Topi and Korrigum
Topi in Serengeti
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Alcelaphinae
Genus:	Damaliscus
Species:	D. korrigum
Binomial name
Damaliscus korrigum (Ogilby, 1837)
Subspecies
3, see text

Topis (Damaliscus korrigum) are a highly social and fast antelope species of the genus Damaliscus.^[2] The vernacular name "topi" applies not only to the species but also to two subspecies D. k. jimela and D. k. topi, while the name korrigum or tiang applies to the subspecies D. k. korrigum.^[2] Along with the Bangweulu Tsessebe this species was formerly included in the common tsessebe. The species is to be found in the savannas, semi-deserts, and floodplains of sub-Saharan Africa.

Description[link]

Closeup of head

Topi resemble hartebeest but have a darker coloration and lack sharply angled horns. They have elongated heads, a distinct hump at the base of the neck, and reddish brown bodies with dark purple patchings on their upper legs. They also a mask-like dark coloration on the face. Their horns are ringed and lyrate shaped.^[3] Their coats are made of short, shiny hairs.^[4] They range in mass from 75 to 160 kg and in height from 100 to 130 cm at the shoulder. Males tend to be larger and darker than females. Topi also have preorbital glands that secrete clear oil and the front legs have hoof glands.^[3] When pressed they have been known to reach speeds in excess of 70 km/h although they typically travel at a jog.

Subspecies[link]

• Damaliscus korrigum korrigum Ogilby, 1836 – Korrigum
• Damaliscus korrigum jimela Matschie, 1892 – Topi (found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It has become regionally extinct in Burundi)
• Damaliscus korrigum topi Blaine, 1914 – Coastal Topi

Range and ecology[link]

Topi standing on a mound

The topi has a long but patch distribution as it prefers certain grasslands in arid and savanna biomes.^[3] Human hunting and habitat destruction have further isolated their population.^[3] The following countries have been found to contain topi: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. The species is regionally extinct in Burundi, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.^[5]

Topi grazing in the Maasai Mara

Topi primarily live in grassland habitats ranging from treeless plains to savannas.^[3] In ecotone habitats between woodlands and open grasslands, stays along the edge using the shade in hot weather.^[3] They prefer pastures with green grass that’s medium in length with leaf-like swards. Topis are more densely populated than areas where green plants last into the dry season, particularly near water.^[6] The topi is a selective feeder and uses its elongated muzzle and flexible lips to forage for the freshest plants.^[3] When foraging for, topi tend to make small bites at a fast rate.^[7] Topi generally frequent flat lowlands and at elevations below 1500 m.^[3] When they have access to enough green vegatation, topi usually don’t have to drink. They have to drink more when relying on dry grass.^[8] Topi use vantage points, like termite mounds to get a good look of their surround.^[3]

Topi are usually either numerous or absent in an area.^[4] Scattered populations don’t last long and either increase or die off.^[4] The health of topis in a population depend on access to green vegatation.^[4] Herds of topi migrate between pastures. The largest is in the Serengeti, where they join the wildebeests, zebras and gazelles.^[9] Predators of topi include lions and spotted hyenas with jackals being predators of newborns. They are especially targeted by hyenas.^[10] Nevertheless, topi tend to have a low predation rate when other species are around.^[3]

Social structure and reproduction[link]

Group of Topi

The topi has which is possibly the most diverse social organization of the antelopes.^[11] Topi herds can take the form of "perennially sedentary-dispersion", "perennially mobile-aggregated" or something inbetween. This depends on habitat and ecology of the areas they are in.^[3] In addition, the reproductive organization ranges the traditional territoral system or resource defense polygyny herds to gatherings that contain short-lasting territories to lek systems. In patches of grassland surrounded by woodlands, topi live in the sedentary-dispersion mode.^[11] Males establish territories that attract herds of females with their offspring. Depending on the size of the patches, territories can be as large as 4 km square and sometimes border each other.^[3] A female fidelity to a territory can last three years in the Serengeti.^[11] The females in these territories function as part of the resident male’s harem. These herds tend to be closed (expect when new females are accepted) and both the male and his females depend the territory.^[12] When the resident male is absent, the dominant female may assume his behaviors, defending against outide topis of either sex using the rocking canter and performing the high-stepping display.^[3] More densely popoulated topi, like those of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, move across the plain, and set up territories during resting periods.^[3]

