Article

Biology, ecology and status of Iberian ibex Capra pyrenaica: A critical review and research prospectus

October 2008
Mammal Review 39(1):17 - 32

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2008.00138.x

Authors:

Pelayo Acevedo

Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)

Jorge Cassinello

Spanish National Research Council

The Iberian ibex Capra pyrenaica is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and of the four subspecies originally recognized, recent extinctions mean that only two now persist. Recent genetic analyses have cast doubt on the generally accepted taxonomy of the species, where four subspecies were distinguished by coat colour and horn morphology, and propose the distinction of two subspecies based on their mitochondrial DNA sequence polymorphism. These analyses make clear the need for a comprehensive revision that integrates genetic and morphological approaches resulting in a definitive description and differentiation of the subspecies. Studies of ibex behavioural ecology and health status are scarce and generally descriptive. They should be implemented in an integrative way, taking into account the ecological requirements of the species, current population status, the presence of other sympatric wild and domestic ungulates, and the type of hunting regime and management in their distribution areas. A natural expansion of the species is currently taking place. Ibexes are present and well established in all the main mountain ranges of the Spanish Iberian Peninsula, and have recently expanded their range into the north of Portugal. Other authors estimated a total population of more than 50 000 individuals 10 years ago, distributed over more than 60 000 km ² , with an average population density of 2.7 ibex/km ² . However, these estimates were obtained prior to the species' recovery from recent epizootics of sarcoptic mange and should be updated. Survey methods, mainly direct count‐based methods, should be adjusted to suit mountainous conditions, where it is difficult to estimate accurately the surveyed surface. A series of threats to ibex conservation have been identified, such as population overabundance, disease prevalence and potential competition with domestic livestock and invasive ungulates, along with negative effects of human disturbance through tourism and hunting. Applied ecological issues focused on the proper management of populations should be prioritized, along with the identification of current threats based on empirical, ecological data obtained from populations living in various ecological conditions in different regions.

Iberian Wild Goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838

Chapter

Jun 2021

Diseases of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023
EUR J WILDLIFE RES

Iberian ibex (Caprapyrenaica) is an ecologically and economically relevant medium-sized emblematic mountain ungulate. Diseases participate in the population dynamics of the species as a regulating agent, but can also threaten the conservation and viability of vulnerable population units. Moreover, Iberian ibex can also be a carrier or even a reservoir of pathogens shared with domestic animals and/or humans, being therefore a concern for livestock and public health. The objective of this review is to compile the currently available knowledge on (1) diseases of Iberian ibex, presented according to their relevance on the health and demography of free-ranging populations; (2) diseases subjected to heath surveillance plans; (3) other diseases reported in the species; and (4) diseases with particular relevance in captive Iberian ibex populations. The systematic review of all the information on diseases affecting the species unveils unpublished reports, scientific communications in meetings, and scientific articles, allowing the first comprehensive compilation of Iberian ibex diseases. This review identifies the gaps in knowledge regarding pathogenesis, immune response, diagnostic methods, treatment, and management of diseases in Iberian ibex, providing a base for future research. Moreover, this challenges wildlife and livestock disease and wildlife population managers to assess the priorities and policies currently implemented in Iberian ibex health surveillance and monitoring and disease management.

Iberian Wild Goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838

Chapter

Sep 2022

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of the mammalian biology, including paleontology, physiology, genetics, reproduction and development, ecology, habitat, diet, mortality, and behavior. The economic significance and management of mammals and future challenges for research and conservation are addressed as well. The chapter includes a distribution map, a photograph of the animal, and a list of key literature.

Conservation of ibex species (capra ibex et capra pyrenaica) en France : contribution of monitoring data from reintroduced and settled population

Thesis

Mar 2021

Alexandre Garnier

In the current context of global change, the loss of biodiversity is increasing at a considerable rate. Conservation translocations have become an important tool for restoring endangered or extinct animal and plant populations. Among them, reintroductions consist of restoring a species to its original range or strengthening existing populations. Improving knowledge of the biology of populations resulting from these reintroductions not only contributes to fundamental ecology, but also make it possible to evaluate conservation actions and guide strategies. We chose to study two aspects of the biology of ibex species present in France by focusing on the behavioural ecology of individuals of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) just after their reintroduction in the Pyrenees where the species had completely disappeared, and on the dynamics of ancient populations of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). The analysis of post-release dispersal showed that males of breeding age are the ones who explored furthest, that the presence of congeners at the release site reduces the dispersal of individuals, and that it is important to carry out reintroductions in spring. Comparison of spatial fidelity of individuals in the early stages after reintroduction with that of individuals from ancient populations has shown that this fidelity emerges more rapidly in females, with a positive effect on individuals already present in the release site, whereas males stabilize more slowly. In ancient populations, spatial fidelity has a marked seasonality, revealing how the familiarity of individuals with their habitat during summer enables them to make the best use of resources during this key period. Through individual monitoring of marked animals over a period of twenty years, we have identified the factors influencing the recruitment and seasonal survival in ancient populations. We show that the costs of reproduction on subsequent reproduction were low when the individual heterogeneity of females is taken into account, but that extreme environmental conditions entail high costs on their survival, and probably contribute to maintaining a diversity of reproductive strategies in a population. None of the seasons concentrate annual mortality. However, climatic conditions directly affect the seasonal survival of both sexes in all age classes, although males seemed to cope better with poor winter conditions. Spring conditions, through vegetation phenology, also had an indirect effect on variations in seasonal survival. Changes in environmental conditions, particularly climatic conditions, could therefore have significant consequences on variation in population size. Conservationists will be able to draw on our results and proposals to improve management of these species.

Assessing the levels of intraspecific admixture and interspecific hybridization in Iberian wild goats (Capra pyrenaica)

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2021
EVOL APPL

Iberian wild goats (Capra pyrenaica, also known as Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, and Spanish wild goat) underwent strong genetic bottlenecks during the 19th and 20th centuries due to overhunting and habitat destruction. From the 1970s to 1990s, augmentation translocations were frequently carried out to restock Iberian wild goat populations (very often with hunting purposes), but they were not systematically planned or recorded. On the other hand, recent data suggest the occurrence of hybridization events between Iberian wild goats and domestic goats (Capra hircus). Augmentation translocations and interspecific hybridization might have contributed to increase the diversity of Iberian wild goats. With the aim of investigating this issue, we have genotyped 118 Iberian wild goats from Tortosa‐Beceite, Sierra Nevada, Muela de Cortes, Gredos, Batuecas and, Ordesa and Monte Perdido by using the Goat SNP50 BeadChip (Illumina). The analysis of genotypic data indicated that Iberian wild goat populations are strongly differentiated and display low diversity. Only three Iberian wild goats out from 118 show genomic signatures of mixed ancestry, a result consistent with a scenario in which past augmentation translocations have had a limited impact on the diversity of Iberian wild goats. Besides, we have detected eight Iberian wild goats from Tortosa‐Beceite with signs of domestic goat introgression. Although rare, hybridization with domestic goats could become a potential threat to the genetic integrity of Iberian wild goats, hence measures should be taken to avoid the presence of uncontrolled herds of domestic or feral goats in mountainous areas inhabited by this iconic wild ungulate.

Iberian Wild Goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838

Chapter

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Demography reveals populational expansion of a recently extinct Iberian ungulate

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021
Mitt Mus Natur Be Zool Reihe

Reconstructing the demographic history of endangered taxa is paramount to predict future fluctuations and disentangle the contributing factors. Extinct taxa or populations might also provide key insights in this respect by means of the DNA extracted from museum specimens. Nevertheless, the degraded status of biological material and the limited number of records may pose some constraints. For this reason, identifying all available sources, including private and public biological collections, is a crucial step forward. In this study, we reconstructed the demographic history based on cytochrome- b sequence data of the Pyrenean ibex ( Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica ), a charismatic taxon of the European wildlife that became extinct in the year 2000. Moreover, we built a database of the museum specimens available in public biological collections worldwide and genotyped a privately owned 140-year-old trophy from the Spanish Pyrenees to confirm its origin. We found that the population of the Pyrenean ibex underwent a recent expansion approximately 20,000 years ago, after which trophy hunting and epizootics triggered a relentless population decline. Our interpretations, based on the genetic information currently available in public repositories, provide a solid basis for more exhaustive analyses relying on all the new sources identified. In particular, the adoption of a genome-wide approach appears a fundamental prerequisite to disentangle the multiple contributing factors associated with low genetic diversity, including inbreeding depression, acting as extinction drivers.

Society's preferences when ecological values and health risks are at stake: An application to the population control of a flagship ungulate (Iberian ibex) in Sierra de Guadarrama national park, Spain

Article

Feb 2021
SCI TOTAL ENVIRON

Conflicts derived from the proactive management of ecosystems and wildlife populations abound in national parks, which can prevent the control of some animal populations, consequently causing negative effects to the ecological values and creating health risks for the ecosystems. This work quantifies a conflict related to population control of the Iberian ibex in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in Spain where ecological values and health risks are at stake. A discrete choice experiment was conducted of three population samples: 430 on-site visitors, 210 off-site visitors and 210 non-visitors, and two levels of status quo information were considered. The results show that not conducting any ibex management program in the park causes a loss of social well-being and that the design of the management program is shown to be relevant for obtaining greater or lesser acceptance by the surveyed population. In general, better ecological and health levels, as well as avoiding having to kill animals in the park, increase a program’s acceptance. Management measures are also shown to take on greater importance to the extent that the results in the health and ecological indicators are worse. Finally, in aggregate terms, additional information about the status quo did not generate major differences in the estimates of a change of well-being.

Intrinsic factors, release conditions and presence of conspecifics affect post‐release dispersal after translocation of Iberian ibex

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021
ANIM CONSERV

Translocation is an important tool in restoring biodiversity, particularly when species have been extirpated from an area. In the period just after release, the main objective of conservation managers is to keep as many of the translocated individuals in the release area as possible, in order to maximize the number of founders of the new population. Environmental and intrinsic factors, release conditions and social behaviour are likely to influence an individual’s propensity to move away from the release site (known as post‐release dispersal); however, few studies have explored the relative importance of these factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these four factors affected the post‐release dispersal of 169 Iberian ibex translocated from Spain to the French Pyrenees. We modelled the linear distance between the barycentre of each individual ibex’s monthly locations and the release site. Our results indicated that most individuals stayed close to the release site, but that inter‐individual variability was high. Post‐release dispersal was higher for males than females, with male breeders exhibiting higher exploration behaviour than juveniles. Release season played a major role, with dispersal being the lowest in spring and the highest during the rutting period. Dispersal was also found to be lower when conspecifics were present in the release area, probably due to their role as a cue for favourable habitat. These findings can be used by conservation managers to inform translocation strategies in order to enhance success: for example by releasing females and young males in spring and splitting a reintroduction project into successive release operations.

