宁波滑蜥两性异形和雌性繁殖

蜥蜴的雌性繁殖特征对理解两性异形的进化原因起着重要作用。于2011年4月在安徽滁州采集宁波滑蜥(Scincella modesta),定量研究该种形态特征的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征,检验成体形态特征两性异形与雌性繁殖的相关性。研究共采集43条(17♀♀,26♂♂)宁波滑蜥,雄性和雌性个体的最大体长分别为47.4 mm和46.6 mm。雌雄两性在体长和头宽上没有差异,而在腹长和头长上差异显著,雄性有较大的头长,雌性有较大的腹长。宁波滑蜥年产单窝卵。窝卵数和窝卵重与雌体体长及腹长呈正相关,卵重与雌体体长无相关性。窝卵数及卵重的变异系数分别为0.20和0.12。卵长径与窝卵数呈负相关,而卵短径与窝卵数无关。雌体主要通过增加窝卵数来增加繁殖输出。这些结果表明,宁波滑蜥是雌雄个体大小同形的两性异形模式,性选择使得雄性有着较大的头长,以具有较高的交配成功率,生育力选择使得雌性有着较大的腹长,以具有较大的生育力和繁殖输出。     

饰纹姬蛙的两性异形及雌性繁殖能力

用采自云南省西双版纳傣族自治州勐腊县的53只(28♂♂,25♀♀)成体饰纹姬蛙(Microhyla fissipes),测量全部个体的体长、头长、头宽、体重等16项形态特征和雌体怀卵量数据,通过独立样本t检验和协方差检验该物种所有形态特征的两性差异,进而采用线性回归方法分析雌雄成体局部形态特征与体长的相关性,以及雌性成体怀卵量与局部形态特征的相关性。结果表明,饰纹姬蛙平均体长雌性为(25.08±0.40)mm,雄性为(24.78±0.31)mm,体长和体重在雌雄两性间差异不显著(P 0.05),两性个体大小基本同形。该蛙的所有局部形态特征与体长均存在极显著正相关性(P 0.01);雌雄两性间只在头宽和前臂及手长这两个形态特征上存在显著差异(P 0.05),且随体长的增大其生长速率也存在显著差异。雌性成体的怀卵量与体长、体重、眼间距、前臂宽、胫宽和跗足长均存在显著正相关性(P 0.05),且与体重存在极显著正相关性(P 0.01)。分析认为,饰纹姬蛙成体两性异形主要表现在头宽和前臂及手长,与生存竞争中对食物的获取能力及雄性争夺交配权的成功率有关;而雌性个体可以通过增加体长和体重,相应地增加腹腔容量来提高繁殖输出,该结果符合生育力选择假说。     

黑斑侧褶蛙的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征

测定了黑斑侧褶蛙成体的体长、体重、头长、头宽、眼径、鼓膜径、前肢长、后肢长等形态指标以及雌体的怀卵数量。黑斑侧褶蛙雌体的体长和体重显著大于雄体。其它局部形态特征指标与体长呈正相关,协方差分析表明,雄体的鼓膜径大于雌体,其余形态指标不存在明显的两性差异。黑斑侧褶蛙雌体怀卵数量与体长和体重皆成正相关关系,表明黑斑侧褶蛙通过增加个体大小增加繁殖输出。     

黄颡鱼的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征

测定了黄颡鱼成体的体长、头长、头宽、头高、吻长、眼径、眼间距、眼后头长、体高、尾柄高、背鳍基前距、背鳍基长、尾柄长、腹鳍基前距、背鳍脂鳍间距、腹鳍臀鳍间距、尾鳍长、体重、去内脏体重等形态指标以及雌体的怀卵数量。雌性成体的体长显著小于雄性成体。其它局部特征皆与体长呈正相关,回归剩余值的t—检验表明,雌性成体的眼径、头高、体高、腹鳍基前距、体重显著大于雄性成体,其它局部形态特征不存在显著的两性差异。黄颡鱼雌体通过个体大小的增加和腹部形态的改变增加腹腔容量,增加繁殖输出。     

