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107-558: Somawathiya National Park lies in the deltaic flood plains of the Mahaweli River and contains the junction where it is forked into two branches. The two branches are the Mahaweli River, which flows north into Koddiyar bay and the lesser Verugal Oya which flows north-east into the sea. The central riparian flood plain is featured by many old river channels and contain dispersed 'villus', the waterfilled basins around among

214-432: A density current that deposits its sediments as turbidites . When the river water is less dense than the basin water, as is typical of river deltas on an ocean coastline, the delta is characterized by hypopycnal flow in which the river water is slow to mix with the denser basin water and spreads out as a surface fan. This allows fine sediments to be carried a considerable distance before settling out of suspension. Beds in

321-462: A jackal–dog hybrid . There was 11–13% of ancient gene flow into the golden jackal from the population that was ancestral to wolves and dogs, and an additional 3% from extant wolf populations. Up to 15% of the Israeli wolf genome is derived from admixture with golden jackals in ancient times. In 2018, whole genome sequencing was used to compare members of the genus Canis . The study supports

428-497: A coloring once fairly common in Bengal. Unlike melanistic wolves and coyotes that received their dark pigmentation from interbreeding with domestic dogs, melanism in golden jackals probably stems from an independent mutation that could be an adaptive trait. What is possibly an albino specimen was photographed in southeastern Iran during 2012. The jackal moults twice a year, in spring and in autumn. In Transcaucasia and Tajikistan ,

535-493: A common location for civilizations to flourish due to access to flat land for farming, freshwater for sanitation and irrigation , and sea access for trade. Deltas often host extensive industrial and commercial activities, and agricultural land is frequently in conflict. Some of the world's largest regional economies are located on deltas such as the Pearl River Delta , Yangtze River Delta , European Low Countries and

642-545: A delta but enter into the sea in the form of an estuary . Notable examples include the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Tagus estuary. In rare cases, the river delta is located inside a large valley and is called an inverted river delta . Sometimes a river divides into multiple branches in an inland area, only to rejoin and continue to the sea. Such an area is called an inland delta , and often occurs on former lake beds. The term

749-533: A fan. The more often the flow changes course, the shape develops closer to an ideal fan because more rapid changes in channel position result in a more uniform deposition of sediment on the delta front. The Mississippi and Ural River deltas, with their bird's feet, are examples of rivers that do not avulse often enough to form a symmetrical fan shape. Alluvial fan deltas, as seen by their name, avulse frequently and more closely approximate an ideal fan shape. Most large river deltas discharge to intra-cratonic basins on

856-399: A few main distributaries. Once a wave-dominated or river-dominated distributary silts up, it is abandoned, and a new channel forms elsewhere. In a tidal delta, new distributaries are formed during times when there is a lot of water around – such as floods or storm surges . These distributaries slowly silt up at a more or less constant rate until they fizzle out. A tidal freshwater delta is

963-545: A flat arid area splits into channels that evaporate as it progresses into the desert. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is one example. See endorheic basin . The generic term mega delta can be used to describe very large Asian river deltas, such as the Yangtze , Pearl , Red , Mekong , Irrawaddy , Ganges-Brahmaputra , and Indus . The formation of a delta is complicated, multiple, and cross-cutting over time, but in

1070-439: A great extent. The forests of the area have been cleared for cultivation, following the move in of the tobacco cultivators with their cattle. Tobacco cultivators enters annually with several heads of cattle. Deforestation has been more extensive since the mid-1970s. Illegal logging , tobacco cultivation and grazing by cattle was scheduled to reduce gradually with the declaration of the park. River delta A river delta

1177-543: A higher genetic diversity than European jackals. This is thought to be due to Israeli jackals having hybridized with dogs, gray wolves, and African golden wolves, creating a hybrid zone in Israel. Genetic analysis reveals that mating sometimes occurs between female jackals and gray wolves, producing jackal-wolf hybrids that experts cannot visually distinguish from wolves. Hybridization also occurs between female golden jackals and male dogs, which produces fertile offspring,

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1284-573: A hypocynal delta dip at a very shallow angle, around 1 degree. Fluvial-dominated deltas are further distinguished by the relative importance of the inertia of rapidly flowing water, the importance of turbulent bed friction beyond the river mouth, and buoyancy . Outflow dominated by inertia tends to form Gilbert-type deltas. Outflow dominated by turbulent friction is prone to channel bifurcation, while buoyancy-dominated outflow produces long distributaries with narrow subaqueous natural levees and few channel bifurcations. The modern Mississippi River delta

1391-496: A jackal was found to be carrying Trichinella britovi . In northeastern Italy, the jackal is a carrier of the tick species Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus , and the smallest human fluke Metagonimus yokogawai that can be caught from ingesting infected raw fish. In Hungary, some jackals carry dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis , and some have provided the first record in Hungary of Trichinella spiralis and

1498-407: A lack of removal, and this may have led to the expansion of their population. In Hungary, 55% of their diet is composed of common voles and bank voles , and 41% is composed of wild boar carcasses. Information on the diet of the golden jackal in northeastern Italy is scant, but it is known to prey on small roe deer and hares. In Israel, golden jackals are significant predators of snakes; during

