Grazing effects on herbage nutritive values depend on precipitation and growing season in Inner Mongolian grassland

Aims Grasslands are widely used for production of livestock, which depend on the nutritive value of herbage species. However, there are still large uncertainties as to how grazing, precipitation and growing season interactively affect herbage nutritive value.Methods Here, based on a grazing experiment with seven grazing intensities in an Inner Mongolian grassland since the year 2005, we analysed nutritive value of four dominant grass species from June to September in both a relatively wetter year (2008) and a drier year (2010). Herbage with high nutritive value is characterized by high concentration of crude protein, high concentration of cellulase digestible organic matter and low concentration of neutral detergent fibre.Important findings We found that (i) grazing significantly increased the nutritive value of Leymus chinensis, Agropyron michnoi and Cleistogenes squarrosa but had minor effects on the nutritive value of Stipa grandis. (ii) For all species, nutritive values were greater in the wetter year than in the drier year and were greatest in the early growing season (June) and lowest at the end of the growing season (September). Inter-annual and inter-seasonal variations in nutritive value were much greater for L. chinensis and A. michnoi than for C. squarrosa and S. grandis, suggesting higher water use efficiency for the latter two species. (iii) Grazing significantly decreased the drought resistance of three species, but not of S. grandis. (iv) Grazing significantly increased inter-month variation in nutritive value for L. chinensis and A. michnoi but had relatively minor or no effects on that of C. squarrosa and S. grandis. Therefore, grazing effects on species nutritive values showed strong inter-annual and seasonal patterns, and species-specific responses might be related to species traits (i.e. water use efficiency, digestibility). Our results have important implications for ecosystem management of arid and semi-arid grasslands under intense grazing and global climatic change.     

A global comparison of the nutritive values of forage plants grown in contrasting environments

Forage plants are valuable because they maintain wild and domesticated herbivores, and sustain the delivery of meat, milk and other commodities. Forage plants contain different quantities of fibre, lignin, minerals and protein, and vary in the proportion of their tissue that can be digested by herbivores. These nutritive components are important determinants of consumer growth rates, reproductive success and behaviour. A dataset was compiled to quantify variation in forage plant nutritive values within- and between-plant species, and to assess variation between plant functional groups and bioclimatic zones. 1255 geo-located records containing 3774 measurements of nutritive values for 136 forage plant species grown in 30 countries were obtained from published articles. Spatial variability in forage nutritive values indicated that climate modified plant nutritive values. Forage plants grown in arid and equatorial regions generally contained less digestible material than those grown in temperate and tundra regions; containing more fibre and lignin, and less protein. These patterns may reveal why herbivore body sizes, digestion and migration strategies are different in warmer and drier regions. This dataset also revealed the capacity for variation in the nutrition provided by forage plants, which may drive consumer species coexistence. The proportion of the plant tissue that was digestible ranged between species from 2 to 91%. The amount of fibre contained within plant material ranged by 23–90%, protein by 2–36%, lignin by 1–21% and minerals by 2–22%. On average, grasses and tree foliage contained the most fibre, whilst herbaceous legumes contained the most protein and tree foliage contained the most lignin. However, there were individual species within each functional group that were highly nutritious. This dataset may be used to identify forage plant species or mixtures of species from different functional groups with useful nutritional traits which can be cultivated to enhance livestock productivity and inform wild herbivore conservation strategies.     

棉田节肢动物群落的优势种分析

优势种作为生物群落的基本特征之一 ,是指那些由于其数量多、生物量大及其在食物链中有重要地位而对群落产生重大影响的物种。但在农田昆虫群落优势种分析中 ,通常是以数量的多少而确定其是否为优势种。事实上 ,尽管有些昆虫 (如害虫 )数量不多 ,不具备群落优势种的特征 ,但由于其个体大 ,对作物造成很大的危害。对于这类昆虫是否属于优势种类目前争论较大[1,5] 。棉花 (Ｇｏｓｓｙｐｉｕｍｈｉｒｓｕｔｕｍ )是我国重要的经济作物。其内节肢动物群落物种的组成与优势程度直接影响着棉花的生产。本文拟在系统调查棉田节肢动物群落的基础上 ,…     

