrate long bones
Classic beam theory is frequently used in biomechanics to model the stress behaviour of vertebrate long bones, particularly when creating intraspecific scaling models. Although methodologically straightforward, classic beam theory requires complex irregular bones to be approximated as slender beams, and the errors associated with simplifying complex organic structures to such...Brassey, Charlotte A ; Margetts, L ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Withers, P J ; Manning, Phillip L …
cross-sectional asymmetry, biomechanics, curvature, Finite element analysis, and beam theory
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Journal article
Detection of Neospora caninum in wild carnivorans in Great Britain
Samples of brain and other tissues were collected from 99 ferrets (Mustela furo), 83 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 70 European polecats (Mustela putorius), 65 American mink (Neovison vison), 64 Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and 9 stoats (Mustela erminea), from around Great Britain. DNA was extracted from approximately 1 g of...Bartley, P M ; Wright, S E ; Zimmer, I A ; Roy, S ; Kitchener, Andrew C …
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Book chapter
Large cats
Based on the acclaimed print series, Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., this new supplement covers extinct life. Written for students and general researchers, this supplement explores all aspects of extinctions and extinct life. Approximately 80 articles outline major extinctions and related scientific areas. - Extract from publisher's websiteKitchener, Andrew C
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Journal article
First records of the pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps, in Scotland
The pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps, is a poorly known cetacean species, which has been recorded rarely in the British Isles (Leaper and Evans, 2008). It is an oceanic species that inhabits tropical to warmer temperate waters worldwide (Caldwell and Caldwell, 1989). In the North Atlantic it strands reasonably commonly...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Herman, Jeremy S ; Reid, R J ; Anderson, N
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Journal article
The development and validation of a single SNaPshot multiplex for tiger species and subspecies identification — Implications for forensic purposes
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is currently listed on Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; this affords it the highest level of international protection. To aid in the investigation of alleged illegal trade in tiger body parts and derivatives, molecular...Kitpipit, Thitika ; Tobe, Shanan S ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Gill, Peter ; Linacre, Adrian
Subspecies, Mitochondrial DNA, SNP, Tiger species, and SNaPshot multiplex kit
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Journal article
Where does the tiger come from? – A robust, molecular technique for simultaneous identification of endangered species and subspecies
The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) monitors the international trade in endangered animal and plant species; a high profile example is the tiger, Panthera tigris. We report on the application of a SNaPshot multiplex technique to simultaneously identify tiger species and...Kitpipit, Thitika ; Tobe, Shanan S ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Gill, Peter ; Linacre, Adrian
CITES, Tiger, Subspecies, Mitochondrial DNA, SNaPshot, and SNP
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Journal article
Geographical variation in and evolutionary history of the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) with the description of a new subspecies from Borneo
Recent morphological and molecular studies led to the recognition of two extant species of clouded leopards; Neofelis nebulosa from mainland southeast Asia and Neofelis diardi from the Sunda Islands of Borneo and Sumatra, including the Batu Islands. In addition to these new species-level distinctions, preliminary molecular data suggested a genetic...Wilting, A ; Christiansen, P ; Kitchener, Andrew C ; Kemp, Y J M ; Ambu, L …
Taxonomy, Toba volcanic eruption, Sunda shelf, Pleistocene, Holotype, and Biogeography
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Journal article
A neotype of the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa Griffith 1821)
Recent research has recognised that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is, in fact, two separate species, which differ markedly with respect to craniodental and pelage morphology and genomic characters. There is confusion about the origin and inaccuracies in the description of the nominal specimen, and the undisputed lack of a...Christiansen, P ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Craniodental morphology, Pelage morphology, Skin, Neotype, Type locality, Skull and mandible, Neofelis nebulosa, and BM1955.1644
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Journal article
Taxonomic issues in bears: impacts on conservation in zoos and the wild, and gaps in current knowledge
Taxonomy is essential for underpinning conservation science and action, and the international and national implementation of protective legislation. However, many of the current scientific species and subspecies names for bears have a poor scientific basis. Poor understanding of ursid taxonomy could compromise conservation both in the wild and in captivity;...Kitchener, Andrew C
conservation science, conservation management, bears, and taxonomy
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Book chapter
What is a tiger? Biogeography, morphology, and taxonomy
The tiger has always had a considerable impact on human cultures, especially where people and tigers have lived together and still do co-exist. It is certainly one of the most easily recognizable cats, with its distinctive and unique striped coat and is also commonly believed to be the biggest cat...Kitchener, Andrew C ; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki
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