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Bright colours in male fish ‘down to gene behaviour’
Male guppies are more colourful than females.

Study sheds light on colour differences in males and females

Gene behaviour could explain why striking traits, such as bright colours, are only seen in the males of certain species.

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Exeter studied the genetics of Trinidadian guppy fish, whose males are brightly coloured - unlike the dull brown of the females.

The team compared genetic maps of several generations, alongside entire genetic codes. They discovered that in male guppy reproduction, packages of genes in chromosomes only exchange genes from their tips.

This differs from typical sexual reproduction, where a set of genes from each parent combines randomly to create offspring with a mix of features from both parents.

In male guppies, many genes - including those that create bright colours - are passed from one male generation to the next, rarely mixing with genes inherited by females. It is thought this low rate of genetic mixing between sexes has allowed the male’s brightly coloured appearance to evolve, conserving the characteristic.

Dr Lengxob Yon, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, said: “One of the remarkable things about the results is that not only are male and females different morphologically, but differences can be observed at a genetic level, specifically in the way that genetic information is exchanged via crossing over within each sex.”

“And such sex differences in recombination rates can have important consequences on how males and females appear, and partly explain how sexual dimorphism evolves.”

Image © Amy E. Deacon, Hideyasu Shimadzu, Maria Dornelas, Indar W. Ramnarine & Anne E. Magurran (Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 4.0)
 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.