Chemical-Features of

Chionochloa species vary in the degree to which they are grazed by introduced ruminants. This is presumed to reflect the relative nutritive value and/or palatability of the forage provided by these indigenous grasses. Data are presented here on silicon content, in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD), metabolisable energy (ME), crude protein and total nutrient mineral (TNM) contents of mature leaves of eleven Chionochloa species in southern New Zealand. Silification in all species is low, possibly as an evolutionary consequence of the absence of native mammalian herbivores in New Zealand. OMD determinations indicate a generally low nutritive value for these tussock grasses. Species characteristic of oligotrophic Peats (C. acicularis and C. crassiuscula ssp. torta) produced very low values (20-25%) but others (C. pallens ssp. cadens, C. macra and C. ovata) approached OMD levels of medium quality pasture (50-60%). Crude protein values are also in the poor to moderate range (4.13% in C. acicularis to 8.34% in C. ovata). The values for total nutrient mineral content largely parallel those for protein. The results are discussed in relation to the apparent relative palatability of each species in the field, and the vulnerability to grazing of some species with restricted distributions.     

The nutritive values of some major food plants of lechwe, puku and waterbuck along the Chobe River, Botswana

The feeding preferences of lechwe, puku and waterbuck and the nutritive values of the major food plants show a correlation. Within their habitat the species show preference for the plants with the highest crude protein value. The preferred habitats of the species, although overlapping to a certain extent, prevented all three species from using the food plants with the highest protein values at all times. Puku and waterbuck, for example, utilized plants which were clearly inferior to the plant growth available to lechwe in August.     

Effects of grazing exclusion on species composition in high-altitude grasslands of the Central Alps

Our study examines the effects of grazing exclusion on low-productive subalpine and alpine grasslands of the Central Alps (UNESCO Biosphere Park Gurgler Kamm, Obergurgl, Austria). A long-term exclusion experiment was established in 2000 in the subalpine, the lower, and the upper alpine zone. With exception of the subalpine zone, domestic herbivores have been grazing during the whole growing season. In grazed and exclosure plots species frequencies were recorded for 7 years. We analysed exclosure effects on species number, community composition, life forms, and functional groups.Species richness did not decrease significantly within the exclosures, but changes in species composition occurred in each zone, although some were transitory in nature. The dynamic trends of the plots were significantly explained by the ‘treatment×year’ effect along the whole altitudinal gradient, but the effects decreased considerably with altitude. In the subalpine and upper alpine exclosures, stress-tolerators, species of low or no nutritive value, and mosses showed a decreasing trend, whereas tall grasses (subalpine exclosures), competitors, and species with high or medium nutritive values (lower alpine exclosures) tended to increase.Overall, our 7-year study revealed that several functional groups reacted to grazing, according to our main expectations. We suggest that these effects will intensify in the long term.     

基于植物区系的雷州半岛天然林群落树种特征研究

传统涉及植物区系和重要值的研究思路通常先分析该地区的植物区系组成,然后再分析该区域某个区系中某个优势种的重要值。该种思路存在未能完全同时反映不同区系不同植物物种参与群落构建和其在群落中的地位等缺陷。为了解决上述问题,构建物种群落指数,以雷州半岛天然季雨林的木本植物为对象开展研究。基于雷州半岛8个区域的80个20 m×20 m固定样地的实测数据,通过植物区系+重要值的方式构建物种群落指数开展研究。(1)湛江云脚村群落、湛江湖光岩、雷州鹰峰岭、雷州足荣村、徐闻双洋村、廉江高桥和廉江谢鞋山皆以热带区系分布为主导,数值皆大于0.8以上。廉江根竹嶂地理位置特殊,以9区系东亚和北美洲间断分布为主,数值接近0.5。(2)第2区系树种在雷州半岛群落树种组成和构建中处于优势地位,最高值为0.4261,朴树和鹅掌柴为优势种;第3区系树种和第6区系树种处于劣势地位;第4区系树种处于优势地位,最高值为0.3339,橄榄为优势种;第5区系树种处于优势地位,最高为0.3787,阴香和樟树为优势种;第7区系树种在雷州半岛地区群落内分布较为均衡,普遍适应各个样地。本研究表明,雷州半岛地区带有明显的热带性区系特征;物种群落指数能够较好的体现雷州半岛样地各个区系树种在植物群落组成的特征。     