Habitat preferences of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) in the Farasan Islands protected area, Saudi Arabia

Chapter

Oct 2017

Habitat preferences are a crucial facet in the management of endangered wildlife species, but only recently have wildlife managers begun to fully realize the potential of information on species' habitat selection to solve pressing problems in the conservation and management of protected areas. Habitat choice is particularly important in extreme environments like hyperarid deserts, in which resources like food, water and cover are limited. A number of studies suggested that endangered Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) prefer wooded, mountainous terrain on the Arabian Peninsula, while avoiding open plains and sand deserts. However, this pattern could also be an artefact created by the tremendous hunting pressure experienced by the species and a retreat into areas inaccessible to humans. We studied habitat choice of the largest indigenous population of Arabian gazelles in the world, persisting on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea, off the coast of Saudi Arabia. We measured the availability of different habitat types using GIS-based habitat mapping and the degree of utilization by gazelles, assessed via biannual transect route counts in the protected area. Our results suggest that former fields (beside Acacia grooves) are the preferred habitat type of Arabian gazelles, especially during the hot summer months. Our study further suggests that Acacia-wooded habitats are the originally preferred habitat type of this gazelle species (especially during the cooler winter months) rather than secondary habitats in remote mountainous areas on the Arabian Peninsula.

Ecological impacts of wild ungulate overabundance on Mediterranean Basin ecosystems

Chapter

Full-text available

Oct 2017

The range of wild ungulates, and principally that of red deer and wild boar, has expanded throughout the Mediterranean Basin in recent decades. The abundances of these species have also increased dramatically, and they are now attaining densities that often exceed ecologically admissible thresholds. This situation has been favoured by several factors: i) The increase in shrub and forest areas owing to the cessation of marginal agricultural practices, ii) the growing demand for big game hunting and its associated intensive management actions, iii) the loss of large native predators and iv) climatic change, among others. The increase in some ungulate populations has led to agricultural damage, road accidents and the spread of shared diseases among livestock and ungulates, in addition to causing important dysfunctions at various levels of the ecosystem. In this chapter, we assess the peer-reviewed literature concerning the effects of wild ungulates on the Mediterranean Basin ecosystems. The aim of this chapter is to synthesize the knowledge regarding the ecological effects of current wild ungulate abundance on Mediterranean ecosystems, paying particular attention to the cascade effects in them. Several works have reported the negative impacts of wild ungulates, from the basic levels of the ecosystem (soil properties, nutrient cycles, microorganisms), to higher levels (vertebrates) through a series of intermediary effects on the plant community or the structure of arthropods and vegetation. These impacts on the ecosystem also promote alterations in the populations of some species whose conservation is a cause for concern, and may even lead to modifications of natural processes. All groups involved in wild ungulate management (hunters, gamekeepers, conservationists, researchers, competent authorities) should actively participate in efforts to understand, monitor, and reduce the impact of wild ungulates on ecosystems, highlighting common priorities for future research and action plans. Furthermore, addressing impacts at the landscape scale requires management policies that will integrate information regarding the negative impacts of ungulates in order to ensure an appropriate and holistic management.

Linking seasonal home range size with habitat selection and movement in a mountain ungulate

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2018

Background Space use by animals is determined by the interplay between movement and the environment, and is thus mediated by habitat selection, biotic interactions and intrinsic factors of moving individuals. These processes ultimately determine home range size, but their relative contributions and dynamic nature remain less explored. We investigated the role of habitat selection, movement unrelated to habitat selection and intrinsic factors related to sex in driving space use and home range size in Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica. We used GPS collars to track ibex across the year in two different geographical areas of Sierra Nevada, Spain, and measured habitat variables related to forage and roost availability. Results By using integrated step selection analysis (iSSA), we show that habitat selection was important to explain space use by ibex. As a consequence, movement was constrained by habitat selection, as observed displacement rate was shorter than expected under null selection. Selection-independent movement, selection strength and resource availability were important drivers of seasonal home range size. Both displacement rate and directional persistence had a positive relationship with home range size while accounting for habitat selection, suggesting that individual characteristics and state may also affect home range size. Ibex living at higher altitudes, where resource availability shows stronger altitudinal gradients across the year, had larger home ranges. Home range size was larger in spring and autumn, when ibex ascend and descend back, and smaller in summer and winter, when resources are more stable. Therefore, home range size decreased with resource availability. Finally, males had larger home ranges than females, which might be explained by differences in body size and reproductive behaviour. Conclusions Movement, selection strength, resource availability and intrinsic factors related to sex determined home range size of Iberian ibex. Our results highlight the need to integrate and account for process dependencies, here the interdependence of movement and habitat selection, to understand how animals use space. This study contributes to understand how movement links environmental and geographical space use and determines home range behaviour in large herbivores. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40462-017-0119-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evidence of an age and/or gender-based division of labor during the Last Glacial Maximum in Iberia through rabbit hunting

Article

Full-text available

May 2024

Many archaeological assemblages from the Iberian Peninsula dated to the Last Glacial Maximum contain large quantities of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) remains with an anthropic origin. Ethnographic and historic studies report that rabbits may be mass-collected through warren-based harvesting involving the collaborative participation of several persons. We propose and implement an Agent-Based Model grounded in the Optimal Foraging Theory and the Diet Breadth Model to examine how different warren-based hunting strategies influence the resulting human diets. We then visually compare the simulated diets with the zooarchaeological record. Our simulation outputs suggest that rabbits may have been mass collected from warrens by humans through the use of nets and an age and/or gender-based division of labor. Our results have profound implications for the comprehension of hunting behavior and the social organization of humans during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Iberian Peninsula.

Demography reveals populational expansion of a recently extinct Iberian ungulate

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021
Mitt Mus Natur Be Zool Reihe

Reconstructing the demographic history of endangered taxa is paramount to predict future fluctuations and disentangle the contribution factors. Extinct taxa or populations might also provide key insights in this respect from DNA extracted from museum specimens. Nevertheless, the degraded status of biological material and the limited number of records may pose some constraints. For this reason , identifying all available sources, including private and public biological collections, is a crucial step forward. In this study, we reconstructed the demographic history based on cytochrome-b sequence data of the Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), a charismatic and iconic taxon of European wildlife that became extinct in the year 2000. Moreover, we built a database of the museum specimens available in public biological collections worldwide and genotyped a privately owned 140-year-old trophy from the Span-ish Pyrenees to confirm its origin. We found that the population of the Pyrenean ibex underwent a recent expansion approximately 20,000 years ago, after which trophy hunting and epizootics triggered a relentless population decline. Our interpretations, based on the genetic material currently available in public repositories, provide a solid basis for more exhaustive analyses based on all the new sources identified. In particular, the adoption of a genome-wide approach appears a fundamental prerequisite to disentangle the multiple contributing factors associated with low genetic diversity, including inbreeding depression, acting as extinction drivers.

Sustaining Transmission in Different Host Species: The Emblematic Case of Sarcoptes scabiei

Article

Oct 2021

Some pathogens sustain transmission in multiple different host species, but how this epidemiologically important feat is achieved remains enigmatic. Sarcoptes scabiei is among the most host generalist and successful of mammalian parasites. We synthesize pathogen and host traits that mediate sustained transmission and present cases illustrating three transmission mechanisms (direct, indirect, and combined). The pathogen traits that explain the success of S. scabiei include immune response modulation, on-host movement capacity, off-host seeking behaviors, and environmental persistence. Sociality and host density appear to be key for hosts in which direct transmission dominates, whereas in solitary hosts, the use of shared environments is important for indirect transmission. In social den-using species, combined direct and indirect transmission appears likely. Empirical research rarely considers the mechanisms enabling S. scabiei to become endemic in host species—more often focusing on outbreaks. Our review may illuminate parasites’ adaptation strategies to sustain transmission through varied mechanisms across host species.

Re-emergence of bluetongue virus serotype 4 in Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica ) and sympatric livestock in Spain, 2018-2019

Article

Jun 2020

Between early October and mid‐December 2018, mortalities were detected in Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica ) populations in southern Spain. In the same region and period, bluetongue virus (BTV) circulation was also reported in sentinel and clinically‐affected domestic ruminant herds. Molecular analyses confirmed BTV serotype 4 (BTV‐4) infection in eight Iberian ibexes from six hunting areas, and in 46 domestic ruminants from seven herds in close proximity to affected hunting estates. Histopathological analyses revealed vascular changes in several organs, pneumonia, lymphoid depletion, inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltrate and fibrosis as the most frequently observed lesions in the affected Iberian ibexes. Epidemiological and laboratory results indicate that BTV‐4 was the main etiological agent involved in outbreaks detected in Iberian ibex populations during the study period. Sequence analyses indicated that the BTV‐4 strain detected in Iberian ibex had high homology (99.4‐100%) with strains isolated in livestock during the same period, and with previous isolates (≥98.9%) from Spain and Mediterranean Basin countries. Further studies are warranted to determine the impact of BTV‐4 on the health status of Iberian ibex populations after the outbreaks. The inclusion of this species in the surveillance program may be useful for early detection of BTV, especially in epidemiological scenarios at the wildlife‐livestock interface.

Ecological niche overlap between co-occurring native and exotic ungulates: insights for a conservation conflict

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2020
BIOL INVASIONS

Exploitative competition implies an indirect interaction in which a resource exploited by one species is not available for another; e.g., when species share diet or habitat. It plays a key role in community structure and dynamics. Here we evaluated the niche overlap between the exotic aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) and the native Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) where the species coexist in the Iberian Peninsula, along two main dimensions, the trophic niche and the environmental niche. Then we assessed the spatial segregation of the species. We expected that if a niche overlap was high, competition could drive spatial segregation to allow co-existence. We analyzed their trophic niche overlap by using the content of stable isotopes δ15N and δ13C in the hair of both species. To establish environmental niche competition, we compared the similarity in their habitat, estimated by environmental niche models based on the fine-scale presence records of each species obtained from field surveys. To test if spatial segregation occurred, we analyzed both species’ co-occurrence. Our results indicated that both species shared a similar trophic niche measured by stable isotopes, both species showed a similar distribution of suitable areas, and that both species’ environmental niches were more similar than expected. Finally, a negative spatial association was found between the aoudad and Iberian ibex. These results reveal that both species are ecologically similar and suggest that fine-scale spatial segregation might have favoured their co-existence in semiarid Mediterranean mountains. Our results show that integrating information on trophic and environmental niche overlap with fine scale spatial distribution might improve the study of competitive interactions among wild ungulates.

