| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The ciliate faunae inhabiting the intestine of hippopotamuses of South Africa, camels of Egypt, reindeer of Inner Mongolia, China, and water buffaloes and goats of Nepal were investigated. Regarding the ciliate composition in the forestomach of hippopotamus, we have already reported the presence of Monoposthium which had been detected from mono-stomach herbivores and Parentodinium which had been from ruminants, but in the present examination two new species of the genus Parentodinium were recognized based on the pyridine-carbonate silver impregnation method newly developed for this examination. Comparison of the findings of the genus with tthose of the genera, Bundleia, Blepharocorys, Cycloposthium and Entodinium, the infraciliary structures of the genus Parentodinium were quite different from those of any other genera, so that it was considered that this genus should be addressed in a new family, Parentodiniidae. The ciliate families detected from the hippopotamus were rather similar to those found from mono-stomach herbivores than those from rumimants, suggesting that the ciliate faunae of hippopotamus have evolved independently from the evolution of ciliate faunae of ruminants. This hypothesis was supported by the comparison of sequences of the ribosimal small subunit DNA. On the other hand, the ciliates of hippopotamus were considered to have similar role to those of ruminants. The ciliate faunae of the camel, reindeer, water buffalo and goat were characteristic, respectively. From the results, it was strongly suggested that there is close co-evolution between the herbivores and intestinal ciliates.
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