Punjab University Journal of Zoology

1-13

Authors: Akhtar Tanveer, Shazia Saeed and Zaheer Anwar

Out of 46 rabbits acclimatized for 2 weeks to the optimal conditions of animal house, 23 were inoculated upto 7 weeks with different doses (0.50, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.50, 1.50 ml) of filtered hydatid cyst fluid (FHCF) of sheep origin. Each dose was daily inoculated for one week and then calculated according to their body weight. Control rabbits were given distilled water and similar protocol. Three treated and three control rabbits were weekly slaughtered and biochemical analyses of liver tissue were made. It was noted that body weight increased gradually in both control and experimental rabbits but when both groups were compared, a significant reduction was noted for all the rabbits treated with FHCF except the last three doses which were kept constant. Their respective specific growth rate also showed increasing trend but with lot of fluctuations. In the liver tissues of treated rabbits increase in total protein, soluble protein (P<0.001), glutamate oxaloacetate transminase (P<0.001), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (P<0.01), bilirubin (P<0.05), alkaline phosphatase (P<0.001), acid phosphatase, ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid and free amino acid was found statistically significant when compared with their respective controls, while cholesterol level decreased in all the treated rabbits.

25-29

Authors: Alia Zehra, Najma Arshad and M. Ramzan Mirza

Triplophysa yasinensis (Alcock, 1898), T. choprai (Hora, 1934) and T. kashmirensis (Hora, 1934) are closely related and show similarities in various characters. Hence, T. yasinensis and T. kashmirensis were treated as the same species. Similarly, T. yasinensis and T. choprai were merged together. However, on the basis of the statistical analysis significant differences were discovered in the three species. So these three are treated as valid species.

35-42

Authors: Nabila Roohi, Abdul Majeed Cheema, Nazia Rashid and Muhammad Waheed Akhtar

One dimensional thin layer chromatography was employed to detect free amino acids fractions in various phases of reproduction in dwarf goat. Cystine of band 1, observed in amino acids standard, could not be separated in samples. No appreciable variation was observed in arginine, histidine, lysine, glutamine and asparagines fractions of band 2, tryptophan, valine and methionine of band 7 and phenylalanine and 3, 4- dihydroxyphenylalanine of band 8 throughout the estrous cycle. Glycine and serine of band 3 were significantly reduced, compared to proestrus, in estrus, metestrus and diestrus phases. Threonine of band 4 and leucine and iso-leucine of band 9 were significantly enhanced in estrus compared to proestrus phase. The level was, however, resorted in succeeding phase of estrous cycle. Alanine of band 5 and tyrosine of band 6 were markedly reduced in estrus compared to proestrus phase. The level was found rehabilitated in following metestrus and diestrus stages. Arginine, histidine, lysine, glutamine and asparagines of band 2 were found to be markedly enhanced in early, mid and late gestation compared to prepregnancy estrus. Glycine and serine of band 3 were significantly depressed in mid and late gestation compared to prepregency estrus. Threonine of band 4 appreciably declined in early but markedly enhanced in mid and late gestation compared to prepregnancy estrus. Tyrosine of band 6 remained almost unaffected in early and mid, however, reduced in late gestation in comparison with prepregnancy estrus. Tryptophan, valine and methionine of band 7, phenylalanine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine of band 8 and leucine and iso-leucine of band 9 remained almost in the range of prepregnancy estrus throughout the entire course of pregnancy. Arginine, histidine, lysine, glutamine and asparagines of band 2 and threonine of band 4 were appreciably enhanced in mid and late compared to early lactation. Glycine and serine of band 3 reduced in mid and late but elevated in advanced lactational phase compared to early lactation. Alanine of band 5 and tryptophan, valine and methionine of band 7 depressed significantly in mid and late lactational phases in comparison with early lactation. Tyrosine of band 6 reduced markedly in late compared to early lactation. No significant variation was observed in phenylalanie and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine of band 8 and leucine and iso-leucine of band 9 throughout the entire course of lactation.