ESTIMATING IBERIAN WILD GOAT ABUNDANCE IN A LARGE RUGGED FOREST HABITAT Estimación de la abundancia de la cabra montés en un hábitat forestal de montaña de gran superficie

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2019

The aim of the study was to estimate the distribution and density of Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica in Castellón province, Spain. We asked the rangers of the Environmental Agency of Valencia to estimate the distribution of the species within the province using a 2.5 x 2.5 km2 grid and identified 130 vantage points for fixedpoint surveys throughout the area. Survey was undertaken in two periods (June and July, post-partum period, and November and December, during the rut). The animals were counted from those fixed points during 3 hours observation periods in the morning or evening, and, to calculate the population density, we used the Distance Sampling (DS) procedure. We counted 1,157 goats at 77% of the vantage points in the post-partum period and 1,994 at 82% of the vantage points during the rut. During the rut, the population density was 11.7 goats km-2 (95% CI = 8.9-15.4). Fifteen per cent of the males were >10 years old, the sex ratio was near unity (0.98 males per female), the productivity of the population was 0.75 kids per female, and the estimated minimum population size was 24,030 individuals. In the rugged, mountainous forests, the DS produced reasonable results, which supports the use of this procedure to estimate populations of Iberian wild goats in such environments where the visibility is restricted.

Estimación de la abundancia de la cabra montés en un hábitat forestal de montaña de gran superficie

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2019

El objetivo del estudio fue estimar la distribución y densidad de la cabra montés en la provincial de Castellón, España. Pedimos a los agentes medioambientales del Departamento de Medio Ambiente de la Generalitat de Valencia que estimaran su distribución utilizando cuadrículas de 2,5 x 2,5 km2 e identificaran 130 puntos de observación fijos con buena visibilidad en toda el área. El seguimiento se hizo en dos periodos: junio y julio, tras los partos y noviembre-diciembre, durante el celo. El conteo se realizó tras el amanecer o antes del atardecer durante periodos de 3 horas y para calcular la densidad utilizamos el procedimiento Distance Sampling (DS). Detectamos 1.157 cabras en el 77% de los puntos fijos tras los partos y 1.994 en el 82% de los puntos durante el celo. En el celo la densidad fue de 11,7 cabras km-2 (ICM 95% = 8,9-15,4). El 15% de los machos resultó ser mayor de 10 años, la proporción de sexos en la edad adulta de 0,98 machos por hembra, la productividad 0,75 cabritos por hembra adulta y el tamaño mínimo poblacional de 24.030 individuos. En terrenos forestales rugosos, el procedimiento del DS produce resultados razonables que apoyan su uso para estimar tamaños poblacionales de cabras monteses en estos ambientes de visibilidad reducida.

Los Batanes: A trap for the Pyrenean wild goat during the Late Pleistocene (Spain)

Article

Oct 2017
QUATERN INT

Los Batanes cave (1025 m.a.s.l.) is a karstic system formed by pressure ducts, near the locality of Biescas in the Upper Gallego Valley (Huesca, Spain). Many fossil remains were retrieved from the cave sediments. The minimum sediment calendar age was determined to be 12.770 ± 60 BP. This date indicates that the deposit was formed before the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition at the Pyrenees. Here we analyze the faunal assemblage of the site that is only conformed by remains of Pyrenean wild goat (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), which is a recently extinct subspecies of Iberian wild goat (C. pyrenaica). In the site, 1079 remains of Iberian wild goat have been recovered being one of the most numerous both in minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identified specimens (NISP) recovered until now in a natural trap in the Spanish Pyrenees. The population of Los Batanes shows a wide range of ages between juvenile and senile individuals and the MNI estimated from the number of right metatarsus is nine. The taphonomic features indicate that the cave acted as a trap for the goats which inhabited the vicinity of the cave. These goats probably stumbled and fell to the bottom of the pit and they could not get out, dying inside. Due to the origin of the accumulation numerous complete bones have been recovered. These fossil allow us to perform a biometric analysis that indicates that population of Los Batanes is in the range size of other goats from Late Pleistocene of Iberian Peninsula.

Iberian wild goat coprophagy on dove guano. A case report and insights from food analysis

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2024

Heterospecific coprophagy. i.e., the consumption of excreta of other species, is reported and documented for the first time for Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 and is discussed in light of the nutritional composition of the excreta. Two adult female goats were observed consuming guano of rock dove Columba livia Gmelin, 1789 in March 2021 in the Natural Park of Guara. The chemical composition and feed value of the dove guano consumed by goats was analyzed using standard methods of food analysis. The guano had moderate energy content and high concentrations of nitrogen-compounds that are convertible into protein. It was also rich in macronutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium and sulfur, some of which (namely phosphorus) may be deficient for goats in calcareous environments such as the study area. High levels of sodium and possibly of guanine can cause hedonistic responses to salty and umami flavors that may contribute and reinforce this feeding habit. The guano was affected by desiccation and aging resulting from outdoor exposure, which might have also decreased its degree of pathogenicity. We hypothesize that female Iberian wild goats could be stimulated by guano in the second half of their pregnancy period, when their protein requirements increase. Heterospecific coprophagy has been documented in a wide range of mammals indicating it may be an important feeding activity, but it is still poorly described and understood. Its causes, consequences and relevance should deserve more attention to better understand their feeding ecology. This has to be faced under a multidisciplinary approach.

Reconstructing Middle and Upper Paleolithic human mobility in Portuguese Estremadura through laser ablation strontium isotope analysis

Article

May 2023
P NATL ACAD SCI USA

Understanding mobility and landscape use is important in reconstructing subsistence behavior, range, and group size, and it may contribute to our understanding of phenomena such as the dynamics of biological and cultural interactions between distinct populations of Upper Pleistocene humans. However, studies using traditional strontium isotope analysis are generally limited to identifying locations of childhood residence or nonlocal individuals and lack the sampling resolution to detect movement over short timescales. Here, using an optimized methodology, we present highly spatially resolved 87Sr/86Sr measurements made by laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry along the growth axis of the enamel of two marine isotope stage 5b, Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal teeth (Gruta da Oliveira), a Tardiglacial, Late Magdalenian human tooth (Galeria da Cisterna), and associated contemporaneous fauna from the Almonda karst system, Torres Novas, Portugal. Strontium isotope mapping of the region shows extreme variation in 87Sr/86Sr, with values ranging from 0.7080 to 0.7160 over a distance of c. 50 km, allowing short-distance (and arguably short-duration) movement to be detected. We find that the early Middle Paleolithic individuals roamed across a subsistence territory of approximately 600 km2, while the Late Magdalenian individual parsimoniously fits a pattern of limited, probably seasonal movement along the right bank of the 20-km-long Almonda River valley, between mouth and spring, exploiting a smaller territory of approximately 300 km2. We argue that the differences in territory size are due to an increase in population density during the Late Upper Paleolithic.

Seasonal dietary shifts and selection of Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 in Peneda-Gerês National Park (Portugal)

Article

Dec 2013

This study intended to know Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 feeding strategy in two proximate mountains it recently recolonized, Gerês and Amarela (Peneda-Gerês National Park, PGNP, Portugal). For that purpose we studied species dietary composition using faecal diet microhistological determinations and also its diet selection. Albeit wild goat exhibited an intermediate browse - graze behaviour in the two areas, grazing was more pronounced in Gerês while browsing in Amarela. Both areas presented a dietary shift in spring consisting in an increase on the consumption and preference for graminoids. This feeding strategy extended through summer only in Amarela. Results obtained are congruent with wild goat generalist feeding behaviour in other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and suggest that species feeding strategy in PGNP respond to spatial patterns of resources, specifically of graminoids, and to livestock stocking rates and management.

Two Cases of Mange Mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) Infestation in Long-Tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) in Republic of Korea

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The long-tailed goral, Naemorhedus caudatus (Mammalia: Bovidae), is one of the endangered animals in the Republic of Korea (Korea). Sarcoptic mange mites infested in diverse species of mammals, including humans, but no case has been reported in long-tailed gorals. We report 2 cases of mange mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, infestation in long-tailed gorals. Mange mites were sampled in the skin legions of the 2 long-tailed gorals, which were rescued in 2 different regions, Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea. Our results showed that the ectoparasite was the itch mite that burrowed into skin and caused scabies on the morphological inspection and placed within the phylogenetic relations of the species. The present study confirmed for the first time in Korea that mange mites are pathogenic scabies of long-tailed goral. Closer surveillance of this pathogenic ectoparasite in zoonotic and infectious ecosystems is warranted.

The expansion process of the Iberian ibex in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Madrid (Spain)

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

In this paper we explore the usefulness of MaxEnt to predict the most suitable areas for a wildlife species, the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica). For two decades (1990–2010), the species was established in a small part of the National Park Sierra de Guadarrama (Spain) and there has been a process of expansion to other areas of this protected area since 2010. However, almost two decades have elapsed since the modeling methods (MaxEnt) were proposed and no studies have tested their effectiveness using real distribution data, i.e. data from past predictions, to see if they fit the current distribution. We generated a model with presence– only data from 2007 and verified accuracy from 2017 data concerning real presence. Our results show a relationship between models and the species' current presence. The generated model can be useful to define the preferred locations of the species. We detected several differences between males and females of the species. This work not only shows the importance of selecting climatic and ecological variables for the construction of models but also indicates that they must be adjusted, at least for some species, to each sex and period of the year.

Genetic signature of blind reintroductions of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) in Catalonia, Northeast Spain

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
PLOS ONE

The Iberian ibex is one of the most singular species of the Iberian Peninsula. Throughout the years, this species suffered several threats which led the population to its decline. Many reintroductions and translocations were made, however, none of those actions took into account the genetic patterns of both reintroduced individuals and the target populations. In this paper, we explored the genetic traits of three populations of Iberian ibex in Catalonia, which experienced blind reintroductions in past years: The populations of Iberian ibex from Els Ports de Tortosa i Beseit National Game Reserve (TBNGR), Montserrat Natural Park (Monserrat) and Montgrí, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter Natural Park (Montgrí) Based on the genetic patterns of the three populations coupled with the absence of genetic introgression with domestic goats–inferred using mitochondrial and nuclear markers–we propose that these should be regarded as two different management units: TBNGR coupled with Montserrat, and Montgrí. Montserrat population should be targeted as a population model for ecology and evolution studies. Although we did not detect evidences of recent bottleneck events, this population seems to be monomorphic for the mtDNA haplotype. Our results suggest that the blind reintroductions from TBNGR to Montserrat failed on maximizing the genetic diversity of the latter. We enhance the importance of genetic monitoring of both the source population and the selected individuals to be re-introduced. We conclude that the three studied population of Iberian ibex must be monitored to explore which strategy would be advantageous for maintaining the genetic diversity. On the other hand, TBNGR should be monitored to assess the existence of its singular genetic variation, where stochastic events could preserve this lost genetic variation.

