Articles tagged with Sheep
Researchers are studying foul-smelling substances to understand what attracts the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, to its favorite meal - open wounds. The goal is to develop better lures for trapping this serious threat to the livestock industry.
A study by Iowa State University researchers reveals that avian influenza can infect livestock and humans through their mammary glands, which have high levels of sialic acids. This increases the risk of transmission and potentially more dangerous adaptations emerging.
Climate change may lead to more frequent and deadly avalanches in the California range, posing a significant threat to endangered bighorn sheep. The species' fragile existence is threatened by reduced forage and increased avalanche mortality.
A KAUST-led global study found that livestock management and climate explain woody species coverage in arid environments. Managing grazing pressure and type of herbivore can allow for more sustainable production in these ecosystems.
A 175-year-old experiment by Carl Linnaeus shows pigs are pickiest eaters, eating 32% of plant species, while cows and horses rank lower, with goats preferring legumes and grasses. The study also reveals animals generally struggle to avoid toxic plants.
A study published in PLOS ONE reveals that aoudad can catch and spread the same respiratory illnesses as bighorn sheep, which could exacerbate existing diseases and impact both species' populations. The research aims to promote better management of both species.
Researchers developed a bioactive material that successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage in animal models, promoting enhanced repair and growth of new cartilage containing natural biopolymers. The material's effectiveness was tested in sheep with cartilage defects, showing promising results for potential use in humans.
Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from an 8,000-year-old sheep bone and found evidence of Brucella melitensis, a pathogen causing significant harm to livestock. The study suggests that brucellosis evolved around the same time as farming development, with early farmers creating conditions for pathogen host-jumping.
A team of Texas A&M researchers will conduct a five-year study on brucellosis in Armenia to improve detection capabilities and provide education. The project aims to better understand the disease's presence and prevalence, allowing the Armenian government to develop a control plan to stop its spread.
Researchers from INRAE have developed a training protocol to enable lambs to undergo MRI acquisitions while awake and unrestrained. The successful protocol has already yielded comparable brain images to those obtained from anaesthetised sheep, opening up new avenues for studying animal brain function.
A study found that heath goannas are more effective in removing blowflies from the landscape than introduced European mammals. This reduces the emergence of 'fly strike', a disease affecting sheep, and has significant implications for the Australian sheep farming industry.
A study found that days above 32°C during the mating week caused a 2.1 million fewer lambs produced in Australia each year. If global warming increases by 1°C or 3°C, annual losses could increase to 2.5 million and 3.3 million, respectively. The research also found that heat stress can reduce lamb birthweight by 0.6-1.4kg.
A new MU study highlights the protective role of innate lymphoid cells and interferons in reducing neurological effects of Brucellosis. The findings could lead to improved diagnostics and therapies for neurobrucellosis, a condition that can cause long-term neurological complications.
Traditional knowledge-based management systems can enhance biodiversity, but their recognition is crucial for conservation. Resolving social injustices towards traditional knowledge holders benefits both people and nature.
A new study analyzed protein residues from ancient cooking cauldrons and found evidence of deer, sheep, goats, and cow family members being consumed during the Maykop period. The researchers also discovered milk proteins, indicating that dairy was a part of the diet.
New research explores relationships between bighorn sheep sociality, disease transmission, and survival rates. Direct contact networks were analyzed to reveal barriers and factors influencing contact probabilities, including habitat quality, predation risk, and season.
Researchers found that biting midges responsible for transmitting the virus are active on warmest days throughout the winter, contrary to previous theories. The discovery suggests that bluetongue virus transmission is likely ongoing year-round, with potential economic impacts for cattle farming.
Research led by Christina Aiello shows that GPS tracking data and computer simulations can predict animal movements, helping optimize habitat connectivity enhancement projects. The study identified eight populations of bighorn sheep where barrier removal would increase accessible habitat.
Researchers found Toxoplasma gondii infection causing abortions and neonatal deaths in bighorn sheep. The parasite is believed to be spread by domestic and wild cats, raising concerns for conservation efforts.
A study from the University of California, Davis' One Health Institute found that canine echinococcosis increased to 6.9% in Tierra del Fuego's sheep farms after the government cancelled a deworming program in 2004. Reestablishing the program could help protect people and animals from hydatid disease.
