I like bugs and burgers. And DNA. But mainly burgers ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ Lecturer in Micro and Molecular Biology at Manchester Met. All views my own.
There is a Bat CATastrophe going on! Find out more in our new paper in @Ecol_Evol about how we used forensic DNA analysis to find cat DNA on lots of bat wing tears: https://t.co/cbyXFaAXJK @ran777no@drkirstyshaw @GaryDougill @micromelling@_BCT_
4/5 #WBTC1#Conserve4 We then looked at 11 short tandem repeat markers in the ๐ฑ๐งฌ(similar to those used in crime scene investigation in humans) and were able to produce partial ๐งฌprofiles for 1/3rd of samples. This could be used to link predation events to individual ๐๐โโฌ
3/5 #WBTC1#Conserve4 Using real-time PCR (a sensitive detection technique), we looked for the presence/absence of ๐ฑ๐งฌ. We found ๐ฑ๐งฌ in 2/3rds of wing swab samples. There were no significance differences due to the species, age or gender of the ๐ฆ
2/5 #WBTC1#Conserve4 We asked #batrehabilitators in ๐ฌ๐ง to take swabs of injured wings from ๐ฆ in their care. The majority were Pipistrellus pipistrellus. The wings showed a variety of injuries including holes and tears โ check out @robynannegrant in #EvoBeh1 from Wed for ๐ท
1/5 #WBTC1#EvoBeh2
Bat wings are thin, delicate and prone to tearing. Thousands of bats with wing tears are admitted to rescue centres annually in the๐ฌ๐ง. But how do we measure their effect on flight? And when are bats ready for release? @MMUEcolEnv@_BCT_#BatCatastrophe
5/5 #WBTC1#EvoBeh1 So why more tears in the plagiopatagium? We propose that cats are targeting bats bodies and their claws are tearing the wing. This is also confirmed by #batcarer observations. Sad, but great work by @ran777no@_BCT_#BatCatastrophe ๐ฆ๐ฑ
4/5 #WBTC1#EvoBeh1 Material testing P.pipistrellus wings showed that the plagiopatagium was not weaker than the other wing sections. Although tears here are likely to take longer to heal.