泽陆蛙(Fejervarya limnocharis)两性异形的个体发育和雌体繁殖

2010年3月下旬-7月上旬于浙江富阳市农田采集680只泽陆蛙(Fejervarya limnocharis),研究了泽陆蛙成体和幼体的个体大小和局部形态特征的两性异形;通过解剖雌体获得窝卵数、测量抱对个体获得形态数据,研究了雌体大小与生育力关系以及抱对两性个体体形大小的相关性.结果表明:捕获个体中,雌性和雄性成体的最小体长分别为33mm和30 mm;雄性成体个体数显著超过雌性成体,两性幼体个体数无显著差异;两性成体头部大小、四肢长随体长呈同速增长,眼径和体重随体长呈异速增长,两性幼体所有被检形态特征均随体长呈同速增长;雌性成体平均体长显著大干雄性成体,去除体长差异的影响后发现,除眼径无显著的两性差异外,其余被检形态特征均为雌性大于雄性;幼体除雌性体重大于雄性外,其余被检形态特征均无两性差异;窝卵数与雌体大小(体长和体重)呈显著的正相关;两性抱对个体的体长无显著相关性;泽陆蛙雄性成体体形小于雌性成体的个体大小两性异形模式可能决定于驱使雄性向较大体形发展的进化驱动力相对较弱,雌性增大体形可增加繁殖输出,故向较大体形发展的进化驱动力相对较强;除体重外,其余被检形态特征的两性异形均形成于性成熟之后.     

鄂尔多斯丽斑麻蜥两性异形及繁殖输出

两性异形和雌性繁殖输出是丽斑麻蜥(Eremias argus)种群生活史研究的重要内容。本文研究了丽斑麻蜥成体两性异形及雌性繁殖输出,研究用的95条怀卵雌体和38条(18♂、20♀)成体于2013年6月及8月捕自内蒙古鄂尔多斯。被测形态特征有体重、头体长、头长、头高、头宽、上臂长、前臂长、腕指长、大腿长、小腿长、踝趾长、腋跨距和尾长;怀卵雌性个体在实验室条件下饲养至产卵,称量产后母体体重、卵重,记录窝卵数。丽斑麻蜥成体存在两性异形,表现为雄性个体的头部、四肢长及尾长都显著大于雌性,腋跨距显著小于雌性。本实验中最小的产卵雌体头体长为44.0 mm,产卵期在6月4日至7月15日,窝卵数2~5枚,平均2.9枚,窝卵数(P=0.043)、窝卵重(P=0.026)与头体长显著正相关,相对窝卵重(P=0.001)与头体长负相关;窝卵数(P=0.000)、卵均重(P=0.000)与窝卵重显著正相关,窝卵数与卵均重不显著负相关(P=0.200)。     

蓝尾石龙子的生长、两性异形及雌性繁殖

报道蓝尾石龙子（Eumeces elegans)的生长、两性异形和雌性繁殖,性成熟个体体色的两性差异显著,成年雄性体长、头长和头宽显著大于成年雌性,幼体体长生长率无显著的两性差异。成年雄体体长生长率显著大于成年雌体,因此,个体大小的两性异形是性成熟后发生的,体长小于50mm的幼体,头长和头宽无性差异;当体长大于50mm。雄性头长和头宽随体长的生长率显著大于雌性。并导致头部大小的两性异形,并随个体发育变得越来越显著,蓝尾石龙子产卵雌体的最小体长为69.3mm,大于此体长的雌体均年产单窝卵。窝卵数、窝卵重和平均卵重均与雌体体长呈正相关,平均值分别为6.4、2.783和0.554g。窝卵数与雌体产后状态无关,蓝尾石龙子雌体主要通过增加窝卵数和卵大小来增加繁殖输出。     