Genetic signature of blind reintroductions of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) in Catalonia, Northeast Spain

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022

Moss cover and browsing scores as sustainability indicators of mountain ungulate populations in Mediterranean environments

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2022
BIODIVERS CONSERV

Here, we aimed to define ecological indicators of environmental change for monitoring the effect of a reintroduced species, the Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica ), over the vegetation of a natural protected area with contrasting habitats. This species was reintroduced 30 years ago in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain, and its population has since grown exponentially, reaching high densities in some areas. We tested the suitability of two complementary indicators: browsing damage on woody species and the percentage of moss cover loss on rocky outcrops. For this purpose, we used a mathematical approach to zone the natural protected area according to the historical presence of the species and established five different Iberian ibex pressure classes (Classes I–V). Our results showed a direct link between Iberian ibex pressure and vegetation status. Model predictions suggested 10% moss loss in the areas with low pressure (Class I) but 64% loss in the areas with high pressure (Class III), mostly due to ungulate trampling on rocks. Similarly, browsing damage increased with increasing pressure classes for different woody species. Low palatable plant species such as Pinus spp. showed little change in browsing damage for increasing ungulate pressure whereas more palatable plants (e.g., Erica arborea ) showed significantly greater browsing damage variation across pressure classes (i.e., high sensitive to herbivory pressure). Both, moss cover on rocks and widely distributed palatable woody plants proved useful ecological indicators for monitoring ungulate populations in mountainous areas with a diverse array of habitats (e.g., rocky vs. woody). This methodology may help select the most suitable indicators for each type of ecosystem or dominant habitat in ungulate-dominated ecosystems.

Ancient mitochondrial and modern whole genomes unravel massive genetic diversity loss during near extinction of Alpine ibex

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

Population bottlenecks can have dramatic consequences for the health and long‐term survival of a species. Understanding of historic population size and standing genetic variation prior to a contraction allows estimating the impact of a bottleneck on the species genetic diversity. Although historic population sizes can be modelled based on extant genomics, uncertainty is high for the last 10‐20 millenia. Hence, integrating ancient genomes provides a powerful complement to retrace the evolution of genetic diversity through population fluctuations. Here, we recover 15 high‐quality mitogenomes of the once nearly extinct Alpine ibex spanning 8601 BP to 1919 CE and combine these with 60 published modern whole genomes. Coalescent demography simulations based on modern whole genomes indicate population fluctuations coinciding with the last major glaciation period. Using our ancient and historic mitogenomes, we investigate the more recent demographic history of the species and show that mitochondrial haplotype diversity was reduced to a fifth of the pre‐bottleneck diversity with several highly differentiated mitochondrial lineages having co‐existed historically. The main collapse of mitochondrial diversity coincides with elevated human population growth during the last 1‐2 kya. After recovery, one lineage was spread and nearly fixed across the Alps due to recolonization efforts. Our study highlights that a combined approach integrating genomic data of ancient, historic and extant populations unravels major long‐term population fluctuations from the emergence of a species through its near extinction up to the recent past.

Rôles de la structure du paysage et du degré de socialité sur la sélection d'habitat et la mobilité animale : une approche comparative chez les grands herbivores.

Thesis

Mar 2021

Juliette Seigle-Ferrand

Les effets des changements globaux sur les habitats naturels sont de plus en plus perceptibles, et comprendre comment les animaux y répondent est nécessaire pour une meilleure gestion de leurs populations. C’est en effet à travers leur impact sur l’environnement, et essentiellement sur les habitats, que les activités humaines ont souvent le plus grand effet sur les écosystèmes, à travers le changement climatique, la fragmentation, la destruction de l'habitat, les changements dans l'utilisation des terres ou la surexploitation des ressources. Les ongulés constituent un exemple marquant de progression numérique et spatiale d’une guilde d’espèces dans des écosystèmes impactés par l’Homme. Cet essor démographique est à l’origine d’un nombre croissant d’interactions entre Homme et faune et place la gestion de ces espèces au cœur des préoccupations des politiques publiques. Dans ce contexte, j’ai étudié cinq espèces de grands ongulés sauvages : le chamois, le mouflon, le bouquetin, le chevreuil et le cerf, dans le cadre du projet Mov-It (Ungulates MOVing across heterogeneous landscapes: identifying behavioural processes linking global change to spatially-explicIT demographic performance and management), soutenu par l’Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR). Dans un premier temps, je mets en évidence les liens entre variations intraspécifiques de la taille du domaine vital saisonnier des ongulés, le paysage (i.e. les ressources, le risque et l’hétérogénéité) et les traits d’histoire de vie de ces espèces. Je me suis ensuite intéressée plus particulièrement à l’influence des structures linéaires anthropiques et naturelles du paysage sur l'utilisation individuelle de l'espace. Je montre ainsi que les grands herbivores utilisent des structures linéaires du paysage pour délimiter leur domaine vital mensuel, mais que l'importance relative de ces structures linéaires dans la délimitation du domaine vital mensuel diminuait à mesure que leur densité augmentait dans le paysage local. Je mets également en évidence le caractère risqué des structures anthropiques pour les ongulés, en particulier l'effet de l'intensité de l’utilisation humaine de ces structures sur le nombre de traversées par les mouflons. Enfin, l’importance de la prise en compte du paysage du risque et des ressources sur l’organisation sociale est démontré. En effet, la formation de dyades (i.e. paires d’individus) est plus probable dans les milieux ouverts riche en ressources et lorsque le risque, incluant prédation et dérangement, est le plus fort (i.e. le jour). L’ensemble des résultats présentés dans ce travail de thèse a permis d’améliorer notre compréhension des effets de la structure du paysage et de la socialité sur la sélection d’habitat et le mouvement chez différentes espèces d’ongulés.

First report of interspecific transmission of sarcoptic mange from Iberian ibex to wild boar

Article

Sep 2021

Background: Sarcoptic mange is a globally distributed parasitic disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes sca-biei. This mite has a certain degree of host specificity, although interspecific transmission can occur among phyloge-netically related species or through prey-predator mediated exposure. In 2018, a wild boar (Sus scrofa) with lesions compatible with sarcoptic mange was hunted in Ports de Tortosa i Beseit Natural Park (PTB, northeastern Spain), where an active epizootic outbreak of sarcoptic mange is affecting Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica) since 2014. Methods: A complete necropsy, skin scrapings and skin digestions with hydroxide potassium were performed to confirm the diagnosis. Routine histopathological analysis, toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemistry were used to characterize the lesions and the inflammatory infiltrate. Finally, 10 specific S. scabiei microsatellites were molecularly genotyped through polymerase chain reactions in mites obtained from the affected wild boar. For phylo-genetic comparison, mites obtained from sympatric Iberian ibexes and allopatric wild boars and Iberian ibexes from southern Spain were analysed. Results: Sarcoptes scabiei was visually and molecularly identified in the infested wild boar from PTB, causing skin lesions with dermal inflammatory infiltrate rich in T and B cells, which indicate an adaptive immune response. Three S. scabiei genetic clusters were identified: one included mites from southern Iberian ibexes, another included mites from southern wild boars, and a third one distinctively grouped the wild boar from PTB with the sympatric ibexes. Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of sarcoptic mange in wild boar in Spain and the first documented case of S. scabiei cross-transmission from a wild ruminant host to a wild boar. The wild boar presented an ordinary scabies type reaction, which is typical of the self-limiting infestations reported in other cases of interspecific transmission.

First report of interspecific transmission of sarcoptic mange from Iberian ibex to wild boar

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2021

Background Sarcoptic mange is a globally distributed parasitic disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei . This mite has a certain degree of host specificity, although interspecific transmission can occur among phylogenetically related species or through prey–predator mediated exposure. In 2018, a wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) with lesions compatible with sarcoptic mange was hunted in Ports de Tortosa i Beseit Natural Park (PTB, north-eastern Spain), where an active epizootic outbreak of sarcoptic mange is affecting Iberian ibexes ( Capra pyrenaica ) since 2014. Methods A complete necropsy, skin scrapings and skin digestions with hydroxide potassium were performed to confirm the diagnosis. Routine histopathological analysis, toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemistry were used to characterize the lesions and the inflammatory infiltrate. Finally, 10 specific S. scabiei microsatellites were molecularly genotyped through polymerase chain reactions in mites obtained from the affected wild boar. For phylogenetic comparison, mites obtained from sympatric Iberian ibexes and allopatric wild boars and Iberian ibexes from southern Spain were analysed. Results Sarcoptes scabiei was visually and molecularly identified in the infested wild boar from PTB, causing skin lesions with dermal inflammatory infiltrate rich in T and B cells, which indicate an adaptive immune response. Three S. scabiei genetic clusters were identified: one included mites from southern Iberian ibexes, another included mites from southern wild boars, and a third one distinctively grouped the wild boar from PTB with the sympatric ibexes. Conclusions To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of sarcoptic mange in wild boar in Spain and the first documented case of S. scabiei cross-transmission from a wild ruminant host to a wild boar. The wild boar presented an ordinary scabies type reaction, which is typical of the self-limiting infestations reported in other cases of interspecific transmission. Graphical abstract

Sheep husbandry in the early Neolithic of the Pyrenees: New data on feeding and reproduction in the cave of Chaves

Article

Jun 2021
JASR

Sheep predominate the Early Neolithic faunal assemblages in the Iberian Peninsula. Their exploitation for meat and milk production made them key to the economy of these early farming societies. Management of sheep breeding season and feeding in the context of the local environment were decisive in obtaining these livestock products. This work focuses on these aspects through stable isotope and dental microwear analyses on sheep teeth from the cave of Chaves (Huesca, Spain). The results show the existence of “out of season” (autumn/early winter) sheep births in the Early Neolithic, contrasting significantly with spring lambing prevailing in Neolithic husbandries elsewhere in Europe and confirming the antiquity of a western Mediterranean characteristic in this regard. Furthermore, little changes in sheep diet throughout the year have been documented, as far as could be evidenced from stable carbon isotope ratios and dental microwear. Only two individuals showed higher variability in diet on a seasonal scale with possible contribution of C4 plants, possibly from grazing in the valley steppes at lower altitudes. Overall the results suggest good adaptation of sheep to the Pyrenean mid-altitude environment and strong zootechnical knowledge of the earliest shepherds in this area.