1605-760: A large part in spreading coenurosis in sheep and cattle, and canine distemper in dogs. In Tajikistan, jackals may carry up to 12 tick species (which include Ixodes , Rhipicephalus turanicus , R.   leporis , R.   rossicus , R. sanguineus , R.   pumilio , R.   schulzei , Hyalomma anatolicum , H.   scupense and H.   asiaticum ), four flea species ( Pulex irritans , Xenopsylla nesokiae , Ctenocephanlides canis and C.   felis ), and one species of louse ( Trichodectes canis ). In Iran, some golden jackals carry intestinal worms ( helminths ) and Echinococcus granulosus . In Israel, some jackals are infected with intestinal helminths and Leishmania tropica . In Romania,

1712-545: A large range of foods; this diet, together with its tolerance of dry conditions, enables it to live in different habitats. The jackal's long legs and lithe body allow it to trot over great distances in search of food. It is able to go without water for extended periods and has been observed on islands that have no fresh water. Jackals are abundant in valleys and along rivers and their tributaries, canals, lakes, and seashores, but are rare in foothills and low mountains. In Central Asia they avoid waterless deserts and cannot be found in

1819-431: A light pale ginger to cream color. Individual specimens can be distinguished by their unique light markings on the throat and chest. The coats of jackals from high elevations tend to be more buff-colored than those of their lowland counterparts while those of jackals in rocky, mountainous areas may exhibit a grayer shade. The bushy tail has a tan to black tip. Melanism can cause a dark-colored coat in some golden jackals,

1926-492: A little deeper water, floating aquatic plants occur along with Nelumbo nucifera . Still in deeper water an association of manel Nymphaea stellata and the submerged aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum present. Some floating plants are common in all zones of the villus. Some tree species occur in the edges of the villus are Terminalia arjuna , Madhuca longifolia , Barringtonia asiatica , Mitragyna parvifolia , Erythrina variegata , and Hibiscus tiliaceus . In

2033-439: A mature delta with a distributary network. Another way these distributary networks form is from the deposition of mouth bars (mid-channel sand and/or gravel bars at the mouth of a river). When this mid-channel bar is deposited at the mouth of a river, the flow is routed around it. This results in additional deposition on the upstream end of the mouth bar, which splits the river into two distributary channels. A good example of

2140-581: A poisoning campaign against golden jackals there was an increase in human snakebite reports, but a decrease when the poisoning ceased. The jackal's competitors are the red fox, wolf, jungle cat, wildcat, and raccoon in the Caucasus, and the steppe wildcat in Central Asia. Wolves dominate jackals, and jackals dominate foxes. In 2017 in Iran, an Indian wolf under study killed a golden jackal. In Europe,

2247-1017: A potentially positive consequence of the jackal colonization of Europe. Some golden jackals carry diseases and parasites harmful to human health. These include rabies , and Donovan's Leishmania that is harmless to jackals but may cause leishmaniasis in people. Jackals in southwestern Tajikistan can carry up to 16 species of parasitic cestodes (flatworm), roundworms , and acanthocephalans (thorny-headed worms), these are: Sparganum mansoni , Diphyllobothrium mansonoides , Taenia hydatigena , T.   pisiformis , T.   ovis , Hydatigera taeniaeformis , Dipylidium caninum , Mesocestoides lineatus , Ancylostoma caninum , Uncinaria stenocephala , Dioctophyma renale , Toxocara canis , Toxascaris leonina , Dracunculus medinensis , Filariata and Macracanthorhynchus catulinum . Jackals infected with Dracunculus medinensis can infect bodies of water with their eggs, which cause dracunculiasis in people who drink from them. Jackals may also play

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2354-530: A scavenger, and an omnivorous and opportunistic forager with a diet that varies according to its habitat and the season. In Keoladeo National Park , India, over 60% of its diet was measured to consist of rodents, birds, and fruit. In the Kanha Tiger Reserve , 80% of its diet consists of rodents, reptiles and fruit. Vegetable matter forms part of the jackal diet, and in India they feed intensively on

2461-423: A sedimentary deposit formed at the boundary between an upland stream and an estuary, in the region known as the "subestuary". Drowned coastal river valleys that were inundated by rising sea levels during the late Pleistocene and subsequent Holocene tend to have dendritic estuaries with many feeder tributaries. Each tributary mimics this salinity gradient from its brackish junction with the mainstem estuary up to

2568-447: A simple delta three main types of bedding may be distinguished: the bottomset beds, foreset/frontset beds, and topset beds. This three-part structure may be seen on small scale by crossbedding . Human activities in both deltas and the river basins upstream of deltas can radically alter delta environments. Upstream land use change such as anti-erosion agricultural practices and hydrological engineering such as dam construction in

2675-457: A single jackal, 31%, two jackals, 35%, three jackals, 14%, and more than three jackals, 20%. Family groups of up to 4–5 individuals have been recorded. Scent marking through urination and defecation is common around golden jackal den areas and on the trails they most often use. Scent marking is thought to assist in territorial defense. The hunting ranges of several jackals can overlap. Jackals can travel up to 12–15 km (7.5–9.3 mi) during

2782-426: A species provides a history of maternal lineages that can be represented as a phylogenetic tree . A 2005 genetic study of the canids found that the gray wolf and dog are the most closely related on this tree. The next most closely related are the coyote ( Canis latrans ), golden jackal, and Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ), which have all been shown to hybridize with the dog in the wild. The next closest are

