Browsing by Author "Katakweba, Abdul S."
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Item Comparative study of movement patterns of Mastomys natalensis in irrigated rice and fallow fields in eastern Tanzania(John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2015) Mulungu, Loth S.; Borremans, Benny; Ngowo, V; Mdangi, Mashaka E.; Katakweba, Abdul S.; Tesha, P; Mrosso, Furaha P.; Mchomvu, M; Kilonzo, Bukheti S.A 2-year capture–mark–recapture study was conducted to estimate home ranges and weekly travel distance of Mastomys natalensis (Smith 1834) in an irrigated rice ecosystem and fallow fields. We found that adults have larger home ranges than subadults in fallow fields but not in rice fields, indicating that fallow fields are more suitable for breeding. Travel distances were larger in rice fields, especially in the transplanting stage, during which rice fields are flooded and provide less food, causing movements into neighbouring fallow fields that then temporarily experience higher population density. A decrease in travel distance was observed in rice fields during the maturity stage, which can be explained by higher food availability and a more suitable, nonflooded situation. Movement of M. natalensis in rice-fallow mosaic landscapes thus seems to be driven by food availability and flooding status of the rice fields, which can be attributed to land use practices.Item Evolutionary history and species diversity of African pouched mice (Rodentia: Nesomyidae: Saccostomus)(Zoologica Scripta, 2016) Mikula, Ondrej; Sumbera, Radim; Aghova, Tatiana; Mbau, Judith S; Katakweba, Abdul S.; Sabuni, Christopher A; Bryja, JosefWe explore diversity of African pouched mice, genus Saccostomus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae), by sampling molecular and morphological variation across their continental-scale distribution in southern and eastern African savannahs and woodlands. Both mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and nuclear DNA (IRBP, RAG1) as well as skull morphology confirm the distinction between two recognized species, S. campestris and S. mearnsi, with disjunct distribution in the Zambezian and Somali–Maasai bioregions, respectively. Molecular dating suggests the divergence of these taxa occurred in the Early Pliocene, 3.9 Ma before present, whereas the deepest divergences within each of them are only as old as 2.0 Ma for S. mearnsi and 1.4 Ma for S. campestris. Based on cytochrome b phylogeny, we defined five clades (three within S. campestris, two in S. mearnsi) whose species status was considered in the light of nuclear DNA markers and morphology. We conclude that S. campestris group consists of two subspecies S. campestris campestris (Peters, 1846; comprising two cytochrome b clades) and S. campestris mashonae (de Winton, 1897) that are moderately differentiated, albeit distinct in IRBP and skull form. They likely hybridize to a limited extent along the Kafue–Zambezi Rivers. Saccostomus mearnsi group consists of two species, S. mearnsi (Heller, 1910) and S. umbriventer (Miller, 1910), that are markedly differentiated in both nuclear markers and skull form and may possibly co-occur in south-western Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania. Analysis of historical demography suggests both subspecies of S. campestris experienced population expansion dated to the Last Glacial. In the present range of S. campestris group, the distribution modelling suggests a moderate fragmentation of suitable habitats during the last glacial cycle, whereas in the range of S. mearnsi group it predicts substantial shifts of its occurrence in the same period.