Spatiotemporal monitoring of selected pathogens in Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica )

Article

Apr 2020

An epidemiological surveillance program was carried out to assess exposure and spatio‐temporal patterns of selected pathogens (Brucella spp., Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), Mycoplasma agalactiae, Pestivirus and bluetongue virus (BTV)) in Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) from Andalusia (southern Spain), the region with the largest population of this species. A total of 602 animals in five distribution areas were sampled during 2010‐2012 (P1) and 2013‐2015 (P2). The Rose Bengal test (BRT) and complement fixation test (CFT) were used in parallel to detect anti‐Brucella spp. antibodies. Commercial ELISAs were used to test for antibodies against the other selected pathogens. Sera positive for BTV and Pestivirus by ELISA were tested by serum neutralization test (SNT) to identify circulating serotypes/genotypes. The overall seroprevalences were: 0.4% for Brucella spp. (2/549; CI95%: 0.1‐1.3) (14/555 positive by RBT; 2/564 by CFT), 0.5% for MAP (3/564; CI95%: 0.1‐1.5), 5.7% for M. agalactiae (30/529; CI95%: 3.9‐8.0), 11.1% for Pestivirus (58/525; CI95%: 8.5‐14.1) and 3.3% for BTV (18/538; CI95%: 2.0‐5.2). Significantly higher seropositivity to both M. agalactiae and BTV was observed in P1 compared to P2. Spatiotemporal clusters of high seroprevalence were also found for M. agalactiae in four of the five sampling areas in 2010, and for BTV in one of five areas in 2012. Specific antibodies against BTV‐4, BDV‐4 and BVDV‐1 were confirmed by SNT. Our results indicate that the Iberian ibex may be considered spillover hosts of Brucella spp. and MAP rather than true reservoirs. The prevalence of antibodies against M. agalactiae and BTV suggests spatiotemporal variation in the circulation of these pathogens, while Pestivirus has a moderately endemic circulation in Iberian ibex populations. Our study highlights the importance of long‐term surveillance for a better understanding of the spatiotemporal distribution of shared infectious diseases and providing valuable information to improve control measures at the wildlife‐livestock interface.

Habitat and Harvesting Practices Influence Horn Growth of Male Ibex

Article

Feb 2020

Size‐selective harvesting of wild ungulates can trigger a range of ecological and evolutionary consequences. It remains unclear how environmental conditions, including changes in habitat, climate, and local weather conditions, dilute or strengthen the effects of trophy hunting. We analyzed horn length measurements of 2,815 male ibex (Capra pyrenaica) that were harvested from 1995 to 2017 in Els Ports de Tortosa i Beseit National Hunting Reserve in northeastern Spain. We used linear mixed models to determine the magnitude of inter‐individual horn growth variability and partial least square path models to evaluate long‐term effects of environmental change, population size, and hunting strategy on horn growth. Age‐specific horn length significantly decreased over the study period, and nearly a quarter (23%) of its annual variation was attributed to individual heterogeneity among males. The encroachment of pine (Pinus spp.) forests had a negative effect on annual horn growth, possibly through nutritional impoverishment. The harvesting of trophy and selective individuals (e.g., small‐horned males) from the entire population increased horn growth, probably because it reduced the competition for resources and prevented breeding of these smaller males. Local weather conditions and population size did not influence horn growth. Our study demonstrates how habitat changes are altering the horn growth of male ibex. We suggest that habitat interventions, such the thinning of pine forests, can contribute to securing the sustainability of trophy hunting. Even in situations where size‐selective harvesting is not causing a detectable phenotypic response, management actions leading to the expansion of preferred land cover types, such as grass‐rich open areas, can have a positive effect on ungulate fitness. Forest encroachment on open meadows and heterogeneous grasslands is pervasive throughout Mediterranean ecosystems. Therefore, our management recommendations can be extended to the landscape level, which will have the potential to mitigate the side effects of habitat deterioration on the phenotypic traits of wild ibex. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. The encroachment of coniferous forests and the consequent loss of natural pastures had a negative effect on the annual horn growth of male ibex inhabiting a Mediterranean ecosystem. The selective harvesting of small‐horned males had a positive effect on annual horn growth. The expansion of grass‐rich open areas should be prioritized to reduce the negative effects of habitat deterioration on the phenotypic traits of male ibex.

Adaptability, resilience and environmental buffering in European Refugia during the Late Pleistocene: Insights from La Riera Cave (Asturias, Cantabria, Spain)

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2020

The Upper Palaeolithic in Europe was a time of extensive climatic changes that impacted on the survival and distribution of human populations. During the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM), southern European peninsulas were refugia for flora, fauna, and human groups. One of these refugia, the Cantabrian region (northern Atlantic Spain), was intensively occupied throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Characterising how climatic events were expressed in local environments is crucial to understand human and animal survival. La Riera Cave (Asturias) has a rich geo-cultural sequence dating between 20.5kyr BP to 6.5kyr BP and represents an ideal location in which to explore this. Stable isotope analysis of red deer and ibex is used alongside other environmental and climatic proxies to reconstruct Late Upper Palaeolithic conditions. Results show that during the LGM, ibex adapted their niche to survive, and became a major prey species for humans. The diverse environmental opportunities offered in the high-relief and coastal environs of La Riera may help to explain the high human population levels in the Cantabrian Region throughout the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Despite fluctuating conditions, herbivores and humans had the flexibility and resilience to adapt, demonstrating the importance of southern European refugia for the survival of different species.

Disentangling the effects of habitat, connectivity and interspecific competition in the range expansion of exotic and native ungulates

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2018
LANDSCAPE ECOL

Wild medium-sized ungulate populations are recovering in many countries of the Northern Hemisphere due to abandonment of rural areas but also due to the translocation of native and exotic ungulates for game hunting. To assess the role of landscape connectivity, habitat suitability and interspecific interactions driving the simultaneous range expansion of two wild ungulates, one native (Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica) and one exotic species (Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia), in southeastern Spain. We reconstructed the expansion process of the Iberian ibex and the Barbary sheep in southeastern Spain for the period 1975–2009 by means of Local Ecological Knowledge and tested the role of habitat suitability, landscape connectivity and interspecific competition during the expansion process by means of GLMM. Habitat suitability was assessed by means of ecological niche modeling and landscape connectivity was represented by competing resistance surface dispersal models. Our results show that at the landscape scale both species are ecologically very similar, although the Iberian ibex is more specialized in less transformed landscapes. Landscape connectivity was the main driver of the colonization process, followed by habitat suitability. From a connectivity point of view, both species showed a coarse perception of the landscape, recognizing three main use types: natural, agricultural and human. Major linear infrastructures do not affect the colonization process. Our colonization models also suggest a negative interaction of the Iberian ibex on the Barbary sheep. The exotic Barbary sheep and the native Iberian ibex are two ungulate species very similar ecologically whose simultaneous expansion process in southeastern Spain are driven by landscape connectivity followed by habitat suitability. In addition, the Iberian ibex affects negatively the colonization ability of the Barbary sheep. Overall, our work deepens our understanding on two pressing issues simultaneously: (i) controls of the range expansion of ungulates at the landscape scale and (ii) how a native and an introduced species interact during their expansion process.

Unraveling the genetic history of the European wild goats

Article

Apr 2018
QUATERNARY SCI REV

The population history of the Iberian wild goat and the Alpine ibex has been closely related to that of humans since the Palaeolithic. Current molecular and paleontological studies differ substantially on the phylogenetic origin of the European wild goats, possibly due the loss of genetic variation through time. We investigated the phylogenetic relationship between the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and the Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica) including different Iberian wild goat subspecies by applying ancient DNA techniques combined with Next Generation Sequencing technologies. We analysed the cytochrome b gene of the mitochondrial genome in 33 ancient and modern European wild goats from Spain and France together with publicly available genetic information of modern wild goats. This work uncovers for the first time ancient genetic information of the Iberian wild goat and the Alpine ibex, spanning a time range of approximately 40,000 years to the present. Our results suggest genetic continuity between ancient and modern populations and indicate a monophyletic origin of the Alpine ibex and the Iberian wild goat when compared to other Capra species. The monophyly of both species is in agreement with other molecular studies based only on modern populations, therefore supporting one-wave migration of wild goats into Western Europe followed by possible allopatric speciation. We observe three major clades of wild goats in Western Europe: Capra ibex, Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica and the group containing the subspecies Capra pyrenaica hispanica and Capra pyrenaica victoriae. This genetic structure recognizes the distinctiveness of the bucardo (C. p. pyrenaica) from the rest of Iberian wild goats and thus supports the idea that this group is an Evolutionary Significant Unit. The divergence time estimated here indicates an almost contemporaneous split between the three clades around 50,000–90,000 years BP.

Wildlife-Livestock Host Community Maintains Simultaneous Epidemiologic Cycles of Mycoplasma conjunctivae in a Mountain Ecosystem

Article

Full-text available

May 2024

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is an eye disease caused by Mycoplasma conjunctivae that affects domestic and wild caprines, including Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), a medium-sized mountain ungulate. However, its role in IKC dynamics in multi-host communities has been poorly studied. This study assessed M. conjunctivae in Iberian ibex and seasonally sympatric domestic small ruminants in the Natural Space of Sierra Nevada (NSSN), a mountain habitat in southern Spain. From 2015 to 2017, eye swabs were collected from 147 ibexes (46 subadults, 101 adults) and 169 adult domestic small ruminants (101 sheep, 68 goats). Mycoplasma conjunctivae was investigated through real-time qPCR and statistically assessed according to species, sex, age category, year, period, and area. The lppS gene of M. conjunctivae was sequenced and phylogenetically analysed. Mycoplasma conjunctivae was endemic and asymptomatic in the host community of the NSSN. Three genetic clusters were shared by ibex and livestock, and one was identified only in sheep, although each host species could maintain the infection independently. Naïve subadults maintained endemic infection in Iberian ibex, with an epizootic outbreak in 2017 when the infection spread to adults. Wild ungulates are epidemiologically key in maintaining and spreading IKC and other shared diseases among spatially segregated livestock flocks.

Bibliography

Chapter

Feb 2023

Matthew Richardson

Habitat loss and degradation are currently the main anthropogenic causes of species extinctions. The root cause is human overpopulation. This unique volume provides, for the very first time, a comprehensive overview of all threatened and recently extinct mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes within the context of their locations and habitats. The approach takes a systematic examination of each biogeographic realm and region of the world, both terrestrial and marine, but with a particular emphasis on geographic features such as mountains, islands, and coral reefs. It reveals patterns useful in biodiversity conservation, helps to put it all into perspective, and ultimately serves as both a baseline from which to compare subsequent developments as well as a standardization of the way threatened species are studied.