2889-483: Is 45–50 cm (18–20 in) for both. In comparison, the smallest wolf is the Arabian wolf ( Canis lupus arabs ), which weighs on average 20 kg (44 lb). The skull is most like that of the dingo , and is closer to that of the coyote ( C.   latrans ) and the gray wolf ( C.   lupus ) than to that of the black-backed jackal ( L.   mesomalas ), the side-striped jackal ( L.   adustus ), and

2996-551: Is a good example of a fluvial-dominated delta whose outflow is buoyancy-dominated. Channel abandonment has been frequent, with seven distinct channels active over the last 5000 years. Other fluvial-dominated deltas include the Mackenzie delta and the Alta delta. A Gilbert delta (named after Grove Karl Gilbert ) is a type of fluvial-dominated delta formed from coarse sediments, as opposed to gently sloping muddy deltas such as that of

3103-411: Is a major sign that Mars once had large amounts of water. Deltas have been found over a wide geographical range. Below are pictures of a few. Golden jackal The golden jackal ( Canis aureus ), also called the common jackal , is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia . The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It

3210-424: Is a triangular landform created by the deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river , where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or with a body of stagnant water. The creation of a river delta occurs at the river mouth , where the river merges into an ocean , a sea , or an estuary , into a lake , a reservoir , or (more rarely) into another river that cannot carry away

3317-500: Is an extinct species of canine that was endemic to Mediterranean Europe during the Early Pleistocene around 1.9   million years ago. It is described as a small jackal-like dog and probably the ancestor of modern jackals. Its anatomy and morphology relate it more to the modern golden jackal than to the two African jackal species, the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal. The oldest golden jackal fossil

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3424-591: Is called by the Ionians ", including describing the outflow of silt into the sea and the convexly curved seaward side of the triangle. Despite making comparisons to other river systems deltas, Herodotus did not describe them as "deltas". The Greek historian Polybius likened the land between the Rhône and Isère rivers to the Nile Delta, referring to both as islands, but did not apply the word delta. According to

3531-414: Is described as probably belonging to the golden jackal, but its classification is not clear. The fossil is described as being slightly smaller and thinner than the cave lynx , similar to the fox, but too large, and similar to the wolf, but too small. As the golden jackal falls between these two in size, the fossil possibly belongs to a golden jackal. The absence of clearly identified golden jackal fossils in

3638-436: Is one of the four national parks set aside under the Mahaweli River development project. The other three national parks being Maduru Oya , Wasgamuwa and Flood plains . Somawathiya is contiguous with Flood Plains National Park and Trikonamadu Nature Reserve. Hurulu Forest Reserve , a part of which is a biosphere reserve is linked by the western arm of the park. The waterfilled basins in the central flood plain are featured by

3745-501: Is similar to the gray wolf but is distinguished by its smaller size, lighter weight, more elongated torso, less-prominent forehead, shorter legs and tail, and a muzzle that is narrower and more pointed. The legs are long in relation to its body, and the feet are slender with small pads. Males measure 71–85 cm (28–33 in) in body length and females 69–73 cm (27–29 in). Males weigh 6–14 kg (13–31 lb) and females weigh 7–11 kg (15–24 lb). The shoulder height

3852-589: Is smaller and has shorter legs, a shorter tail, a more elongated torso, a less-prominent forehead, and a narrower and more pointed muzzle than the Arabian wolf . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its widespread distribution and high density in areas with plenty of available food and optimum shelter. Despite its name, the golden jackal is not closely related to the African black-backed jackal or side-striped jackal , which are part of

3959-548: Is so named because the shape of the Nile Delta approximates the triangular uppercase Greek letter delta . The triangular shape of the Nile Delta was known to audiences of classical Athenian drama ; the tragedy Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus refers to it as the "triangular Nilotic land", though not as a "delta". Herodotus 's description of Egypt in his Histories mentions the Delta fourteen times, as "the Delta, as it

4066-702: The African wolf being distinct from the golden jackal, and with the Ethiopian wolf being genetically basal to both. There is evidence of gene flow between African golden wolves, golden jackals, and gray wolves . One African wolf from the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula showed high admixture with the Middle Eastern gray wolves and dogs, highlighting the role of the land bridge between the African and Eurasian continents in canid evolution. There

4173-485: The Caucasus region and Transcaucasia , areas where the species currently resides, indicates that the species is a relatively recent arrival. A haplotype is a group of genes found in an organism that is inherited from one of its parents. A haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a single mutation inherited from their common ancestor. The mDNA haplotypes of the golden jackal form two haplogroups:

4280-662: The Greater Tokyo Area . The Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta , which spans most of Bangladesh and West Bengal and empties into the Bay of Bengal , is the world's largest delta. The Selenga River delta in the Russian republic of Buryatia is the largest delta emptying into a body of fresh water, in its case Lake Baikal . Researchers have found a number of examples of deltas that formed in Martian lakes . Finding deltas

4387-843: The Karakum Desert nor the Kyzylkum Desert , but can be found at their edges or in oases . On the other hand, in India they can be found living in the Thar Desert . They are found in dense thickets of prickly bushes, reed flood-lands and forests. They have been known to ascend over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) up the slopes of the Himalayas ; they can withstand temperatures as low as −25 °C (−13 °F) and sometimes −35 °C (−31 °F). They are not adapted to snow, and in snow country they must travel along paths made by larger animals or humans. In India, they will occupy