Topi with young

In areas such as the Akagera National Park in Rwanda and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, topi males establish leks which are territories that are clustered together.^[13] These territories have little value outside of the males in them. The most dominant males occupy the center of the lek cluster and the less dominant occupy the periphery.^[14] Males mark their territories with dung piles and stand on them in an erect posture ready to fight any other male that tries to invade.^[9] Estrous females enter the leks both alone and in groups and mate with the males in the centre of the lek cluster.^[3] Males further from the centre may increase their reproductive success is they are near water.^[14] Females will compete with each other for the dominant males^[15] as females come into estrous for only one day of the year. Females prefer to mate with dominant males that they have mated with before, however males try to mate with as many new females as possible.^[15] As such favored males prefer to balance mating investment equally between females.^[15] Females, however, will aggressively disrupt copulations that their favored males have with other females.^[15] Subordinate females have their copulations interrupted more often than dominant females. Males will eventually counter-attack these females, refusing to mate with them any more.^[15]

The vast majority of births occur between October and December with half of them occurring in October.^[16] The parenting of the topi has characteristics of both the "hider" system (found in the blesbok) and the "follower" system (found in the blue wildebeest).^[3] Calves can follow their mothers immediately after birth^[9] and "may not 'lie out'".^[3] On the other hand, females separate themselves from the herd to calve and calves commonly seek hiding places during the night.^[3] A young stays with its mother for a year or until a new calf is born. Both yearling males and females can be found in bachelor herds.^[3]

Topi in Rwanda

Status and conservation[link]

Although the topi is not widely threatened and remains common, it has been extirpated from many parts of its former range.^[1] The West African Korrigum has been hit most by this threats as they were extirpated from four of the 12 countries in which they were native.^[1] Topi can be found in protected areas such as Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, Akagera National Park in Rwanda, The Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.^[1]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Damaliscus korrigum

Wikispecies has information related to: Damaliscus korrigum

External links[link]

• Ultimate Ungulates

Topi Sorsakoski on 2 August 2001.

Pekka Erkki Juhani Tammilehto^[1] (27 October 1952 – 13 August 2011),^[1] better known by his stage name Topi Sorsakoski, was a Finnish singer. His father was tango singer Yrjö Tapio aka Jylli Tammilehto. Sorsakoski started his career together with his brother, Antti, who had played in various bands together with Juice Leskinen, in the Kalle Kiwes Blues Band.

Some of Sorsakoski's cousins are also musicians: Seppo Tammilehto, who has played in Alwari Tuohitorvi and later had a solo career, and Juhani Tammela, who has played old dancehall music in his quintet in the 1960s. Next Sorsakoski worked as the guitarist in the band The Boys.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1980s, he started performing together with the band Agents, also singing songs earlier performed by Olavi Virta. Sorsakoski later had a solo career and also worked with the band Kulkukoirat. He returned to for a time to the Agents beginning in May 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Death[link]

Sorsakoski died on Saturday, 13 August 2011 at Seinäjoki Central Hospital. He was 58 years old and had suffered from lung cancer.^[1]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Hurmio (1985)
• In Beat (1986) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Agents
• Besame Mucho (1987) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Agents
• Pop (1988) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Agents
• Half and Half (1990) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Agents
• Yksinäisyys (1991)
• Kulkukoirat (1992) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Reijo Taipale:
• Iltarusko (1995)
• Kalliovuorten kuu (1997)
• Evergreens (1999)
• Muukalainen (2000)
• Luotu lähtemään (2002) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Kulkukoirat
• Jossakin... Suomessa (2005) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Kulkukoirat
• Renegades (2007) - by Topi Sorsakoski & Kulkukoirat:
• Tummansininen sävel (2011)

Compilations[link]

• Topi Sorsakoski & Agents:

