Pigs may display biting behavior directed at pen mates, resulting in body damage such as tail wounds. We assessed the suitability of jute sacks (hung vertically at wall) to reduce biting behaviors and tail wounds in rearing gilts. Additionally, we assessed several characteristics of different types of tail biters. Tail docked rearing gilts originated from 72 litters, which were kept in partly s...

Effects of ergocornine and reserpine on tail resorption during metamorphosis in Bufo bufo japonicus tadpoles were studied. At prometamorphosis, ergocornine induced precocious tail resorption, while reserpine scarcely affected the tail size. At the climax of metamorphosis, ergocornine was almost ineffective in accelerating tail resorption, while reserpine was effective in inhibiting tail resorpt...

Barn swallows Hirundo rustica have white spots on their tail feathers, and they have been hypothesized to be a handicap because white spots are prone to feather breakage, ectoparasites are disproportionately common in white spots, and size of white spots increases with tail length. Here I test for attractiveness of narrow and long tail spots by manipulation of their shape while using complete p...

sperms are highly specialized cells for delivering dna from male to the ovum. incredibly, wide degree of diversity in sperm morphology in their basic structures i.e. head, middle piece and tail is found across species. differences in terms of overall size of the sperm, shape and number of sperm produced are also incredible. one of the key for this variations or diversity in sperm may be associa...

Ershkovich has recently criticized earlier arguments by Mendis for substantial magnetic fields (B"" 1001) in the cometary plasma tail. It is shown that these criticisms are unjustified. Contrary to Ershkovich's claim, it is shown that the folding rate of the tail rays is indeed indicative of a substantial tail magnetic field. Much of the disagreement stems from Ershkovich's idealization of the ...

When a trait's effect on fitness depends on its interaction with other traits, the resultant selection is correlational and may lead to the integration of functionally related traits. In relation to sexual selection, when an ornamental trait interacts with phenotypic quality to determine mating success, correlational sexual selection should generate genetic correlations between the ornament and...