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4494-662: The Ksar Akil rock shelter near Beirut , Lebanon, is 7,600 years old. The oldest golden jackal fossils in Europe were found in Greece and are 7,000 years old. There are six subspecies of the golden jackal. It is capable of producing fertile hybrids with both the gray wolf and the African wolf. Jackal–dog hybrids called Sulimov dogs are in service at the Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow, where they are deployed by

4601-532: The Nile Delta and Colorado River Delta are some of the most extreme examples of the devastation caused to deltas by damming and diversion of water. Historical data documents show that during the Roman Empire and Little Ice Age (times when there was considerable anthropogenic pressure), there was significant sediment accumulation in deltas. The industrial revolution has only amplified the impact of humans on delta growth and retreat. Ancient deltas benefit

4708-406: The dhole ( Cuon alpinus ) and African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ), which are not members of genus Canis . These are followed by the black-backed and side-striped jackals, members of the genus Lupulella and the most basal members of this clade . Results from two recent studies of mDNA from golden jackals indicate that the specimens from Africa are genetically closer to the gray wolf than are

4815-578: The moisture and high carrying capacity of the villus. Both Flood Plains National Park and Somawathiya National Park are excessively important for migratory and resident waterfowl . In general, the park has been much neglected. Although an overall systems plan is in place for protected areas within the Mahaweli Region. Until the area was incorporated into the Mahaweli Environment Project was unmanaged and unprotected to

4922-584: The 19th century, when they started to expand slowly. Jackals were recorded in Hungary with the nearest population known at that time being found in Dalmatia, some 300 kilometers away. This was followed by rapid expansion of jackals towards the end of the 20th century. Golden jackals from both Southeast Europe and the Caucasus are expanding into the Baltic . In the Middle East, golden jackals from Israel have

5029-766: The African wolf diverging 1.3   million years ago. The study found that the golden jackal and the African wolf shared a very similar skull and body morphology and that this had confused taxonomists into regarding these as one species. The study proposes that the very similar skull and body morphology is due to both species having originated from a larger common ancestor. Domestic dog [REDACTED] Gray wolf [REDACTED] Coyote [REDACTED] African wolf [REDACTED] Golden jackal [REDACTED] Ethiopian wolf [REDACTED] Dhole [REDACTED] African wild dog [REDACTED] Side-striped jackal [REDACTED] Black-backed jackal [REDACTED] The Arno river dog ( Canis arnensis )

5136-472: The Ethiopian wolf ( C.   simensis ). Compared with the wolf, the skull of the golden jackal is smaller and less massive, with a lower nasal region and shorter facial region; the projections of the skull are prominent but weaker than those of the wolf; the canine teeth are large and strong but relatively thinner; and its carnassial teeth are weaker. The golden jackal is a less specialized species than

5243-700: The Greek geographer Strabo , the Cynic philosopher Onesicritus of Astypalaea , who accompanied Alexander the Great 's conquests in India , reported that Patalene (the delta of the Indus River ) was "a delta" ( Koinē Greek : καλεῖ δὲ τὴν νῆσον δέλτα , romanized:  kalei de tēn nēson délta , lit.   'he calls the island a delta'). The Roman author Arrian 's Indica states that "the delta of

5350-480: The Last Glacial Maximum, 25,000 to 18,000 years ago, the warmer regions of India and Southeast Asia provided a refuge from colder surrounding areas. At the end of the Last Glacial Maximum and the beginning of the warming cycles, the golden jackal lineage expanded out of India and into Eurasia to reach the Middle East and Europe. Outside of India, golden jackals in the Caucasus and Turkey demonstrate

5457-503: The Mississippi. For example, a mountain river depositing sediment into a freshwater lake would form this kind of delta. It is commonly a result of homopycnal flow. Such deltas are characterized by a tripartite structure of topset, foreset, and bottomset beds. River water entering the lake rapidly deposits its coarser sediments on the submerged face of the delta, forming steeping dipping foreset beds. The finer sediments are deposited on

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5564-549: The Russian airline Aeroflot for scent-detection. The golden jackal is abundant in valleys and beside rivers and their tributaries, canals, lakes, and seashores; however, the species is rare in foothills and low mountains. It is a social species, the basic social unit of which consists of a breeding pair and any young offspring. It is very adaptable, with the ability to exploit food ranging from fruit and insects to small ungulates . It attacks domestic fowl and domestic mammals up to

5671-574: The Turkish word çakal , which originates from the Persian word šagāl . It is also known as the common jackal . The biological family Canidae is composed of the South American canids , the fox-like canids , and the wolf-like canids . All species within the wolf-like canids share a similar morphology and possess 78   chromosomes , allowing them potentially to interbreed . Within

5778-472: The ability to pile up and accumulate due to the sediment traveling into a steep subduction trench rather than a shallow continental shelf . There are many other lesser factors that could explain why the majority of river deltas form along passive margins rather than active margins. Along active margins, orogenic sequences cause tectonic activity to form over-steepened slopes, brecciated rocks, and volcanic activity resulting in delta formation to exist closer to