• • Greatest Hits (1988)
  • In memoriam (1992)
  • Muistojen peili (2000)
  • Muistojen peili 2 (2002)
  • Surujen kitara - 32 Greatest Hits (2002)
  • Muistojeni laulut - 30 hienointa levytystä (2008)

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Topi Sorsakoski on kuollut" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. Suomen Tietotoimisto (Sanoma News). 13 August 2011. http://www.iltasanomat.fi/viihde/topi-sorsakoski-on-kuollut/art-1288407273174.html. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010)

Kari Tapio (2009)

Kari Tapani Jalkanen (22 November 1945 – 7 December 2010),^[1] better known by his stage name Kari Tapio, was a Finnish schlager and country & western singer. During his career, he was one of the most popular singers in Finland for decades; having sold over 830,000 certified records (during his career and posthumously), he is the best-selling soloist in the country.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Tapio was born in Suonenjoki, Finland. In the 1960s Tapio performed in his home town Pieksämäki with the local bands ER-Quartet and Jami & The Noisemakers.^[7] In 1966 he took singing lessons from Ture Ara.

After his first single "Tuuli kääntyköön"/"Niskavuoren nuorimmainen" in 1972 Kari Tapio performed in Ilkka "Danny" Lipsanen's show. In the beginning his role was to take care of the snake that was used in the show. Before music became a job for him Kari Tapio worked as a typesetter in a printing house.

In 1976 Tapio finally broke through with his single "Laula kanssain" (a Finnish cover of "Sing My Lovesong") which was followed by "Viisitoista kesää" (a Finnish cover of Living Next Door to Alice) and "Kaipuu" ("Desire"). In later years "Olen suomalainen" ("I am Finnish", a Finnish cover of Toto Cutugno's "L'Italiano"), "Myrskyn jälkeen" ("After the Storm"), "En pyydä paljon" ("I Don't Ask For Much") and the newest "Paalupaikka" ("Pole Position"), among others, have been his most popular songs. In 2003 the Iskelmä-Finlandia award was given to him.

Many of Tapio's songs have influences from country music. He has done lots of Finnish versions of the songs of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristoffersson.

Tapio was one of the candidates to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Valaise yö". In the finals, he was placed second, and Teräsbetoni was chosen to represent Finland.

Tapio died of a heart attack in Espoo, Finland.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Aikapommi (1974) (with Erkki Liikanen)
• Nostalgiaa (1976)
• Klabbi (1976)
• Kaipuu (1977)
• Kari Tapio (1979)
• Jää vierellein (1981)
• Olen suomalainen (1983)
• Ovi elämään (1984)
• Osa minusta (1986)
• Elämän viulut (1987)
• Tää kaipuu (1988)
• Aikaan täysikuun (1990)
• Yön tuuli vain (1992)
• Sinitaikaa (1993)
• Laulaja (1994)
• Myrskyn jälkeen (1995) #23
• Meren kuisketta (1997) #9
• Sinut tulen aina muistamaan (1998) #7
• Valoon päin (1999) #5
• Bella Capri (2000) #6
• Kari Tapio konserttilavalla (2001) #30
• Joulun tarina (2001)
• Juna kulkee (2003) #4
• Toiset on luotuja kulkemaan (2004) #5
• Paalupaikka (2005) #5
• Kuin taivaisiin (2007) #1
• Kaksi maailmaa (March 26, 2008)

Compilations[link]

• 28 suosituinta levytystä (1987)
• Toivotut (1992)
• Viisitoista kesää (1995)
• 20 suosikkia – Olen suomalainen (1995)
• 20 suosikkia – Luoksesi Tukholmaan (1997)
• Parhaat (1997)
• Kaikki parhaat (1999) #2
• 20 suosikkia – Kulkurin kyyneleet (2001)
• 20 suosikkia – Sanoit liian paljon (2001)
• Kaikkien aikojen parhaat – 40 klassikkoa (2002) #17
• Nostalgia (2005)
• Lauluja rakkaudesta (2006) #13
• Laulaja 1945-2010 (2011) #1

See also[link]

• List of best-selling music artists in Finland

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kari Tapio

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