Recent advances in ecological research on Asiatic ibex (Capra sibirica): a critical ungulate species of highland landscapes

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022

Recent Advances in Ecological Research On Asiatic ibex (Capra sibirica): A Critical Ungulate Species of Highland Landscapes

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022

The Asiatic ibex (Capra sibirica), the largest member of the genus Capra, is widely distributed in Central and South Asia. It is a primitive ibex species of the family Bovidae that is distinct from other ibex species. The Asiatic ibex is distributed in highland landscapes characterized by challenging terrains that have resulted in incomplete knowledge of this species. To understand the research advances in this species, this review summarizes the taxonomic position, global distribution, population size, foraging ecology, sexual segregation, health threat by diseases, and potential threats and conservation biology. Besides, this species is facing increasing impacts of anthropogenic activities and habitat loss induced by global climate change. It also proposes new research perspectives and priorities to understand the advanced ecology of the Asiatic ibex. We also highlight a suite of research gaps that require multidisciplinary approaches. These will increase understanding of the evolution, biology, ecology, and epidemiology of this species.

Ancient mitogenomes unravel massive genetic diversity loss during near extinction of Alpine ibex

Preprint

Full-text available

Nov 2021

Population bottlenecks can have dramatic consequences for the health and long-term survival of a species. A recent bottleneck event can also largely obscure our understanding of standing variation prior to the contraction. Historic population sizes can be modeled based on extant genomics, however uncertainty increases with the severity of the bottleneck. Integrating ancient genomes provides a powerful complement to retrace the evolution of genetic diversity through population fluctuations. Here, we recover 15 high-quality mitogenomes of the once nearly extinct Alpine ibex spanning 8601 BP to 1919 CE and combine these with 60 published modern genomes. Coalescent demography simulations based on modern genomes indicate population fluctuations matching major climatic change over the past millennia. Using ancient genomes, we show that mitochondrial haplotype diversity has been reduced to a fifth of the pre-bottleneck diversity with several highly differentiated mitochondrial lineages having co-existed historically. The main collapse of mitochondrial diversity coincided with human settlement expansions in the Middle Ages. The near extinction severely reduced the mitochondrial diversity. After recovery, one lineage was spread and nearly fixed across the Alps due to recolonization efforts. Contrary to expectations, we show that a second ancestral mitochondrial lineage has survived in an isolated population further south. Our study highlights that a combined approach integrating genomic data of ancient, historic and extant populations unravels major long-term population fluctuations.

Spectral ecologies: De/extinction in the Pyrenees

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Adam Searle

How is extinction problematised through biotechnological and ecological interventions, and how might such mediations elucidate different understandings of biotic loss and recovery? The bucardo—an endemic ibex from the Pyrenees—is the only extinct animal to have ever been cloned, and for seven short minutes in 2003, 'extinction was not forever.' Using the bucardo’s extinction as a starting point, rather than an ending, this paper addresses the ‘spectral ecologies’ of the Pyrenees. Drawing upon interviews and extensive ethnographic work conducted in Spain and France, I discuss the implications of this cloning project, and examine the various ways in which it is contested. Speculative futures of bucardo clones ‘returning’ to the Pyrenees seem unlikely, however, following the successful introductions of another subspecies of ibex to the French Pyrenees in 2014. Such events—following the mobilities and geographies of the ibex themselves—invalidate justifications for cloning in conservation. Spectral ecologies are characterised through the unsettling of—and departures from—linear temporalities. I broaden the ontological scope of species resurrection to attend to phenotypic shifts associated with ecological restoration projects, which I call ‘de/extinction.’ De/extinction unsettles a range of epistemological assumptions concerning two of conservation’s key concepts: species and extinction. Introduced ibex in the Pyrenees are beginning to resemble the defining features of bucardo with every new generation, a fascinating reworking of the bucardo’s absence. The figure of the ghost brings to the fore multiple pasts and futures, human and nonhuman, materialising and affecting bodies in spectral ecologies. This case offers a theoretical advance to the field of extinction studies and cultural geographies in considering different meanings of ‘the end,’ and the imagined futures of ‘lost’ biota.

Inventario y áreas complementarias para la conservación de las aves de la provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina Inventory and complementary areas for the conservation of the birds of Entre Ríos province, Argentina

Preprint

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Este articulo actualmente fue aceptado en una revista de importancia internacional. Se encuentra "en prensa" y a la espera de ser publicado, su contenido ya fue aceptado y revisado por pares. Espero poder subirlo cuando esté listo para que disfruten de la lectura del mismo. Con los co-autores hemos encontrado 396 especies nativas que habitan y poseen datos para la provincia de Entre Rios!!! Resumen. La región neotropical se caracteriza por su gran riqueza de aves, cuya protección e inventarios presentan sesgos de representación geográfica y composición de especies. En la provincia de Entre Ríos las áreas protegidas han sido establecidas con escasa planificación, lo que generó profundos sesgos en la representatividad de la biodiversidad provincial. Se actualizó el inventario de las aves de Entre Ríos con 80,000 registros. Se dividió la provincia en 39 celdas de 0,5° lat-long para analizar la riqueza de aves y priorizarlas mediante un análisis de complementariedad. Se comparó el sistema de áreas protegidas con las áreas complementarias para detectar vacíos de conservación. Entre Ríos posee 396 especies requiriendo diez celdas para incluirlas a todas. Las áreas prioritarias mayormente incluyeron celdas sobre los ríos Paraná y Uruguay. Estas áreas prioritarias se superponen deficientemente con las APs existentes. Se recomienda la creación de nuevas APs o cambiar las categorías de protección de APs ubicadas en las áreas prioritarias. El presente trabajo revaloriza la importancia de contar con inventarios actualizados para poder realizar priorizaciones espaciales y contrastar el sistema actual de APs para generar sistemas representativos y eficientes. Palabras clave: áreas prioritarias, áreas protegidas, riqueza, complementariedad, inventarios. Abstract. The Neotropical region is characterized by the high species richness of birds, whose protection and inventories show biases due to lack of geographic representation and species diversity. In Entre Ríos province its protected areas have not been well established, generating biases in biodiversity representativeness. We made an exhaustive birds’ inventory of Entre Ríos with 80 000 records. We divided the province into 39 cells of 0.5° lat-long to analyze birds’ richness and priority areas through a complementary analysis. The Protected Areas (PAs) system was overlapped with the complementary areas to detect gap conservation areas. Entre Ríos present 396 bird species and needs ten cells to protect them. The priority areas included cells on the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. These priority areas overlap poorly with the current PAs system. We recommend the creation of new PAs or change the protection categories of PAs that overlap with priority areas selected. This work revalues the importance of updated inventories to perform spatial prioritization and contrast the current PAs system to generate representative and efficient systems. Keywords: priority areas, protected areas, richness, complementary, inventories.

Functional traits of the world’s late Quaternary large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

Prehistoric and recent extinctions of large-bodied terrestrial herbivores had significant and lasting impacts on Earth’s ecosystems due to the loss of their distinct trait combinations. The world’s surviving large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores remain among the most threatened taxa. As such, a greater understanding of the ecological impacts of large herbivore losses is increasingly important. However, comprehensive and ecologically-relevant trait datasets for extinct and extant herbivores are lacking. Here, we present HerbiTraits , a comprehensive functional trait dataset for all late Quaternary terrestrial avian and mammalian herbivores ≥10 kg (545 species). HerbiTraits includes key traits that influence how herbivores interact with ecosystems, namely body mass, diet, fermentation type, habitat use, and limb morphology. Trait data were compiled from 557 sources and comprise the best available knowledge on late Quaternary large-bodied herbivores. HerbiTraits provides a tool for the analysis of herbivore functional diversity both past and present and its effects on Earth’s ecosystems.

East and West, Warm and Cold: The Evolution of Neanderthal Mobility Behaviour in Its European Palaeoenvironmental Context from the Beginning of the Late Saalian (191 ka BP) Until Their Demise (40 ka BP)

Thesis

Full-text available

Jun 2016

Ilkka Sipilä

A database of Neanderthal raw material transports and fauna from assemblages across Europe has been compiled with the aim to explore the evolution of the Neanderthals’ mobility behaviour with regard to the environment from the beginning of the Late Saalian (191 ka BP) to the demise of Neanderthals (40 ka BP). Mobility, as observed from the lithic transports in the Palaeolithic, is often interpreted as mirroring the social organisation of a group. As the study of Neanderthal mobility normally focuses on the maximum transport distances of lithics, such a methodology is seen as inadequate because three equifinal processes (subsistence activity, social transactions, and semi-random lithic scavenging) can account for these distances. Here, two different indicators of Neanderthal mobility are created based on the transport distances, quantities, and number of utilised raw material sources. The first one is the overall mobility, which represents the sum of the effort made to acquire all lithics from all sources. The second indicator is the mean effort per raw material, which quantifies the average effort made to acquire the different raw materials present in that assemblage. By analysing Neanderthal mobility in terms of these two variables, it is shown that Neanderthal social organisation evolves from the Saalian to the Early and Late Weichselian. This change is interpreted as reflecting diversification of their subsistence behaviour and as reflecting a tendency to optimise their foraging behaviour through decision making. In subsequent statistical analyses, it is demonstrated that there are no real differences in Neanderthal mobility between the east and the west, and that Neanderthals appear to have preferred semi-open landscapes, but somewhat avoided montane regions. The presence of the Mammoth Steppe was not noted as having either a negative or a positive impact on Neanderthals’ level of mobility. The apparent preference for semi-open landscapes and the variation in the different environments implies that they were top carnivores that may have exercised encounter-based hunting, which may explain their body type and injury patterns identified previously.

The names of southwestern European goats: is Iberian ibex the best common name for Capra pyrenaica?

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2020

The names of southwestern European goats: is Iberian ibex the best common name for Capra pyrenaica? The common name designated to a species is important because it connects specialists with non–experts. The matter of the correct common name is relevant to the conservation and management of conspicuous or flag species. The English name 'Spanish ibex' to designate Capra pyrenaica is extensive in the scientific literature, and some have defended its appropriateness. However, in our opinion, it is not the best term to designate this species. We propose that 'Iberian wild goat' should be used. Herein, we review the etymology, history, taxonomy and public use of the names used to designate goats (domestic and wild) in southwestern Europe during the last two millennia. Used first by Pliny the Elder, the name 'ibex' has been applied most often for the Alpine wild goat (C. ibex), and few authors applied this name to C. pyrenaica until the 20th century when some influential works extended its use in the scientific literature. Adult males of C. pyrenaica have lyre–shaped, and typically smooth horns that do not match the ibex morphotype, which has scimitar–shaped knotted horns. Although C. pyrenaica and C. ibex are probably phylogenetically close, their common names do not necessarily have to match. The rules of common names differ from those of scientific names. Cabra montés or cabra brava (wild goat) is the common name used by most authors in the Iberian peninsula. This name is deeply entrenched in the Iberian languages and has been used since the earliest references to the species in mediaeval times. We propose the adoption of 'Iberian wild goat' for legal and scientific communication and when interacting with the media.

The names of southwestern European goats: is Iberian ibex the best common name for Capra pyrenaica?

