Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved
Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 1980.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613597554704384 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Skinner, J.D. (John Dawson), 1932- |
| author_browse | Skinner, J.D. (John Dawson), 1932- |
| author_facet | Skinner, J.D. (John Dawson), 1932- |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 1980. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/99472 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:38:40.521Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/99472 The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved Skinner, J.D. (John Dawson), 1932- Richardson, Philip Roy Kenneth Natural removal Ungulate carcasses Adaptive features Scavengers UCTD Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 1980. The natural removal of ungulate carcasses was monitored on a variety of livestock farms and nature reserves in the Transvaal and southern Zimbabwe. 89 carcasses of different sized ungulates were placed or found on these sites, and 30 of these were observed from hides. The rate of decomposition of the carcasses was recorded as well as the behaviour of the scavengers involved. Carcass removal proceeds much faster on nature reserves because they have a greater variety of scavengers than the farms. Griffon vultures and spotted hyaenas are the primary scavengers on the reserves. The vultures remove most of the soft tissues, while hyaenas remove most of the skin and bone. On the farms griffon vultures are still the most efficient scavengers, but because they are shy, jackals and maggots are able to compete more successfully than in the nature reserves. The scavenging success of vultures is analysed in terms of their feeding behaviour, and social organization. The griffon vultures and the hooded vulture are considered to be successful scavengers, while lappet-faced and white-headed vultures are suggested as having alternative sources of food other than large ungulate carcasses. Spotted and brown hyaenas are the only carnivores that regularly and efficiently crush bones. Bone damage by hyaenas and hominids are compared with each other and found to be distinctly different. These differences relate primarily to the survival of long bone epiphyses, and are suggested to persist in fossilized bones. Therefore the agents of accumulation of fossilized bones found in caves should be identifiable from the survival pattern of the long bones. The roles hyaenas and griffon vultures perform in the nutrient cycle and in the spreading of disease are briefly discussed. The evolution of the major scavengers are considered in terms of their physical adaptations, social organization and foraging strategies. Zoology and Entomology MSc (Zoology) 2024-11-27T09:15:56Z 2024-11-27T09:15:56Z 21/12/07 1980 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99472 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Natural removal Ungulate carcasses Adaptive features Scavengers UCTD The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title | The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title_full | The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title_fullStr | The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title_full_unstemmed | The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title_short | The natural removal of ungulate carcasses, and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| title_sort | natural removal of ungulate carcasses and the adaptive features of the scavengers involved |
| topic | Natural removal Ungulate carcasses Adaptive features Scavengers UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99472 |