Mercury （Hg） was investigated in bone tissues of skua （ Catharacta maccormick） and penguin （Pygoscelis adeliae） collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry （AFS） and synchrotron ...Mercury （Hg） was investigated in bone tissues of skua （ Catharacta maccormick） and penguin （Pygoscelis adeliae） collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry （AFS） and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） method. The total levels of mercury in bone tissues of penguin and skua are much lower than those in other organs （e. g. , kidney, liver）. The toxic effects of mercury in bone tissues of seabirds in polar region are not known. We have used SR- XRF method to map the distribution of trace levels of mercury in bones. The levels of mercury are found to be enriched somewhere near the periosteal surface and/or endosteal surface. The distribution of mercury shows strongly correlation with that of some essential elements and probably poses negative effect on the bone metabolism inferring from the relationship of mercury with the other elements. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the toxic effects of mercury on bone of polar animals by suggesting the possible microscopic investigation.展开更多
A study has been done on the comparison of nesting and feeding behavior, population variances as well as breeding success between two populations of south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) from near Great Wall s...A study has been done on the comparison of nesting and feeding behavior, population variances as well as breeding success between two populations of south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) from near Great Wall station on Fildes Peninsula and near Zhongshan station in Eastern Larsemann Hills, Antarctica. There are evident differences in their population ecology. The foraging habit is much related to regional ecosystem and food resources near their territorial area. Dependence on human food waste influences skua's diet,which considerably affects their behavior even population variation in both areas. The skuas in Zhongshan Station,could shorten and/or regulate the timing for their egg laying and hatching, and take precedence of one chick brooding, for keeping their breeding success, and subsequent species continuation.展开更多
Penguin and skua in the maritime Antarctic have high salt loadings in the body due to almost exclusive diet consumption of marine invertebrates.However,the storage and turnover of sodium and potassium in these animals...Penguin and skua in the maritime Antarctic have high salt loadings in the body due to almost exclusive diet consumption of marine invertebrates.However,the storage and turnover of sodium and potassium in these animals are poorly investigated.Here we determined the concentration and microscopic distribution of the two elements in the bones of penguin and skua.The average concentrations of sodium and potassium in penguin bone were comparable with that in skua bone（0.18% and 0.82% for penguin bone;0.19% and 0.76% for skua bone in dry weight）.The ratios of sodium to calcium and potassium to calcium（0.0330 and 0.0075 for penguin,0.0335 and 0.0082 for skua in average by weight） were somewhat higher than the reported ratios for terrestrial animals,indicating these marine animals＇ bone enrichment of salt.The ratios of sodium to potassium in average by weight were 6.75 and 4.65 for penguin and skua,respectively.This value is much lower compared with the bulk sea water ratio of about 27.0,implying that potassium is favorable to reside in the bone rather than sodium.Both sodium and potassium were found to significant correlation with the content of organic materials in bone based upon the intensity of native signal determined by electron paramagnetic resonance（EPR）.It was estimated that almost all of potassium is kept within the organic phases,while about 30% of sodium is stored in organic phases and the other 70% within mineral phase.The microscopic distributions of potassium in the cross-section and/or surface were revealed by synchrotron radiation Xray fluorescence（SR-XRF） technique.The ratio of potassium to calcium based upon the SR-XRF intensity counter varied considerably from the surface to the interior,and on the surface the highest concentration of potassium was observed in the middle section with decreasing amounts toward the edge.This indirectly documented that exchange of potassium between fluid and bone organic phase maybe occur.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project No.40306001)the Foundation for the Author of National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of China(Grant No.200354)from Ministry of Education of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences+1 种基金support by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project No.40231002)BSRF project(Project No.SR-03097).
文摘Mercury （Hg） was investigated in bone tissues of skua （ Catharacta maccormick） and penguin （Pygoscelis adeliae） collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry （AFS） and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） method. The total levels of mercury in bone tissues of penguin and skua are much lower than those in other organs （e. g. , kidney, liver）. The toxic effects of mercury in bone tissues of seabirds in polar region are not known. We have used SR- XRF method to map the distribution of trace levels of mercury in bones. The levels of mercury are found to be enriched somewhere near the periosteal surface and/or endosteal surface. The distribution of mercury shows strongly correlation with that of some essential elements and probably poses negative effect on the bone metabolism inferring from the relationship of mercury with the other elements. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the toxic effects of mercury on bone of polar animals by suggesting the possible microscopic investigation.
文摘A study has been done on the comparison of nesting and feeding behavior, population variances as well as breeding success between two populations of south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) from near Great Wall station on Fildes Peninsula and near Zhongshan station in Eastern Larsemann Hills, Antarctica. There are evident differences in their population ecology. The foraging habit is much related to regional ecosystem and food resources near their territorial area. Dependence on human food waste influences skua's diet,which considerably affects their behavior even population variation in both areas. The skuas in Zhongshan Station,could shorten and/or regulate the timing for their egg laying and hatching, and take precedence of one chick brooding, for keeping their breeding success, and subsequent species continuation.
基金supported by grants fromthe National Natural Science Foundation of China(project nos.40776001 and 40306001)the Foundation for the Author of National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of China(grant200354)+2 种基金the Ministry of Education of China,and the Chinese Academy of Sciencessupported by the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic AdministrationSRXRF experiment is supported by BSRF
文摘Penguin and skua in the maritime Antarctic have high salt loadings in the body due to almost exclusive diet consumption of marine invertebrates.However,the storage and turnover of sodium and potassium in these animals are poorly investigated.Here we determined the concentration and microscopic distribution of the two elements in the bones of penguin and skua.The average concentrations of sodium and potassium in penguin bone were comparable with that in skua bone（0.18% and 0.82% for penguin bone;0.19% and 0.76% for skua bone in dry weight）.The ratios of sodium to calcium and potassium to calcium（0.0330 and 0.0075 for penguin,0.0335 and 0.0082 for skua in average by weight） were somewhat higher than the reported ratios for terrestrial animals,indicating these marine animals＇ bone enrichment of salt.The ratios of sodium to potassium in average by weight were 6.75 and 4.65 for penguin and skua,respectively.This value is much lower compared with the bulk sea water ratio of about 27.0,implying that potassium is favorable to reside in the bone rather than sodium.Both sodium and potassium were found to significant correlation with the content of organic materials in bone based upon the intensity of native signal determined by electron paramagnetic resonance（EPR）.It was estimated that almost all of potassium is kept within the organic phases,while about 30% of sodium is stored in organic phases and the other 70% within mineral phase.The microscopic distributions of potassium in the cross-section and/or surface were revealed by synchrotron radiation Xray fluorescence（SR-XRF） technique.The ratio of potassium to calcium based upon the SR-XRF intensity counter varied considerably from the surface to the interior,and on the surface the highest concentration of potassium was observed in the middle section with decreasing amounts toward the edge.This indirectly documented that exchange of potassium between fluid and bone organic phase maybe occur.