Seasonality affects leaf nutrient and condensed tannin concentration in southern African savannah browse

Trees that maintain some leaves throughout dry seasons become important ruminant browse depending on nutritive and antinutritive values. Leaves from seven tree species that maintained some leaves during the dry season were collected during dry and wet seasons and analysed for nutritive and antinutritive values. Neutral detergent fibre of leaves was either not different or less (P ≤ 0.05) during the dry season as compared to the wet season depending on species. Acid detergent fibre was either not different or greater (P ≤ 0.05) during the dry season as compared to the wet season. Crude protein and condensed tannins (CT) were either not different or less (P ≤ 0.05) during the dry season than during the wet season for the seven species. The biological activity (protein‐binding ability; PB) of the CT was highly species specific and was either not different between seasons, more bioactive during the wet season, or more bioactive during the dry season depending on the species. Based on combinations of low fibre, high protein and potentially beneficial levels of bioactive CT, Senegalia caffra, Vachellia karoo and Searsia lancea may be the most promising dry‐season browse of the species studied.     

Nutritional and Morphological Traits of Invasive and Exotic Fleshy‐fruits in South Africa

While fleshy‐fruited invasive alien plants are recognized as some of the worst invaders on a global scale, until recently, little consideration has been given to the frugivores that feed on these fruits and, more specifically, the fruit traits, which may influence this. We investigated a series of morphological and nutritive fruit traits for ca 30 species of fleshy‐fruited invasive alien and exotic species in South Africa. Invasive alien fruit traits were compared with comparable traits of a similar sample size of indigenous fleshy fruits, which occur in the same area. Finally, the similarity of traits for the same invasive alien species was compared with those fruits in Australia. Invasive alien fleshy fruits were similar in morphology, but greater in some nutritive aspects when compared with indigenous fruits. Furthermore, they were very similar in all aspects to their counterparts in Australia. Most seeds of invasive fleshy fruits were small and light, which may explain some of their invasive success, as benefits associated with small seededness may promote invasive potential. Nutritionally, most invasive alien fleshy‐fruits were hexose‐dominant, containing low lipid and nitrogen content. While frugivore preference trends remain to be formally investigated, this study provides insights into fruit traits, which may tentatively outline why invasive fruits are universally fed on and thus successfully spread.     

Wild edible plants of the Sikkim Himalaya: Nutritive values of selected species

Wild edible plants form an important constituent of traditional diets in the Himalaya. In the Sikkim Himalaya a total of 190 species have been screened as edible species out of which nearly 47 species come to the market. The present paper deals with nutritive values of 27 most commonly consumed wild edible plants in the Sikkim Himalaya. Of 27 plant species that were analyzed for their nutritive values, 22 were edible for their fruits and five for leaves/shoots. Among different plant parts, generally higher nutrient concentration was recorded for leaves, followed by new shoots and fruits. For different species the crude fiber content ranged between 2.15–39.90%, and the total soluble salts between 4.66–21.00%, and the vitamin C content from 6–286 mg/100 g. The fat content was determined high in the fruits ofCastanopsis hystrix, Machilus edulis, andCinnamomum species, while the protein content was highest inHippophae rhamnoides, Cucumis melo, andEleagnus latifolia. The total carbohydrate content ranged from 32–88% in the fruits of various wild edibles, the reducing sugar from 1.25–12.42%, total sugar from 2.10–25.09%, the lignin content varied from 9.05–39.51%, the hemicellulose between 25.63–55.71% and cellulose content varied from 9.57–33.19% in different species. Among the various macronutrients estimated in the plant samples of different wild edible species, nitrogen was present in highest quantity, followed by potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium. Micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper contents were analyzed in different plant parts of various wild edible species. The iron content was higher in leaves and new shoots. The nutritive values of certain wild edible species determined in this study are comparable with various commercial fruits. It is suggested that a few wild edible species need to be grown for commercial cultivation and adopted in the traditional agroforestry systems, which will lead to reduced pressure on them in natural forest stands as well as producing economic benefits for poor farmers.     