The study of Bronze Age Politiko-Troullia in Cyprus reveals farming practices for sheep and cattle. Analysis of animal isotopes indicates communal feasting on wild game like deer and pigs during special occasions.
A new study reveals high-altitude contests between mountain goats and bighorn sheep for access to limited resources, such as minerals and water. Mountain goats emerged victorious in over 98% of contests, highlighting the importance of scarce resources in extreme environments.
New research finds that purple needlegrass thrives in areas with sheep grazing, especially during wet weather, creating space for new growth and reducing competition from non-native grasses. The study's findings aim to inform effective management strategies for this long-lived species and its potential role in mitigating climate change.
Research at Abu Hureyra, Syria, suggests that hunter-gatherers may have tended small numbers of animals outside their dwellings between 12,800 and 12,300 years ago. This finding challenges the widely held view that crop cultivation began first.
Researchers found that livestock grazing had no negative impact on snow leopard distribution or density, and the species can coexist due to their separate ecological niches. The study suggests a more nuanced approach to conservation and land use, prioritizing the preservation of rocky mosaics.
Bighorn sheep use a combination of past experience and visual information about habitat quality to make informed migratory decisions. The research found that these perception-informed decisions allow the species to better adapt to changing environmental conditions, increasing their chances of survival.
Researchers at WashU Medicine and University of Pittsburgh discover that Rift Valley fever virus uses a protein linked to cholesterol metabolism to infect cells. The finding could lead to therapies preventing or reducing the virus's impact by interfering with its entry into cells.
Five innovative research projects tackle fundamental questions of environmental and earth science, including the origins of Earth and life on Mars. The studies aim to advance our understanding and lead to important scientific breakthroughs.
New research reveals Bronze Age farmers in China prioritized cattle for their diets, utilizing byproducts like millet stalks for feed. This approach differs from other regions, where cows were raised closer to human settlements.
Flinders University researchers have successfully manipulated Beta-lactoglobulin, a major whey protein in cow's, sheep's, and other mammal's milk, using an Australian-made thin film microfluidic device. The device combines with a new form of biosensor to control and monitor protein denaturation and renaturation.
A team of geneticists sequenced DNA from a 1,600-year-old sheep mummy from Iran's Chehrābād salt mine, revealing ancient sheep husbandry practices. The preserved DNA showed remarkable integrity, with longer fragment lengths and less damage than expected.
Researchers found that castration of male sheep leads to delayed DNA aging compared to intact males, with epigenetic clocks and DNA methylation patterns differing between the two groups. The study's findings also suggest a link between castration, male hormones, and sex-specific differences in DNA aging.
A study published in Psychological Medicine found that mindfulness-based therapy (MBTI) was more effective than a sleep hygiene program in reducing insomnia symptoms and improving sleep quality. MBTI participants took less time to fall asleep and spent less time awake during the night compared to those in the sleep hygiene program.
Researchers discovered early flocks of domesticated sheep in the Iberian Peninsula fed and reproduced on a controlled diet, with births occurring outside optimal seasons. This study reveals significant advances in animal husbandry during the Neolithic period.
A new study reveals that domesticated sheep first reached Central Asia around 6000 BCE, challenging the long-held notion of their late arrival to the region. The discovery was made through interdisciplinary analysis of fossil remains and ancient DNA.
Researchers at the UCO Dairy Laboratory found a link between milk pH and cheese-making capacity in Churra sheep, suggesting genetic selection can improve yield. The study analyzed over 1,000 sheep samples to identify optimal parameters for increasing cheese production efficiency.
A two-decade study of wild Soay sheep in Scotland reveals that telomere length is correlated with individual longevity. However, the effect of telomere length on mortality appears to be driven by genetic factors rather than environmental influences.
Researchers analyzed ancient bones from A??kl? Höyük to determine the ages of unborn and neonatal lambs. The study reveals that early Neolithic sheep-herders faced high levels of mortality among young animals, with infections, malnutrition, and overcrowding being primary causes.
A new study by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology found that goats can more quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions than sheep. The results suggest that goats are more cognitively flexible and better able to navigate around obstacles.
Researchers are using sheep to investigate the multigenerational effects of prenatal exposure to androgen excess and explore dietary interventions to prevent PCOS. The study aims to provide crucial biological information for improving reproductive function across generations and has clinical relevance to women with PCOS.