5885-1256: The basins feeding deltas have reduced river sediment delivery to many deltas in recent decades. This change means that there is less sediment available to maintain delta landforms, and compensate for erosion and sea level rise , causing some deltas to start losing land. Declines in river sediment delivery are projected to continue in the coming decades. The extensive anthropogenic activities in deltas also interfere with geomorphological and ecological delta processes. People living on deltas often construct flood defences which prevent sedimentation from floods on deltas, and therefore means that sediment deposition can not compensate for subsidence and erosion . In addition to interference with delta aggradation , pumping of groundwater , oil , and gas , and constructing infrastructure all accelerate subsidence , increasing relative sea level rise. Anthropogenic activities can also destabilise river channels through sand mining , and cause saltwater intrusion . There are small-scale efforts to correct these issues, improve delta environments and increase environmental sustainability through sedimentation enhancing strategies . While nearly all deltas have been impacted to some degree by humans,

5992-422: The bird's-foot of the Mississippi or Ural river deltas), pushing its mouth into the standing water. As the deltaic lobe advances, the gradient of the river channel becomes lower because the river channel is longer but has the same change in elevation (see slope ). As the gradient of the river channel decreases, the amount of shear stress on the bed decreases, which results in the deposition of sediment within

6099-450: The channel and a rise in the channel bed relative to the floodplain . This destabilizes the river channel. If the river breaches its natural levees (such as during a flood), it spills out into a new course with a shorter route to the ocean, thereby obtaining a steeper, more stable gradient. Typically, when the river switches channels in this manner, some of its flow remains in the abandoned channel. Repeated channel-switching events build up

6206-519: The climate supports shrublands in high elevations. The Estonian population, which marks the only population of this species adapted to the boreal region, largely inhabits coastal grasslands , alvars , and reed beds , habitats where wolves are seldom present. The golden jackal fills much the same ecological niche in Eurasia as the coyote does in North America ; it is both a predator and

6313-468: The cones of common medlars . The jackal is implicated in the destruction of grape , watermelon , muskmelon , and nut crops. Near the Vakhsh River , their spring diet consists almost exclusively of plant bulbs and the roots of wild sugar cane , while during winter they feed on wild stony olives . Around the edges of the Karakum Desert , jackals feed on gerbils , lizards, snakes, fish, muskrats ,

6420-619: The economy due to their well-sorted sand and gravel . Sand and gravel are often quarried from these old deltas and used in concrete for highways , buildings, sidewalks, and landscaping. More than 1 billion tons of sand and gravel are produced in the United States alone. Not all sand and gravel quarries are former deltas, but for ones that are, much of the sorting is already done by the power of water. Urban areas and human habitation tend to be located in lowlands near water access for transportation and sanitation . This makes deltas

6527-420: The first record in Europe of Echinococcus multilocularis . A golden jackel from Iran was found to be a host of an intestinal acanthocephalan worm, Pachysentis canicola . Golden jackals exhibit flexible social organization depending on the availability of food. The breeding pair is the basic social unit, and they are sometimes accompanied by their current litter of pups. In India, their distributions are

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6634-411: The flooding is lengthier and truly hydrophytic species such as Alternanthera sessilis , Polygonum spp., Jussiaea repens , Ipomoea aquatica , Monochoria hastata , and Scirpus grossus appear. The most widespread grass species include Hygroryza aristata , Brachiaria mutica , Echinochloa colonum , Paspalum vaginatum , Digitaria longiflora , and Setaria (syn. Paspalidium ) species. In

6741-414: The flow enters the standing water, it is no longer confined to its channel and expands in width. This flow expansion results in a decrease in the flow velocity , which diminishes the ability of the flow to transport sediment . As a result, sediment drops out of the flow and is deposited as alluvium , which builds up to form the river delta. Over time, this single channel builds a deltaic lobe (such as

6848-405: The forest area the following birds are seen, crimson-fronted barbet Megalaima haemacephala , common peafowl Pavo cristatus , Malabar pied hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus , thick-billed flowerpecker Dicaeum agile , common iora Aegithina tiphia , junglefowl Gallus lafayetii , and golden-fronted leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons . While barred buttonquail Turnix suscitator frequents

6955-506: The fresh stream feeding the head of tidal propagation. As a result, the tributaries are considered to be "subestuaries". The origin and evolution of a tidal freshwater delta involves processes that are typical of all deltas as well as processes that are unique to the tidal freshwater setting. The combination of processes that create a tidal freshwater delta result in a distinct morphology and unique environmental characteristics. Many tidal freshwater deltas that exist today are directly caused by

7062-455: The fringes of jackal territory. There is however one record of a male golden jackal interacting peacefully with multiple red foxes in southwestern Germany. Striped hyenas prey on golden jackals, and three jackal carcasses were found in one hyena den. A 2022 study indicated that the presence of golden jackals in portions of Eastern Europe leads to a decrease in the population of invasive raccoon dogs ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ), indicating

7169-415: The fruits of buckthorn , dogbane , Java plum , and the pods of mesquite and the golden rain tree . The jackal scavenges off the kills made by the lion, tiger, leopard, dhole, and gray wolf. In some regions of Bangladesh and India, golden jackals subsist by scavenging on carrion and garbage, and will cache extra food by burying it. The Irish novelist, playwright and poet, Oliver Goldsmith , wrote about