Cytoarchitecture of Utricularia nutritive tissue

Beginning with light microscopy studies in the late 19th century, the placental "nutritive tissue" in carnivorous plants of Utricularia spp. has been well described by several authors. Based on observations of direct contact between the embryo sac and the "nutritive tissue" and the lack of vascularization of the ovule, it has been suggested that this nutritive tissue plays a key role in the nutrition of the female gametophyte. To date, however, the structure of this tissue has received only scant attention. To fill this knowledge gap, we have characterized its anatomy and histochemistry in more detail and addressed the speculations of a number of earlier researchers. Nutritive tissue during the period of flower opening in three Utricularia species, each belonging to different sections and subgenera (Polypompholyx, Bivalvaria and Utricularia), was examined by light and, in particular, electron microscopy. In all of the investigated species, nutritive tissue cells differ from placental parenchyma cells in having no huge vacuole, no large amyloplasts with starch grains, and no protein inclusions in the nucleus. The funicular nutritive tissue in U. dichotoma consists of active cells with a secretory character, while U. sandersonii has a small placental nutritive tissue consisting of colenchymatous cells accumulating lipids. The most complex nutritive tissue occurs in aquatic U. intermedia, which occupies a derived position in the genus phylogeny. In this latter species, the cells of this tissue resemble meristematic cells in having a relatively large nucleus, thin cell walls, and reduced vacuoles, but the well-developed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in some cells is similar to that in secretory cells. The cytoplasm is rich in microtubules, some of which are in close contact with the ER cisternae. We found very thick cell walls between nutritive tissue cells and parenchyma cells, but plasmodesmata between these types of cells are rare. Similarities in both the position and structure of nutritive tissue in Polypompholyx and section Pleiochasia support their classification together in one subgenus, based on results from a molecular study. The position and structure of the nutritive tissue in Utricularia spp. are related to the position of various species in the genus phylogeny.     

红薯对农田杂草群落及其多样性的影响

为了解红薯(Ipomoea batas)对农田杂草群落和生物多样性的影响, 作者研究了云南省东南部红河州建水县5种不同覆盖度红薯田的杂草种类、密度、重要值及多样性。结果表明, 5种红薯田共统计到25种杂草, 隶属18科。其中4种入侵植物藿香蓟(Ageratum conyzoides)、鬼针草(Bidens pilosa)、牛膝菊(Galinsoga parviflora)、牛筋草(Eleusine indica)和2种本地植物马齿苋(Portulaca oleracea)、马唐(Digitaria sanguinalis)的密度较高, 为红薯田杂草群落的优势物种。随红薯覆盖度增加, 杂草优势物种的密度和重要值显著降低(P<0.05), 然而2种本地物种打碗花(Calystegia hederacea)和早熟禾(Poa annua)密度却显著增加, 2种本地物种铁苋菜(Acalypha australis)和稗(Echinochloa crusgalli)重要值与红薯覆盖度成正相关(P<0.05)。红薯覆盖度为1-25%和26-50%时, 杂草群落的物种丰富度(23.5、24.5)、Simpson指数(0.89、0.85)、Shannon-Wiener指数(2.36、2.35)和Pielou均匀度指数(0.75、0.73)较高, 说明中低水平的红薯覆盖度有利于提高群落的物种多样性。可以推断, 红薯种植改变了农田杂草的群落结构, 有利于限制优势杂草和入侵杂草的发生危害, 中低水平的红薯覆盖度可作为一种有效的旱田替代化学除草剂的生态控草措施。     

Nutritional ecology of Preuss's red colobus monkey (Colobus badius preussi Rahm 1970) in Korup National Park, Cameroon

Studies on the nutritive ecology of red colobus monkeys (Colobus badius preussi) in Korup National Park, Cameroon, investigated food plants and the parts eaten as well as nutritive values of the various food items. Food plants were identified through direct observations and collected for laboratory determination of nutrient content. Food plants were analysed for crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen‐free‐extractive (NFE) and total ash (A). A total of seventeen species belonging to nine different families were identified as food plants for red colobus. Food and feeding habits showed that the species were highly folivorous, tending to prefer the young leaves of food plants. Lecomtedoxa klaineana (27.0%) and Xylopia aethiopica (22.2%) of families Sapotaceae and Annonaceae, respectively, constituted about 50% of total food items consumed. Results of nutrient composition indicated individual nutrients varied significantly (P < 0.01) with food species.     

