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Reactions of avian predators to automimicry in milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae):
Stránská, Anna ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Baňař, Petr (referee)
Automimicry, or intraspecific variation in defence mechanisms in aposematic prey, is very common in nature. Especially in chemically protected prey. This study contains two experiments. The first experiment investigated the reaction of naive predators, which were Great tits (Parus major), to automimetic prey. The prey was the black-and-red-bug (Lygaeus equestris). The tits were divided into three experimental groups and each group was presented with three bugs that were fed on an artificial diet with different amounts of cardenolides. The control group was presented with prey that had no cardenolides in the diet. The group tested with the low concentration received bugs that fed on a diet with a low concentration of cardenolides and the group tested with the high concentration received bugs that fed on a diet with a high concentration of cardenolides. In a generalization test, all groups were then offered a single firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus). It was found that the group tested with the high concentration experienced a higher rate of aversive learning. This group also killed and consumed fewer firebugs than the other two groups. The group tested with high concentration generalized most to novel red-and-black prey because they were least likely to attack the firebug. The second experiment tested...
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Reactions of predators towards species of red-and-black mimetic complex
Kotlíková, Lucie ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Baňař, Petr (referee)
The red-black mimetic complex in the Western Palaearctic region includes a large number of arthropod species. These species differ in the degree of their mimetic resemblance, as well as in defensive mechanisms and their effectiveness against various predators. This study is based on two experiments. The first experiment was carried out with adult great tits (Parus major) and artificial prey (photographs). The birds were divided into two experimental groups and were trained to discriminate between palatable and unpalatable prey. One group was trained with higher diversity in the coloration of unpalatable prey (ten species of subfamily Lygaeinae), while the other was trained with low diversity in the coloration of palatable prey (ten individuals of the same species, Lygaeus equestris). After ten learning blocks, two generalization blocks followed, in which both groups received the same prey that was completely different from the prey during learning phase. The rate of learning was not significantly different between the two groups. However, more effective generalization was observed in the group trained with higher prey diversity. However, this trend was only observed in the first generalization block. On the second day, both groups achieved similar generalization success. The second experiment was...
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Host-microbiota, pro-inflammatory immunity and physiological senescence in wild birds
Těšický, Martin
Triggered by microbial ligands, inflammation serves as a "double-edged sword" to fight infections on the one hand, but on the other hand causing tissue damage due to oxidative stress if it is dysregulated. For example, chronic inflammation can contribute to inflammaging, which is now widely regarded as one of the causes of ageing. In my interdisciplinary dissertation, my colleagues and I investigated three interrelated aspects of inflammation, using an evolutionary framework and various free-living birds as models: (1) ecological and evolutionary determinants of gut microbiota (GM) composition and diversity, a driver of wild bird immunity, (2) diversity in immune genes affecting inflammatory responses in wild birds and (3) inflammation-related physiological senescence in a free-living passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). Firstly, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we revealed high intra- and interspecific variation in passerine gut microbiota (GM) dominated by the major phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Although in mammals GM depends strongly on host phylogeny and diet, in birds we found only moderate effects of phylogeny and very limited effects of host geography and ecology on GM composition. While microbiota diverged between the upper and lower...
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Host-microbiota, pro-inflammatory immunity and physiological senescence in wild birds
Těšický, Martin ; Vinkler, Michal (advisor) ; Tschirren, Barbara (referee) ; Štěpánek, Ondřej (referee)
Triggered by microbial ligands, inflammation serves as a "double-edged sword" to fight infections on the one hand, but on the other hand causing tissue damage due to oxidative stress if it is dysregulated. For example, chronic inflammation can contribute to inflammaging, which is now widely regarded as one of the causes of ageing. In my interdisciplinary dissertation, my colleagues and I investigated three interrelated aspects of inflammation, using an evolutionary framework and various free-living birds as models: (1) ecological and evolutionary determinants of gut microbiota (GM) composition and diversity, a driver of wild bird immunity, (2) diversity in immune genes affecting inflammatory responses in wild birds and (3) inflammation-related physiological senescence in a free-living passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). Firstly, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we revealed high intra- and interspecific variation in passerine gut microbiota (GM) dominated by the major phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Although in mammals GM depends strongly on host phylogeny and diet, in birds we found only moderate effects of phylogeny and very limited effects of host geography and ecology on GM composition. While microbiota diverged between the upper and lower...
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Determination of selected heavy metals in samples of great tits feathers by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Adamová, Simona ; Hraníček, Jakub (advisor) ; Kozlík, Petr (referee)
EN As a result of human activity, a number of polluting substances are released into the environment. Heavy metals are one of the types of these contaminants. Their accumulation in the environment can have a negative impact on living organisms, including humans. For this reason, environment quality monitoring has become an important activity. Great tit (Parus major) can be a suitable bioindicator of the level of environmental contamination by heavy metals, which is acceptable mainly due to its abundance and occurrence in the vicinity of human settlements. This diploma thesis deals with the determination of six selected heavy metals in feather samples of these songbirds from several parts of the Czech Republic and other European countries. High pressure microwave mineralization in the presence of acids was used to prepare the samples. Selected heavy metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique, which is also suitable for ultratrace analysis due its very low limits of detection.
