Sexual selection is thought to be opposed by natural selection such that ornamental traits express a balance between these two antagonistic influences. Phenotypic variation among populations may indicate local shifts in this balance, or that different stable 'solutions' are possible, but testing these alternatives presents a major challenge. In the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a small freshwate...

A colored phenotype is an important feature of ornamental fish. In mammals, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) was found to regulate the development of melanocytes. In this study, the mitfa cDNA was first cloned from the Japanese ornamental (Koi) carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), an important ornamental freshwater fish. The full-length cDNA of the mitfa gene contains 1634 bp, coding...

Genetic analysis of avian mating systems has revealed that more than 70% of monogamous species show incidence of offspring parentage that does not match the social partner. Extra-pair parentage (EPP) has been linked to a variety of factors, including size and symmetry of ornamental traits, coloration, resource availability, and local conspecific density. We examined how ornamental plumage trait...

Carotenoid pigments can directly enhance the immune responses of vertebrates, and they are used by many animals to create ornamental color displays. It has been hypothesized that these two functions of carotenoid pigments are linked: animals must trade off use of carotenoid pigments for immune function versus ornamental display. We tested two key predictions of this hypothesis with captive Amer...

One of the most important parameters to develop and manage urban areas is appropriate selection of land surface to develop green spaces in these areas. In this study, in order to identify the most appropriate sites and areas cultivated for ornamental species in Jiroft, Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images due to extract the most important effective climatic and adaphic parameters...

INTRODUCTION Fish mycobacteriosis is caused by the non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Infected fish are normally the primary source of infection, although non-tuberculous Mycobacteria can be found in the environment. The present study was designed to investigate the few recently found suspected cases of mycobacteriosis in Iranian ornamental fish tanks. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pathological specimens ...

Interspecific hybridisation and polyploidy are recognized as the most important sources of evolution and domestication of flowering plants. In ornamental plant breeding these phenomena go hand in hand and can be observed in the breeding history of many ornamental crops (Rosa, Chrysanthemum, Gladiolus, Alstroemeria, Lilium, orchids etc). With lily as model crop techniques developed for overcomin...

Parasitic diseases are harmful and limiting factors in breeding and rearing ornamental fish industry. In this study, 400 apparently healthy ornamental fishes from five species (each species 80 specimens) including: Goldfish (Carassius auratus), guppy (Poecilia reticulate), angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), discus (Symphsodon discus) and sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) was obtained from a l...

Ornamental horticulture has been recognized as the main pathway for plant invasions worldwide. We examined the link between propagule pressure created by the presence of ornamental plants in the market and their ability to escape from cultivation and establish in the wild. A random sample of 534 non-native ornamental species on sale in nineteenth century Britain showed that 27% of these species...