7276-407: The fruits of wild stony olives, mulberry , dried apricots , watermelons, muskmelons, tomatoes , and grapes. In Dalmatia , the golden jackal's diet consists of mammals, fruits, vegetables, insects, birds and their eggs, grasses and leaves. Golden jackals change their diet to more readily available foods. In Serbia, their diet is primarily livestock carcasses that are increasingly prevalent due to

7383-464: The genus Lupulella . It is instead closer to wolves and coyotes . The ancestor of the golden jackal is believed to be the extinct Arno river dog that lived in southern Europe 1.9  million years ago . It is described as having been a small, jackal-like canine. Genetic studies indicate that the golden jackal expanded from India around 20,000 years ago, towards the end of the last Last Glacial Maximum . The oldest golden jackal fossil, found at

7490-466: The geomorphology and ecosystem. Deltas are typically classified according to the main control on deposition, which is a combination of river, wave , and tidal processes, depending on the strength of each. The other two factors that play a major role are landscape position and the grain size distribution of the source sediment entering the delta from the river. Fluvial-dominated deltas are found in areas of low tidal range and low wave energy. Where

7597-621: The golden jackal: ... Although the species of the wolf approaches very near to that of the dog, yet the jackal seems to be placed between them; to the savage fierceness of the wolf it adds the impudent familiarity of the dog ... It is more noisy in its pursuits even than the dog, and more voracious than the wolf. In the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, golden jackals primarily hunt hares and mouse -like rodents, and also pheasants , francolins , ducks , coots , moorhens , and passerines . Vegetable matter eaten by Jackals in these areas includes fruits, such as pears , hawthorn , dogwood , and

7704-427: The grassy plains. There are 20 such villus is located in the park. Somawathiya and Flood plains national parks are important protected areas for the wetland system of Mahaweli River flood plains. The high quality habitat of fertile alluvial underlying layer supports a plentiful wildlife. The historic Somawathiya Chaitya is located on the left bank of the Mahaweli River . The stupa was named after Princess Somawathi,

7811-570: The gray wolf, and these skull features relate to the jackal's diet of small birds , rodents , small vertebrates, insects, carrion, fruit, and some vegetable matter. It was once thought that golden jackals could develop a horny growth on the skull referred to as a " jackal's horn " which usually measured approximately 13 mm ( 1 ⁄ 2  in) in length and was concealed by fur. Although no evidence of its existence has been found, belief in it remains common in South Asia. This feature

7918-453: The jackal group has traditionally been considered as homogenous, genetic studies show that jackals are not monophyletic (they do not share a common ancestor), and they are only distantly related. The accuracy of the colloquial name "jackal" to describe all jackals is therefore questionable. Mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) passes along the maternal line and can date back thousands of years. Thus, phylogenetic analysis of mDNA sequences within

8025-412: The jackals were detected. In Europe, there are an estimated 12,000 wolves. The jackal's recent expansion throughout eastern and western Europe has been attributed to the extermination of the local wolf populations. The present diffusion of the jackal into the northern Adriatic hinterland is in areas where the wolf is absent or very rare. In the past, jackals competed with tigers and leopards , feeding on

8132-406: The lake bottom beyond this steep slope as more gently dipping bottomset beds. Behind the delta front, braided channels deposit the gently dipping beds of the topset on the delta plain. While some authors describe both lacustrine and marine locations of Gilbert deltas, others note that their formation is more characteristic of the freshwater lakes, where it is easier for the river water to mix with

8239-594: The lakewater faster (as opposed to the case of a river falling into the sea or a salt lake, where less dense fresh water brought by the river stays on top longer). Gilbert himself first described this type of delta on Lake Bonneville in 1885. Elsewhere, similar structures occur, for example, at the mouths of several creeks that flow into Okanagan Lake in British Columbia and form prominent peninsulas at Naramata , Summerland , and Peachland . In wave-dominated deltas, wave-driven sediment transport controls

8346-583: The land of the Indians is made by the Indus river no less than is the case with that of Egypt". As a generic term for the landform at the mouth of the river, the word delta is first attested in the English-speaking world in the late 18th century, in the work of Edward Gibbon . River deltas form when a river carrying sediment reaches a body of water, such as a lake, ocean, or a reservoir . When

8453-647: The marshes. Usual migrants include garganey Anas querquedula , marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis , wood sandpiper T. glareola , pintail snipe Gallinago stenura , whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus , and black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa . Resident birds are painted stork Ibis leucocephala , openbill stork Anastomus oscitans , little egret Egretta garzetta , cattle egret Bubulens ibis , pond heron Ardeola grayii , pheasant-tailed jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus , purple gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio , white ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus , and black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus . Within

8560-605: The next highest genetic diversity, while those in Europe indicate low genetic diversity, confirming their more recent expansion into Europe. Genetic data indicates that the golden jackals of the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece and the Dalmatian coast in Croatia may represent two ancient European populations from 6,000 years ago that have survived into modern times. Jackals were absent from most of Europe until

8667-435: The northern region of the park, the forest trees teeming with species such as Drypetes sepiaria , Berrya cordifolia , Diospyros ovalifolia , Dimorphocalyx glabellus , Pterospermum canescens , Manilkara hexandra and Mitragyna parvifolia . The importance of ecology of the park is due mainly to the wide occurrence of elephants Elephas maximus estimated at 400 within the protected area and adjacent surroundings and