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Determination of lead and zinc in great tits blood
Greguš, Viktor ; Hraníček, Jakub (advisor) ; Nováková, Eliška (referee)
EN Determination of heavy metals in urban living passerine birds organism has been considered as suitable method for monitoring pollution of human enviroment which these elements can cause. This study deals with determination of zinc and lead in dried great tits blood samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry technique. Dried blood samples were weighed, solubilized in nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and microwavelly digested. Calibration standards for determined elements were prepared and basic analytical characteristics of the measurement were determined. Matrix interference was examined by measuring the recovery of element determination presented as a ratio of the slope of standard addition to the certified reference material of whole blood sample and the slope of external calibration.
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Vliv klimatu na termíny fenologických fází vybraných živočišných druhů
Tarrová, Adéla
Thesis on "Climate Impact on the Terms of Phenological Phases of Selected Animal Species" examines climate change and its impact on the shift of phenological terms of selected birds population in a long-term period. It also examines the interdependence between phenological terms of selected bird species. Finally, it also focuses on the relationship between managed (fruit trees) and unmanaged ecosystems (bird species). The study is based on the data which were monitored at three sites in southern Moravia during the years 1961 - 2012. The data were compared between each other in time series. The results show a significant increase of temperature in the monitored period with an evident impact on the earlier onset of selected phenological terms. Similarly, the relationship between the individual phenological dates of managed and unmanaged ecosystem is also evident.
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Effect of type of discrimination task on rate and effectiveness of discrimination learning to avoid aposematic prey in avian predators
Jůnová, Lenka ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
During the proces of learning to distinguish between edible and inedible prey, predators can encounter different types of prey either sequentially (one at a time) or simultaneously. Sequential as well as simultaneous presentation are used as experimental designs for testing discrimination learning of bird predators in relation to aposematic prey. These tasks can differ in difficulty level for predator which can affect test results; however, rate and effectivity of discrimination learning in sequential and simultaneous tasks have never been experimentally compared. We tested effect of type of discrimination task on effectivity of discrimination learning and memorability of prey discrimination in adults and juveniles great tits (Parus major) in two sequential tasks (regular and random) and one simultaneous task (multiple- choice). The birds learned to discriminate between edible and inedible artificial prey on the first day, and we investigated memorability of prey on the second day. We used colour (alternative red/green) or pattern (alternative dots/stripes) as discrimination cue. Results showed that tits learned to discriminate by colour cue better than by pattern cue. Adult tits learned to discriminate better than juveniles independently on task type. Effect of age and sex was shown in some tasks...
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Determination of lead and zinc in great tits blood
Greguš, Viktor ; Hraníček, Jakub (advisor) ; Nováková, Eliška (referee)
EN Determination of heavy metals in urban living passerine birds organism has been considered as suitable method for monitoring pollution of human enviroment which these elements can cause. This study deals with determination of zinc and lead in dried great tits blood samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry technique. Dried blood samples were weighed, solubilized in nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and microwavelly digested. Calibration standards for determined elements were prepared and basic analytical characteristics of the measurement were determined. Matrix interference was examined by measuring the recovery of element determination presented as a ratio of the slope of standard addition to the certified reference material of whole blood sample and the slope of external calibration.
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Effect of ageing on haematological and immunological traits in great tit (Parus major)
Krajzingrová, Tereza ; Vinkler, Michal (advisor) ; Remeš, Vladimír (referee)
v III. Abstract (EN) According to the Disposable soma theory, senescence is mainly influenced by adaptive allocation of resources among the physical growth, reproduction and self-maintaining processes, which depend on expected survival of an individual. The amount of allocated resources may be influenced by external environmental factors such as heavy metal pollution or by inner factor e.g. reproduction. The aim of my diploma thesis was to clarify the relationships between senescence, selected haematological traits, reproduction and efficiency of innate immunity mechanism. Moreover, we are interested in the role of heavy metal pollution in ageing and haematology. The heterophiles to lymphocytes ratio (H/L) was used as a marker of long-term stress caused by these physiological expenses. This study summarizes partial data collected within the long-term research of great tits (Parus major) in Prague, Czech Republic, I participated in. We have more than 300 samples of repeatedly captured individuals at our disposal. The structure of this unique dataset allows us to observe changes in the traits of our interest during an avian lifespan. Our results show that during aging, males experience a noticeable increase in the H/L ratio compared to females. Although we have not found the effect of age on the brood size,...
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