The telotrophic nature of ovarioles of polyphage coleoptera

Summary The ovarian type of 23 families of polyphage Coleoptera has been determined. The ovaries of all species belong to the telotrophic-meroistic type, indicated by nutritive cords connecting oocytes with the trophic tissue. These nutritive cords persist during previtellogenesis and the main part of vitellogenesis. The cytoplasm of the nutritive cords shows the same elements in similar frequencies as they were found in the nurse cell cytoplasm or in the ooplasm of oocytes during previtellogenesis. No indications are found supporting the idea that a reduction of nutritive cords early in ovarian development gives rise to a deviated panoistic ovary. The histological uniformity of nutritive cords among all investigated species as well as the fact that these species are scattered by chance among the polyphage Coleoptera seems to justify the conclusion that all Polyphaga s. str. have telotrophicmeroistic ovarioles. This investigation was supported in part by the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk     

Leaf δ13C reflects ecosystem patterns and responses of alpine plants to the environments on the Tibetan Plateau

Leaf δ¹³C is an indicator of water-use efficiency and provides useful information on the carbon and water balance of plants over longer periods. Variation in leaf δ¹³C between or within species is determined by plant physiological characteristics and environmental factors. We hypothesized that variation in leaf δ¹³C values among dominant species reflected ecosystem patterns controlled by large-scale environmental gradients, and that within-species variation indicates plant adaptability to environmental conditions. To test these hypotheses, we collected leaves of dominant species from six ecosystems across a horizontal vegetation transect on the Tibetan Plateau, as well as leaves of Kobresia pygmaea (herbaceous) throughout its distribution and leaves of two coniferous tree species ( Picea crassifolia, Abies fabri ) along an elevation gradient throughout their distribution in the Qilian Mountains and Gongga Mountains, respectively. Leaf δ¹³C of dominant species in the six ecosystems differed significantly, with values for evergreen coniferous13C values of the dominant species and of K. pygmaea were negatively correlated with annual precipitation along a water gradient, but leaf δ¹³C of A. fabri was not significantly correlated with precipitation in habitats without water-stress. This confirms that variation of δ¹³C between or within species reflects plant responses to environmental conditions. Leaf δ¹³C of the dominant species also reflected water patterns on the Tibetan Plateau, providing evidence that precipitation plays a primary role in controlling ecosystem changes from southeast to northwest on the Tibetan Plateau.     

大气中CO2含量增加对植物-昆虫关系的影响

近两百年来,大气中CO₂含量一直在不断地增加,而且增加的速度越来越快.CO₂浓度升高有利于C₃植物如水稻、小麦、大豆和棉花等光合作用和生产力的提高,但同时也减少了这些作物的含氮量,因而降低了它们对植食性昆虫的营养价值.现有的一些研究表明,在这种情况下,植食性昆虫会消耗更多的植物组织以补偿其对含氮物质的需要,导致昆虫对寄主植物为害的加重.     

Short-term regrowth responses of four steppe grassland species to grazing intensity, water and nitrogen in Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia steppe grasslands are widely used for livestock farming and the regrowth ability of grassland species is therefore strongly influenced not only by water and nutrient availability but also quite heavily by grazing. However, little is known on how grazing, water and nitrogen interactively affect the dominant C3 species (Leymus chinensis, Stipa grandis, Agropyron cristatum) and the C4 species (Cleistogenes squarrosa). Therefore in the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons, a field experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis that under different grazing intensities the dominant species show different short-term regrowth response to simultaneous variation in the availability of water and nitrogen. Single factor and interaction effects of the addition of water (rainfed vs. simulated wet-year) and nitrogen (0 or 25 kg N ha^?1) were analysed along a gradient of four grazing intensities (ungrazed, lightly, moderately and heavily grazed) after one month of grazing exclusion. Water and nitrogen addition affected short-term regrowth of all species in a similar way whereas species responded differently to grazing. Simulated wet-year water availability consistently resulted in higher standing biomass, relative growth rate and cellulase digestible organic matter yield. Supplementary nitrogen promoted standing biomass and crude protein concentration. The nutritive value of all species’ standing biomass showed a similar increase with more intensive grazing. However, heavy grazing led to a clear shift in the relative biomass of the species, i.e. mainly a promotion of the C4 grass, C. squarrosa. In contrast to our hypothesis, there were no differences among species in their response to water or nitrogen addition, whereas, heavy grazing induced the expected species-specific response. Our results suggest that heavy grazing rather than nitrogen or water determine short-term shifts in species composition of the investigated steppe ecosystem. Furthermore, differences in the species-specific growth response to grazing may increase the proportion of the C4 grass C. squarrosa in steppe communities, whereas higher availability of nitrogen and water may lead to higher forage biomass and nutritive value of all investigated species but in short-term cannot compensate for the grazing induced changes in species composition.     