8774-477: The oldest haplogroup is formed by golden jackals from India, and the other, younger, haplogroup diverging from this includes golden jackals from all of the other regions. Indian golden jackals exhibit the highest genetic diversity , and those from northern and western India are the most basal , which indicates that India was the center from which golden jackals spread. The extant golden jackal lineage commenced expanding its population in India 37,000 years ago. During

8881-524: The onset of or changes in historical land use, especially deforestation , intensive agriculture , and urbanization . These ideas are well illustrated by the many tidal freshwater deltas prograding into Chesapeake Bay along the east coastline of the United States. Research has demonstrated that the accumulating sediments in this estuary derive from post-European settlement deforestation, agriculture, and urban development. Other rivers, particularly those on coasts with significant tidal range , do not form

8988-439: The open areas, marshy northern area is visited by woolly-necked stork Ciconia episcopus , crested hawk eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus , grey-headed fish eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus , pied kingfisher Ceryle rudis , crested serpent-eagle Spilornis cheela , and painted stork Ibis leucocephala . Although the park area has been greatly exploited once the human activity is removed the regeneration will be quick, because of

9095-428: The range of wolves and jackals is mutually exclusive, with jackals abandoning their territory with the arrival of a wolf pack. One experiment used loudspeakers to broadcast the calls of jackals, and this attracted wolves at a trotting pace to chase away the perceived competitors. Dogs responded to these calls in the same way while barking aggressively. Unleashed dogs have been observed to immediately chase away jackals when

9202-489: The remains of their kills and, in one case, on a dead tiger. Leopards and tigers once hunted jackals, but today, the leopard is rare, and the tiger is extinct in the jackal's range. Eurasian lynxes have also been known to hunt jackals. Red foxes and golden jackals share similar diets. Red foxes fear jackals, which are three times bigger than them. Red foxes will avoid close proximity to jackals and fox populations decrease where jackals are abundant. Foxes can be found only at

9309-487: The result of this process is the Wax Lake Delta . In both of these cases, depositional processes force redistribution of deposition from areas of high deposition to areas of low deposition. This results in the smoothing of the planform (or map-view) shape of the delta as the channels move across its surface and deposit sediment. Because the sediment is laid down in this fashion, the shape of these deltas approximates

9416-595: The rich avifauna. Although a 2007 study showed a much smaller herd of elephants in Somawathiya, 50-100 of individuals. Other notable mammalian species include jackal Canis aureus , fishing cat felis viverrina , rusty-spotted cat felis rubiginosa , leopard Panthera pardus , wild boar Sus scrofa , sambar Cervus unicolor , water buffalo Bubalus bubalis , porcupine Hystrix indica , and black-naped hare Lepus nigricollis . The flood plain marshes are rich with avifauna. Around 75 migrant species winter in

9523-408: The richness and predominance of the water-tolerant grasses and aquatic plants . The distribution of floral species in the villus shows a pattern, which is related to the period of inundation and the depth of flooding. On the edges, where wet conditions are temporary and with mild levels of flooding, there are creeping grasses such as Cynodon dactylon . Further towards the centre of the villus where

9630-579: The river delta, causing the delta to retreat. For deltas that form further upriver in an estuary, there are complex yet quantifiable linkages between winds, tides, river discharge, and delta water levels. Erosion is also an important control in tide-dominated deltas, such as the Ganges Delta , which may be mainly submarine, with prominent sandbars and ridges. This tends to produce a "dendritic" structure. Tidal deltas behave differently from river-dominated and wave-dominated deltas, which tend to have

9737-414: The river water is nearly equal in density to the basin water, the delta is characterized by homopycnal flow , in which the river water rapidly mixes with basin water and abruptly dumps most of its sediment load. Where the river water has a higher density than basin water, typically from a heavy load of sediment, the delta is characterized by hyperpycnal flow in which the river water hugs the basin bottom as

9844-399: The sediment is never piled up in thick sequences due to the sediment traveling and depositing in deep subduction trenches. At the mouth of a river, the change in flow conditions can cause the river to drop any sediment it is carrying. This sediment deposition can generate a variety of landforms, such as deltas, sand bars, spits, and tie channels. Landforms at the river mouth drastically alter

9951-514: The sediment source. When sediment does not travel far from the source, sediments that build up are coarser grained and more loosely consolidated, therefore making delta formation more difficult. Tectonic activity on active margins causes the formation of river deltas to form closer to the sediment source which may affect channel avulsion , delta lobe switching, and auto cyclicity. Active margin river deltas tend to be much smaller and less abundant but may transport similar amounts of sediment. However,

10058-814: The sediment supplied by the feeding river. Etymologically, the term river delta derives from the triangular shape (Δ) of the uppercase Greek letter delta . In hydrology , the dimensions of a river delta are determined by the balance between the watershed processes that supply sediment and the watershed processes that redistribute, sequester, and export the supplied sediment into the receiving basin. River deltas are important in human civilization , as they are major agricultural production centers and population centers. They can provide coastline defence and can impact drinking water supply. They are also ecologically important, with different species' assemblages depending on their landscape position. On geologic timescales , they are also important carbon sinks . A river delta

10165-424: The shape of the delta, and much of the sediment emanating from the river mouth is deflected along the coastline. The relationship between waves and river deltas is quite variable and largely influenced by the deepwater wave regimes of the receiving basin. With a high wave energy near shore and a steeper slope offshore, waves will make river deltas smoother. Waves can also be responsible for carrying sediments away from