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2020

Anabiosis and the Liminal Geographies of De/extinction

Article

May 2020

Adam Searle

The spectacle of de-extinction is often forward facing at the interface of science fiction and speculative fact, haunted by extinction’s pasts. Missing from this discourse, however, is a robust theorization of de-extinction in the present. This article presents recent developments in the emergent fields of resurrection biology and liminality to conceptualize the anabiotic (not living nor dead) state of de/extinction. Through two stories, this article explores the epistemological perturbation caused by the suspended animation of genetic material. Contrasting the genomic stories of the bucardo, a now extinct subspecies of Iberian ibex whose genome was preserved before the turn of the millennium, and the woolly mammoth, whose genome is still a work in progress, the author poses questions concerning the existential authenticity of this genomic anabiosis. They serve as archetypal illustrations of salvaged and synthesized anabiotic creatures. De/extinction is presented as a liminal state of being, both living and dead, both fact and fiction, a realm that we have growing access to through the proliferation of synthetic biology and cryopreservation. The article concludes through a presentation of anabiotic geographies, postulating on the changing biocultural significances we attach to organisms both extinct and extant, and considering their implications for the contemporary extinction crisis.

Feeding strategies of Spanish wild goat in the Cazorla Sierra (Spain)

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 1992

Régimen alimentario de la cabra montes en la zona alpina de Sierra Nevada durante los meses de julio y agosto

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1990

Teodora Martínez

A comparison of the diets of the wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), domestic goat (Capra hircus), mouflon (Ovis musimon) and domestic sheep (Ovis aries) in the Cazorla mountain range

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1989

Autumn diet comparisons of four sympatric Caorini species inhabiting an area of 2 km2 in sierra de Cazorla (Jaen, Spain} have seen carried out. Diet was estimated by micrographic analysis of fresh faeces of four herbivores: Spanish wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), domestic goat (Capra hircus), Corsican moufflon (Ovis musimon) and domestic sheep (Ovis aries). Available plant food measurements and animal censuses in the study area were also carried out. Diet selection was different in the four species. Domestic goat fed predominantly on evergreen oak (Quercus Ilex)(81%). Half of the sheep's diet (48%) was composed of graminoids, but a quarter was dwarf shrub Helianthemum sp. (25%). Wild goats selected a mixed diet of 41% ligneous plants (16% evergreen oak), 14% graminoids and 45% herbaceous plants (29% monocotiledoneus bulbous species). Moufflon was the species that grazed most and it selected strongly in favour of monocotiledoneous herbs (80%). Our results agree well with the hypothesis attributing browsing food habits to Capra genus and grazing habits to Ovis genus. They are less concordant with the other tested hypothesis that domestication leads to generalist feeding habits.

The feeding strategy of Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) in the northern Sierra de Gredos (central Spain)

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2001
FOLIA ZOOL

Teodora Martínez

Foraging habits and factors most influencing diet selection in the Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) were analysed in the Sierra de Gredos area (central western Spain). Diet selection was analysed on the basis of plant availability and chemical composition. The most abundant herbaceous species in the study area were Nardus stricta, Festuca indigesta and Deschampsia flexuosa, while Cytisus purgans was the most abundant woody species. The diet of the Spanish ibex is primarily herbaceous throughout the year and consists essentially of grasses. Diet selection was primarily determined by forage availability, although plant digestibility and fibre content were also important. Digestibility had more influence on food choice in spring, when cell wall related parameters had less influence. The foraging strategy of Spanish ibex consists of consuming the most locally abundant species, many of which are fibre-rich.

El bucardo de los Pirineos: historia de una extinción

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1999

La cabra montés de los Pirineos (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica Schinz, 1838), localmente llamada bucardo, es uno de los pocos grandes mamíferos europeos al borde de la extinción (Natura 2000 Newsletter, Feb. 1999). En la reciente revisión realizada por el Specialist Caprinae Group de la IUCN era catalogado como “En Peligro Crítico” (CR) (Shackleton 1997). En el momento actual podría decirse que el bucardo se encuentra virtualmente extinto. Durante los dos últimos años tan sólo se tiene constancia de la existencia de una hembra vieja en la zona refugio del Valle de Arazas en el Pirineo Central. Los esfuerzos realizados en la búsqueda de más individuos en otras zonas cercanas han sido infructuosos (Seijas 1998). A mediados de los años 90 se constataba la casi segura ausencia de machos. Desde ese momento la subespecie estaba condenada a la extinción, al menos en su estado natural. Sin embargo, durante los últimos 10 años se han dedicado muchos más esfuerzos por lograr su recuperación que en todo lo que va de siglo. Importantes medios económicos y técnicos se han puesto a disposición del objetivo de su recuperación. Desafortunadamente se emprendieron demasiado tarde. El texto que sigue es una breve descripción de las actuaciones más relevantes llevadas a cabo durante los últimos 10 años, junto con algunas reflexiones y enseñanzas que podemos extraer de cara al futuro.

Sexual Segregation of Habitat by the Alpine Ibex in the French Alps

Article

Full-text available

Nov 1997

We examined seasonal use of habitat by male and female alpine ibexes (Capra ibex ibex) in the Bargy Massif, French Alps. No differences in use of habitat between sexes were found during rut. In winter, both sexes were restricted to southern aspects at low elevations and showed affinity for cliffs and brushy habitat, but avoided bare rocks. Males were found less on cliffs and at higher elevations in winter than females; that difference persisted throughout the year. In spring, females used grassland habitat more than males, but the opposite occurred during the rest of the year. During the period of parturition, females generally used cliffs, probably as an anti-predator strategy or to reduce disturbances by humans. Habitat segregation between sexes was lower in summer than in spring. Except during rut and winter, females used areas with vegetation in earlier phenological stages more than males. Males used a greater diversity of habitat types than females throughout the year. Our data show that sexual segregation in use of habitat in alpine ibexes depends on several ecological and reproductive factors and varies seasonally.

La cabra montés (Capra pyrenaica) en el Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas

Book

Full-text available

Jan 1991

Paulino Fandos

Population dynamic of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica in Sierra Nevada Natural Park (southern Spain)

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1994

1994. Population dynamic of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica in Sierra Nevada Natural Park (southern Spain). Acta theriol. 39: 289-294. The whole are a of distribution of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 population of Sierra Nevada Natural Park was surveyed for the first time during July-August 1993 and the densities were estimated by using the line transects method. A IDean density of 7.69 :t 0.50 ibexes/km2 was obtained, with sex ratio (males/ /females) of 0.80 and kids/adult females rate of 0.39. Data Oil size and composition of groups and on altitudinal distribution are alBo included. The demographic trend of ibexes in Sierra Nevada during last 30 years is reconstructed on the basis of data referred to the National Game Reserve, located within OUTstudy aTea,

The dynamics of sarcoptic mange in the ibex population of Sierra Nevada in Spain - Influence of climatic factors

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1997

Sarcoptic mange has been affecting the Sierra Nevada ibex population since 1992, if not longer. As local inf nation on the dynamics of scabies is needed if we try to prevent and central the disease, a monitoring program was started in August 1992. Data obtained revealed that females were significantly more infested thaft males. Monthly prevalence showed a marked seasonal pattern and it was related to temperature and rainfall of previous months. On the other hand, contrary to the expected evolution of mange, a decrease in prevalence in later years or the study was observed. Moreover, the scabies-induced-mortality did not reach high levels and the ibex population density is still increasing.

Distribution and status of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica in Andalusia, southern Spain

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Jan 1998

Abstract: The Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica (Schinz 1838) is an endemic mountain ungulate of the· Iberian Peninsula, which is included as a rare species in the Red Book of the Vertebrates of Spain (Blanco & Gonzales, 1992) During this century its distribution range has experimented significative changes. It became extinct in representative sites, like the mountain range of Sierra de Geres (Portugal) and the French Pyrenees. More recently, it is almost extinct in the Pyrenees (northern Spain). Meanwhile, new populations have established due to both natural dispersion and introductions (e.g. Subbeticas Jienenses, Sierra de Baza·Filabres, among others). Andalusia is the region with the highest number of nuclei, some of them showing high ibex density values. The mean goal of our study was to determine the distribution and status of the Spanish ibex in Andalusia. Our results show the presence of, at least, 34 nuclei in Andalusia. We have estimated an overall population around 30,000 individuals, with a mean density for the whole territory studied of 3 ibex/km^2. Nevertheless, in despite of this relatively high number, several conservation problems are identified. On the basis of the results obtained, we propose the status of '·vulnerable" species for the Spanish ibex in our region.

Historical examination of the status of large mammals in Aragon, Spain

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2000
MAMMALIA

During the last century, human activities have promoted large changes in habitats, leading to changes in the abundance and composition of mammal communities. Some species have been favoured intentionally (specially those with high economic importance), or unintentionally (i.e. opportunistic species), introduced las some livestock species), or persecuted (i.e. species that affect livestock or game). In this paper, we show and explain the changes in the composition of the large mammal community in Aragon, a northeastern Spanish area where there have been extinctions (lynx, Lynx sp.); introductions (moufflon, Ovis ammon; fallow deer, Dama dame); reintroductions (red deer, Cervus elaphus); and particularly natural expansions (wild boar, Sus scrofa; roe deer, Capreolus capreolus; red deer; Pyrenean chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica). Some taxa are currently almost extinct (brown bear, Ursus arctos; Pyrenean ibex, Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) and others are recovering after getting close to extinction (wolf, Canis lupus). Three interconnected causes may explain the clear increment of ungulates in our study area: (1) the abandonment of rural activities, (2) the subsequent decrease of livestock, and (3) the increase of forest habitats. None of those species are currently below 150 % of their range in the 19(th) century. The setting up of hunting reservations and the design of a hunting legislation have also contributed to the observed changes. Traditionally, large predators have not been favoured by human activities, while compensatory protection measures carried out have been scarce or came too late. While some of these species are probably extinct in the area, the remaining occupy currently less than one fourth of their former range and need urgent conservation measures for to recover.

The home-range of the Spanish ibex in spring and fall

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1992
MAMMALIA

This study was conducted between 1986 and 1987 in the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas. The average home range of male ibex was 1.05 km2 (n = 4) in the fall and 4.28 km2 (n = 2) in the spring. For females it averaged between 0.25 km2 (n = 20) in the fall and 0.81 km2 (n = 4) in the spring. Fidelity to the same rut area was observed for all animals during 3 consecutive years. Only females showed fidelity to the area used in the spring.