Nutritional evaluation of the white-rot fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum as a feedstuff to rats,pigs, and sheep

The production of single-cell protein (SCP) based on cheap carbon sources such as spent liquor from paper mills is of interest for different reasons. The White-rot fungus (Sporotrichum pulverulentum) has earlier been shown to degrade cellulose and lignin. The nutritive value of this fungus was investigated with rats, pigs, and sheep. The effect of different drying process was evaluated on rats. Experiments with piglets, growing pigs, and sheep were aimed at getting primary information on nutritive parameters with domestic animal species, Chemical analysis of S. pulverulentum showed that the sum of the amino acids corresponded to 70% and ammonia, GABA, and glucosamine to 20% of its crude protein content. Differences between drying treatments in their effect on protein digestibility were not noted. From a protein quality viewpoint, a tendency toward superiority was noted for two of the drying processes. The amino acid digestibility of S. pulverulentum was inferior to values for soybean oil meal given in textbooks. The piglet experiment confirmed the lower nutritive value of S. pulverulentum compared with soybean oil meal. in the piglet stage a content of metabolizable energy of S. pulverulentum was found which corresponded to 60% of that for soybean oil meal. With increasing age the ability of pigs to utilize the fungus increased. The limited nutritive value for monogastric animals is most certainly caused by the cell-wall structure of S. pulverulentum with poor digestibility of the carbohydrates. The experiment with sheep showed more satisfactory results than with monogastric species, with digestibility of crude protein of 82% and a content of metabolizable energy of 70% of soybean oil meal.     

元谋干热河谷冲沟坡度与植物优势种关系

在元谋干热河谷冲沟发育典型的三个样区(沙地村、金雷村、苴林村)采集48条冲沟的植物样方数据和冲沟沟底的坡度数据,运用重要值方法对植被优势种进行判别和筛选,以灌木优势种和草本优势种为主要研究对象,探讨植被优势种与冲沟沟底坡度的关系。结果表明：(1)灌木优势种为车桑子Dodonaea viscosa和山合欢Albizia kalkora,重要值分别为0.486和0.342,占灌木总体的83%;草本优势种为扭黄茅Heteropogon contortus、孔颖草Bothriochloa pertusa和茅草Imperata cylindrica,重要值分别为0.386、0.140及0.196,占草本总体的72%。(2)除草本优势种中的茅草盖度与坡度相关性显著(P<0.05)外,样区冲沟沟底坡度与灌木优势种和草本优势种相关性均不显著(P>0.05),表明在元谋干热河谷地区,冲沟沟底坡度对植被优势种生长状况影响较小。     

Molecular and biochemical characterization of the major royal jelly protein in bumblebees suggest a non-nutritive function

Honeybee queens are generated on purpose by extensive feeding with a glandular secretion termed royal jelly. Major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) are the dominant proteinaceous component of royal jelly. One of them, MRJP1, was found to play a central role in honeybee queen development. Genes encoding MRJPs were reported to originate from a single originator, and several of them have evolved nutritive function. Phylogenetic analysis provides evidence that the same originator has multiplied independently in Nasonia and ant lineages. Here we show that bumblebees represent a transition species preserving a single-copy pre-multiplication stage of MRJP evolution. By exploring the single-copy BtRJPL gene, we found striking similarities with MRJPs of the honeybee such as gene structure and expression regulation. At the same time it turned out that BtRJPL does not fulfill criteria for functioning as a nutritive protein. Instead we found evidence that BtRJPL is involved in food digestion or modification, which appears to be the original MRJP function, at least in this lineage. Thus, the evolutionary pattern of MRJPs in hymenopterans constitutes an excellent example of a functional diversification combined with the origin of new properties followed by intensive gene duplication events.