A new study found that desert bighorn sheep in the Mojave National Preserve and surrounding areas are more resilient than thought to a respiratory disease. The overall number of infected animals has declined since 2013, but additional ranges with pathogen presence were identified.
A study published in the Journal of Dairy Science found that kefir sweetened with demerara sugar or fructose has higher sensory acceptance scores and improves consumer emotions, leading to increased consumption.
Researchers analyzed soil and sheep feces samples to determine contamination levels of microplastics in Murcia's agricultural soils. They found 100% soil samples contained microplastics, as well as 92% of sheep feces samples, highlighting the ingestion of plastics by livestock.
A new study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution has found that native desert bighorn sheep populations in landscapes with minimal human disturbance are less likely to be vulnerable to climate change. The researchers analyzed genetic data from over 1,600 individuals across 62 populations in the American Southwest.
A new study found that prenatal Viagra treatment worsened growth-restriction in baby sheep by impairing the fetus' ability to redirect blood flow to essential organs. This impairment occurred despite lower levels of oxygen in the fetal blood, suggesting a potential mechanism underlying increased morbidity observed clinically.
Researchers used EEG to measure brain waves in sheep sedated with high doses of ketamine, finding a temporary halt in brain activity that corresponded to human users' reports of disconnection from their body. The study aims to better understand the effect of therapeutic drugs on the brains of people living with Huntington's disease.
Researchers found high gene flow among herds with shared translocation sources, and distinct population clusters aligning with current management units. Despite historical losses and translocations, bighorn sheep maintained a unique genetic structure in Wyoming.
Researchers successfully decoded ancient DNA extracted from the animal skins on which the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, discerning important historical connections. The study sheds new light on the Dead Sea Scrolls, providing a rare glimpse into the world of Second Temple Judaism.
A new study reveals that female wild mammals live 18.6% longer than their male counterparts, contrary to the human lifespan difference of 7.8%. This phenomenon is likely due to differences in energy allocation and physiological characteristics between sexes.
A specific brain wave type shared by humans and sheep may help researchers study human brain disorders. Researchers monitored a sheep's sleep changes during the progression of a brain disease, potentially leading to a sleep-based diagnosis in humans.
A study on wild bighorn sheep suggests that male offspring may lead to a faster decline in reproductive success and aging rates in mothers. Females that produced more male than female offspring early in life experienced reduced winter survival rates among their offspring, contributing to accelerated maternal aging.
A team of researchers at the University of Toronto has confirmed the presence of a specialized sheep-hunting camp in prehistoric Lebanon, dating back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A period. The site, located in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, shows that sheep were the primary game hunted by its temporary inhabitants.
A new study has developed a prototype tagging and monitoring system to detect lameness in sheep. The system uses smart wearable technology that tracks the animal's behavior and movement, identifying features that differ between lame and non-lame sheep. This can help improve sheep health and welfare on farms.
A new treatment using whittled sheep and dog bones has been found to be an effective alternative to metal pins for stabilizing fractured wings in pigeons. Pigeons with the bone implants were able to fly as well as before the operation, with no rejection of the implanted bones.
A new study on sheep aging found that declining immune function accelerates parasite infections, leading to early mortality. The research, which tracked over 800 individual animals, discovered a link between antibody availability and mortality risk.
A study on Soay sheep reveals that their immune responses to parasitic worms decline through adulthood, leading to increased mortality rates. The findings provide the first evidence linking declining immune function and survival in wild animals, highlighting a critical issue for human health as well.
Researchers have developed a technique to make sheep produce new antibodies by injecting DNA building blocks, offering a cheaper and more efficient approach than industrial production. This breakthrough brings the study of antibody gene therapy closer to clinical use.
A new study reveals that livestock managed in a system where they are the sole source of an owner's livelihood are more likely to become infected with PPRV. Herds from pastoral villages had 3.8 times the risk of becoming infected compared to agropastoral villages.
Researchers have found that the drug Tadalafil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, slows or even reverses the progression of heart failure in sheep. The study suggests that the drug may also be effective in humans, offering new hope for treatment of this devastating condition.
The parasite induces overexpression of FOXP3 protein in infected animals, which sends a false message to the defense system, allowing it to eliminate the host's immune response. This study also validated three reference genes for quantitative PCR techniques, enabling future analysis of cytokine activity.