10272-484: The sister of King Kavan Tissa , and the wife of regional ruler Prince Abhaya. The prince Abhaya build the stupa to enshrine a relic of the tooth of the Buddha , which was in the possession of Arahat Mahinda , and named the stupa after the princes. Stupa is increasingly popular tourist and pilgrimage destination due to its fame as the site where miracles - beams of light and unusual apparitions - are often reported. The park

10379-611: The size of domestic water buffalo calves. Its competitors are the red fox , steppe wolf , jungle cat , Caucasian wildcat , the raccoon in the Caucasus and in Central Asia, and the Asiatic wildcat . It is expanding beyond its native grounds in Southeast Europe into Central and Northeast Europe into areas where there are few or no wolves. The word 'jackal' appeared in the English language around 1600. It derives from

10486-480: The specimens from Eurasia. In 2015 a major DNA study of golden jackals concluded that the six C.   aureus subspecies found in Africa should be reclassified under the new species C.   anthus (African wolf), reducing the number of golden jackal subspecies to seven. The phylogenetic tree generated from this study shows the golden jackal diverging from the wolf/coyote lineage 1.9   million years ago and

10593-415: The spring moult begins at the end of winter. If the winter has been warm, the spring moult starts in the middle of February; if the winter has been cold, it begins in the middle of March. The spring moult lasts for 60–65 days; if the animal is sick, it loses only half of its winter fur. The spring moult commences with the head and limbs, extends to the flanks, chest, belly and rump, and ends at the tail. Fur on

10700-475: The surrounding foothills above arable areas, entering human settlements at night to feed on garbage, and have established themselves around hill stations at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) height above mean sea level . They generally avoid mountainous forests, but may enter alpine and sub-alpine areas during dispersal. In Turkey, the Caucasus, and Transcaucasia they have been observed up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above mean sea level, particularly in areas where

10807-656: The trailing edges of passive margins due to the majority of large rivers such as the Mississippi , Nile , Amazon , Ganges , Indus , Yangtze , and Yellow River discharging along passive continental margins. This phenomenon is due mainly to three factors: topography , basin area, and basin elevation. Topography along passive margins tend to be more gradual and widespread over a greater area enabling sediment to pile up and accumulate over time to form large river deltas. Topography along active margins tends to be steeper and less widespread, which results in sediments not having

10914-491: The underparts is absent. The autumn moult occurs from mid-September with the growth of winter fur; the shedding of the summer fur occurs at the same time. The development of the autumn coat starts with the rump and tail and spreads to the back, flanks, belly, chest, limbs and head, with full winter fur being attained at the end of November. The golden jackal inhabits Europe and Southwest, Central, South, and Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's omnivorous diet allows it to eat

11021-607: The wolf-like canids is the jackal group, which includes the three jackals: the black-backed jackal ( Lupulella   mesomela ), the side-striped jackal ( Lupulella adusta ), and the golden jackal ( Canis aureus ). These three species are approximately the same size, possess similar dental and skeletal morphology, and are identified from each other primarily by their coat color. They were once thought to have different distributions across Africa with their ranges overlapping in East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania). Although

11128-1253: Was evidence of gene flow between golden jackals and Middle Eastern wolves, less so with European and Asian wolves, and least with North American wolves. The study proposes that the golden jackal ancestry found in North American wolves may have occurred before the divergence of the Eurasian and North American wolves. The golden jackal was taxonomically subordinated to the genus Canis by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 publication Systema Naturae . 13 subspecies were described since then. C. a. aureus Nominate subspecies [REDACTED] hadramauticus  (Noack, 1896) kola  (Wroughton, 1916) lanka  (Wroughton, 1916) typicus  (Kolenati, 1858) vulgaris  (Wagner, 1841) C. a. cruesemanni [REDACTED] C. a. indicus [REDACTED] C. a. moreoticus [REDACTED] graecus (Wagner, 1841) balcanicus  (Brusina, 1892) caucasica  (Kolenati, 1858) dalmatinus  (Wagner, 1841) C. a. naria [REDACTED] C. a. syriacus [REDACTED] The golden jackal

11235-732: Was first coined by Alexander von Humboldt for the middle reaches of the Orinoco River , which he visited in 1800. Other prominent examples include the Inner Niger Delta , Peace–Athabasca Delta , the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta , and the Sistan delta of Iran. The Danube has one in the valley on the Slovak–Hungarian border between Bratislava and Iža . In some cases, a river flowing into

11342-613: Was found at the Ksar Akil rock shelter located 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Beirut , Lebanon. The fragment of a single tooth is dated approximately 7,600 years ago. The oldest golden jackal fossils found in Europe are from Delphi and Kitsos in Greece and are dated 7,000–6,500 years ago. An unusual fossil of a heel bone found in Azykh Cave , in Nagorno-Karabakh , dates to the Middle Pleistocene and

11449-404: Was once associated with magical powers by the people of Sri Lanka . The jackal's fur is coarse and relatively short, with the base color golden, varying seasonally from a pale creamy yellow to a dark tawny. The fur on the back is composed of a mixture of black, brown, and white hairs, sometimes giving the appearance of the dark saddle like that seen on the black-backed jackal. The underparts are

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