49-58

Authors: Muhammad Saeed Akhtar and Aisha Iftikhar

Configuration of digestive tube and enteric value armature of termite species, Amitermes belli (Desneux), A. dentatus (Haviland) and A. paradentatus Ahmad are described. In genus Amitermes, the enteric valve seating is mid-dorsal. Enteric value cushions are tube like with nipple like scales. Scales at anterior end are with longer spines than at posterior end and tips of the scales are provided with pimple like projection. Amitermes belli (Desneux) and A. paradentatus Ahmad have almost the same configuration of the digestive tube; but in A. dentatus (Haviland) mixed segment is present. Zoogeographical distribution of 81 species of genus Amitermes is listed. The species of genus Amitermes are distributed as follow: Australian region (27), Ethiopian region (30), Indomalayan (6), Nearctic (8), Neotropical (7), Palaearctic (3). It is postulated that the genus Amitermes originated in the Ethiopian region.

73-84

Authors: Afsar Mian

Data on density, previous population levels, presence of occasional and regular flocks and direction of bird movement, collected during early and late winters for different broad localities suggest that Houbara gradually moves through diffused routes into and out of Balochistan (Pakistan), keeping a predominantly north-south direction during autumn and south-north direction during spring. These movements are largely controlled by temperature, but latitude gradient is more important in forcing autumn movements, and spring movements are more influenced by altitudes. Steep rocky hills act as strong barriers, while feeding grounds and human disturbance have little role in controlling such movements. Evidences suggest that bird movements, though may resort to different stretches of low flights. Overlapping of breeding and non-breeding ranges of the race suggest that mass scale movement occurring during autumn and spring does not strictly fall under the definition of migration, and can be regarded as population adjustments along its distribution range during summer and winter to fight unfavourable temperatures and associated biotic or abiotic factors.

91-95

Authors: Muhammad Akhtar and Khurshid Khawer

A well preserved mandibular symphysis with damaged teeth is described from Upper Siwaliks of Bhimber. It compares very favourably with the knonw species Hexaprotodon iravaticus Falconer and Cautley of the genus Hexaprotodon. The paper gives the detailed morphological description of the mandibular symphysis.

107-113

Authors: Riaz Ul Haq, Adil Mahmood, Abdul Rehman, Syed Shahid Ali and Abdul Rauf Shakoori

Twenty six samples from industrial wastes and sewage waste were collected and checked for the presence of lead resistance bacteria. Nineteen lead resistant bacterial strains were isolated. Most of the bacteria showed resistance against lead up to a concentration of 1 mg/ml. of the medium. Seven bacterial strains were selected to determine their lead processing ability. The bacteria showed efficient capability to process lead. The mechanism for lead processing is proposed to be lead accumulation or lead sorption. Variation in the lead processing ability of the bacteria was observed. Most of the isolates showed an initial speedy processing of lead during 24 hours and a slower relatively constant processing during next 48 hours. One of the isolates showed a slow processing during first 24 hours and a more enhanced processing during the next 24 hours. Plasmids were detected in some of the strains capable of lead processing showing that the gene for lead processing was usually present on chromosomal DNA. Plasmid occurrence frequency was more in an area where there was constant inpouring of industrial wastes for the last many (>50) years while it was less in other areas where there were separate ponds.

127-137

Authors: Syed Shahid Ali, Muhammad Arshad and Tanvir Ali

An organophosphate insecticide, malathion was administered orally in chicks in three different doses i.e., 600, 400 and 250 mg/kg body wt./day for the total periods of 40 hours, 12 days and 4 weeks, respectively. The blood samples were collected following stipulated periods of 5, 10, 20 and 40 hours duration in short term experiment, at 3, 6 and 12 days in 1st long term experiment and at 2, 3 and 4 weeks in 2nd long term experiment and used for various haematological studies. In short term experiment, significant changes were found in MCV (15% and 10% decrease) and MCHC (13.9% and 14.1% increase) at 20 and 40 hours treatments. In 1st long term experiment the Hb increased by 16%, 12% and 21% at 3, 6 and 12 days. Similar rise was also found in 2nd long term experiment. MCHC increased at 12 days (20%) in 400 mg dose and at 3 and 4 week (16 and 13%, respectively) in 250 mg dose level. The WBC count showed persistant increase in all three treatments.