Différences saisonnières dans la répartition des activités quotidiennes du bouquetin, Capra pyrenaica, de Cazorla

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1988
MAMMALIA

Paulino Fandos

A Poccasion d'un echantillonnage general et systematique, on a observe des bouquetins (Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838) au cours de leurs activites les plus souvent repetees : prise de nourriture, deplacement et repos, et on a constate leur tendance a realiser plus frequemment ces activites ä differentes heures de la journee suivant la saison. En hiver, les activites qui impliquent des mouvements sont realisees au milieu de la journee, alors qu'en etc, au contraire, le bouquetin de Cazorla se deplace pendant la nuit ainsi qu'au lever et au coucher du soleil. Ces differences peuvent etre liees ä la temperature, puisqu'il existe une relation entre la temperature de Penvironnement et Pactivite generate.

Variación en la agregación y distribución de la cabra montes (Capra pyrenaica) detectado por un muestreo de excrementos

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1988

HEMATOLOGIC AND BIOCHEMICAL REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR SPANISH IBEX

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2003
J WILDLIFE DIS

We studied blood samples from 529 Spanish ibexes (Capra pyrenaica) from different Andalusian mountain ranges in southern Spain, primarily from Sierra Nevada. For each sample, 13 hematologic and 32 biochemical parameters were analyzed. Within this database, we selected values obtained from live, free-ranging, physically restrained, clinically normal animals to deter- mine reference intervals for these parameters. Distribution of values within each parameter was determined and differences in values between sex and age classes also were determined. We found significant differences in eight biochemical parameters among male and female ibexes. Significant differences in values for 20 hematologic and biochemical parameters between age classes also were found.

The Iberian ibex is under an expansion trend but displaced to suboptimal habitats by the presenceof extensive goat livestock in central Spain

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2007

In this paper an updated distribution of the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica, Schinz 1838) in the central Spanish region of Castile–La Mancha is shown. The species is present in 19% of the study region, and in areas not cited so far in the literature. A detailed analysis of habitat suitability was also carried out, applying a␣new methodology, Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis, which uses presence data to␣build a habitat suitability map of a given species. As livestock activity is quite intense in the region, the presence of a potential competitor, the domestic goat (Capra hircus), was included in the analyses. Factors affecting ibex relative abundance were determined by means of a nested stepwise multiple regression, where livestock presence/absence was the nested factor. The presence of livestock has a negative effect on ibex relative abundance, causing the ibex to select areas of poor, sparse vegetation, cultivated lands and forests, whereas in the absence of livestock, the ibex is mainly present in pasture–scrub lands and non-cultivated lands. Conservation implications of these results are discussed in the context of a Mediterranean region where extensive livestock grazing systems abound.

Predicting nonlinear and non-additive effects of climate: The Alpine ibex revisited

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2006

Climate can have complex effects on demographic rates and the endogenous feedback structure regulating mammal populations, and this can create problems for predictive modelling. In northern and Alpine environments, weather appears to influence ungulate population growth rates mainly during years of high population density, suggesting the possibility of nonlinear interactions between the 2 variables. Threshold models have been employed to account for these nonlinearities. For example, in the case of Alpine ibex Capra ibex in the Gran Paradiso National Park of Italy, stronger density dependence is assumed to occur after snowfall exceeds 1.54 m. In this paper we use more objective nonparametric methods to evaluate the form of the functional relationships governing the dynamics of this ibex population. No evidence was found for a threshold effect in the data. Instead we uncovered a non-additive and nonlinear interaction between climate and population density. The resulting models predict ibex numbers as well or better than previous threshold models despite requiring fewer parameters, and also conform well to traditional ecological concepts. We conclude with several lessons for those who wish to predict the effects of climate change on animal population dynamics.

Composition of the Food of the Spanish Wild Goat in Sierras De Cazorla and Segura, Spain, Acta Theriologica 30:461-494.

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1985

After examining 105 stomach contents of Spanish Wild Goat (Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838) gathered at the National Reservation of Sierras de Cazorla and Segura (Southwestern Spain) during the period April 1980 - August 1981, 313 vegetal species have been identified: 177 in spring, 202 in summer, 145 in autumn, and 164 in winter. The basic food components during the 4 seasons have been Quercus ilex and Phillyrea latifolia, except in autumn, in which the most eaten species was Juniperus oxycedrus.

Body-Weight and Horn Length in Relation to Age of the Spanish Wild Goat

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1988

Seasonal variations of spatial behaviour in female Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) in relation to climatic conditions and age

Article

Full-text available

May 2010

The spatial behaviour of female Alpine ibex Capra ibex ibex L. 1758, was analysed in Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy). Data were collected on 14 radiocollared females from September 2000 to August 2002, using radio-tracking and direct observations. Seasonal spatial behaviour was influenced by environmental conditions, in particular climatic factors. In the presence of thick snow cover, females significantly reduced winter home range sizes. Snow cover limited ibex mobility and reduced localization altitudes. Annual home range and winter home range sizes were inversely related to age. Temperature modified the use of space by females during summer. During the hottest summer females moved over larger ranges at higher altitudes. Annual home range sizes (mean 186.2 ha ± 71.7 in 2000 and 182.2 ha ± 70.0 in 2001) and seasonal home range sizes were significantly smaller than those of reintroduced populations, moreover they were smaller that those of males calculated in a close study area in Gran Paradiso National Park.

A Large-scale Survey of Brown Hare Lepus Europaeus and Iberian Hare L. Granatensis Populations at the Limit of Their Ranges

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2009

The historical ranges of the European brown hare Lepus europaeus and the Iberian hare L. granatensis meet in Aragón in northeastern Spain. We studied the relative abundances and the population trends of the two species in 60 localities (13 for the brown hare, 38 for the Iberian hare, and nine from the transition zone where both species are present) by spotlighting in winter during 1992-2002. We carried out a total of 1,407 counts covering 41,511 km. Both the Iberian (132.2 ± 33.2 hares/100 km; range: 52-192) and the brown hare (106.7 ± 26.8; range: 53-136) were more abundant in their respective zones than both species combined in the transition zone (90.9 ± 50.5, range: 37-157). The highest Iberian hare abundances were recorded in the northern Iberian Mountains, an area with well-preserved cereal-dominated ecosystems and a less extreme climate than in other parts of the study area. The Iberian hare had significant inter-annual differences both locally and generally, which was mainly due to a peak in 1998, and this species showed a general positive trend during the study period, suggesting that Iberian hare numbers are increasing. Contrary to the marked declines reported from other European regions, the brown hare abundance indices obtained in the Spanish Pyrenees during our study period remained stable.

Horns and Fighting in Male Spanish Ibex, Capra pyrenaica

Article

Full-text available

Nov 1990
J MAMMAL

Fernando Alvarez

As adult body mass is reached fighting force is greater, consequently horn growth in male Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) must compensate to minimize breakage. This is done by increasing the value of the second moment of the area at the base of horns, which keeps the maximum horn-bending stress low. Transverse horn ridges are apparently involved in helping to control the length of the lever arm, hence the bending moment, thus helping to minimize bending stress and torques about the occiput. In the rear-clash type of fight, the probability of horn breakage is highest, but horn-bending stress is minimized by clashing against the basal sections of horns. I hypothesize that the most frequent, and harmless, types of conventional fighting serve as reliable tests of the fighting ability of an animal. Contenders resist dangerous rear clashes by their body mass and absorb the energy of fighting and prevent skull rotation by contraction of their neck muscles.

Numbers of lungworm larvae in feces of bighorn sheep: yearly changes, influence of host sex, and effects on host survival

Article

Full-text available

Mar 1991

Marco Festa-Bianchet

The number of Protostrongylus spp. first-stage larvae in the feces of marked bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) was monitored from 1981 to 1988 in southwestern Alberta. Prevalence of infection was 100%. Counts were not correlated with spring precipitation, winter temperature, or number of female sheep in the study population. Percent lamb survival and average counts were correlated only when years affected by the occurrence of a pneumonia epizootic were excluded. In the years before the epizootic, but not afterwards, lambs born to females with high larval counts were less likely to survive to weaning or to 1 year of age than lambs born to females with low counts. Fecal larval counts from the same female in successive years were weakly correlated, and tended to change towards the mean for all females. Counts were affected by host reproduction but not by seasonal migration, and did not affect host survival. Among lambs and yearlings, males had higher counts than females. Lambs had higher counts than adult females. There were no age-specific differences among adult females. The larval count from female lambs was correlated with that from their mother but not that from male lambs. Heart girth of female lambs was correlated with their larval count and that of their mother. I suggest that larval counts are affected by infection intensity and body condition, do not predict pneumonia epizootics, and have limited reliability as an index of herd health.

Hábitos alimentarios de la cabra montés (Capra pyrenaica) en zonas de distinta altitud de los puertos de Tortosa y Beceite. Referencia a la dieta de macho y hembras

Article

Jan 1994

Teodora Martínez

Biostratigraphic interest of the tooth morphology of Capra (Mammalia, Bovidae)

Article

Jan 1991

Evelyne Crégut

Analysis of the morphology of the cheek teeth of Capra suggests that four fundamental types occur among some Late Pleistocene populations of Southern France. Two of these correspond to populations craniologically close to the caucasica-cylindricornis group and form part of the lineage leading towards pyrenaica: Portel and Bouxes. The other two succeed each other in time and correspond to the lineage towards Capra ibex ibex: Pecheurs and Adaouste. In the C.i.ibex lineage, the third lower premolar and the third upper molar are the teeth that best register the evolutionary tendency of the group, which, in the Wurmian, consists of an increase in the complexity of the lingual structure of the lower cheek teeth and a development of the metastylar "wing' of the upper M3. There is thus evidence of some geographic isolation in Provence in the final Wurmian. -English summary

Red Deer: Behaviour and Ecology of Two Sexes

Article

Jan 1982

OVERPOPULATION

Chapter

Dec 1981

Graeme Caughley

The European Pleistocene Caprinae (Mammalia, Bovidae): biostratigraphical, palaeoecological and archaeozoological interest[Les Caprinae (Mammalia, Bovidae) du Pleistocene d'Europe: interet biostratigraphique, paleoecologique et archeozoologique]

Article

Jan 1992

Evelyne Crégut

During the Upper and Middle Pleistocene, two genera of Caprinae were present in French sites: Hemitragus and Capra. The first one, the tahr, is characteristic of the Middle Pleistocene and comprises two species. The evolution of the genus found expression in a reduction of teeth and post-cranial size. This trend gives information on the adaptive modalities of the genus in Mediterranean palaeoenvironment. The second one, the ibex, comprises two lines. The evolution of the Alpine group involves an enhancement of the dental complexity that seems to correlate with a change of feeding regime. The Pyrenean ibex, specific to the Upper Pleistocene is also discussed. The remains of these animals indicate the relations between Man and the game hunted in Prehistoric time. -from English summary

A Field Guide to the Mammals of Britain and Europe

Article

Feb 1969

J. Knox Jones

Biology, ecology and status of Iberian ibex Capra pyrenaica: A critical review and research prospectus

Abstract

No full-text available