黑眶蟾蜍的两性异形与选型配对模式

本研究以黑眶蟾蜍(Duttaphrynus melanostictus)为研究对象,通过对比黑眶蟾蜍抱对个体的体长、头长、头宽、眼间距、鼓膜径、耳后腺长、眼径、前臂及手长、前肢长以及后肢长等形态特征,分析雌性黑眶蟾蜍繁殖输出与其体型的关系,探究黑眶蟾蜍两性异形模式及其与雌性生育力的关系;同时通过对配对个体形态学特征的相关性分析探究了黑眶蟾蜍的配对模式。结果表明,黑眶蟾蜍雌性体长和体重显著大于雄体;两性的所有局部形态特征均与体长成正相关;去除体长因素影响后,雄性头长以及后肢长均明显大于雌性,其余局部形态特征两性间则皆无显著差异。雌体的窝卵重、窝卵数均与其体长和体重成正相关关系。雌性成体的前肢长与抱对雄性成体的前肢长之间呈显著正相关,其余形态特征两性间均无相关性。研究表明,生育力选择是导致黑眶蟾蜍两性异形的重要驱动力;黑眶蟾蜍的选型配对模式未表现在个体大小上,而是体现在局部特征(前肢长),这不仅为揭示两栖类配对模式的普遍性提供了参考,还表明对两栖类选型配对的研究应以多个性状为对象。     

凹耳蛙的两性异形

测量和比较采自黄山的凹耳蛙成体标本(雌雄各20个),统计结果表明成年雌雄蛙的体长、头宽、吻长、鼻间距、眼间距、眼径、鼓膜宽、前臂及指长、前臂宽等两性形态学指标存在显著性差异。对与体长显著相关的形态特征,以体长为协变量的协方差分析表明凹耳蛙雌雄两性在头宽、眼间距、眼径、鼓膜宽存在显著差异。凹耳蛙两性异形比达到0.418,雌性平均体长对雄性平均体长的比达到1.716。头宽、眼间距、眼径、鼓膜宽等局部形态特征与体长的线性回归分析表明,雌性斜率大于雄性斜率,说明雌性凹耳蛙上述局部特征随体长的生长速率明显大于雄性。雌性体长的繁殖力选择能够很好地解释凹耳蛙的两性异形。     

雌性凹耳蛙生育力与体型参数间相关性及其配对模式

为了探究雌性凹耳蛙(Odorrana tormota)生育力与体型参数之间是否存在相关性,测量了黄山浮溪地区23只排卵后雌蛙的体重、体长、头长、头宽、前臂宽、前肢及指长、前肢长、后肢全长、胫长等9个体型参数,并计数每只雌蛙的窝卵数。相关性分析显示,雌蛙的窝卵数和9个体型参数值均呈正相关性(P 0.05),体长和其他8个体型参数值均呈现正相关性(P 0.05),以体长为控制变量,偏相关分析显示,窝卵数和体重呈正相关性(P 0.05),故具有较长的体长、较重的体重特征的雌蛙,可以携带更多的卵,具有更强的生育能力。不同雌蛙个体间的窝卵数差异较大,平均窝卵数为(646.5±37.6)枚(590～706枚)。大个体雌蛙具有更强的生育力、更大的繁殖输出,可能是导致凹耳蛙两性间异形程度较大(雌大雄小)的重要驱动力。为了探究抱对雌、雄凹耳蛙之间的配对模式,测量了21对抱对雌、雄蛙的上述9个体型参数,分析显示,抱对雌、雄间9个体型参数值均不存在相关性(P 0.05),未发现凹耳蛙在性选择的过程中采用选型配对模式,雌性凹耳蛙可能倾向雄蛙非体型的品质特征,比如鸣叫声等。     

Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of South Viet Nam

Between 1974 and 1978, 2,842 identifications of plant-parasitic nematodes were made from more than 1,700 soil and plant samples collected in eight provinces of South Viet Nam. Species in nine genera—Helicotylenchus, Criconemoides, Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Hoplolaimus, Hirschmanniella, Xiphinema, and Rotylenchulus—comprised 96.1% of the identifications; the remaining 3.9% were species of 11 genera. Fourteen genera were associated with rice which was grown on about 2,500,000 ha in 1970. Of these, Ditylenchus, Hirschmanniella, and Meloidogyne were most important. Ditylenchus angustus caused severe damage to about 50,000 ha of flooded rice in the Mekong Delta in 1976. Hirschmanniella spp. were found in all samples examined from flooded rice fields. Meloidogyne spp. were common in rice seedbeds, upland rice, and rice not kept flooded continuously. Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus spp. were found in roots of 22 of the 32 crop plants sampled. Little or no attempt was made in South Viet Nam to control nematodes.     

Identification key for European strand-forming house-rot fungi

An identification key for 20 common strand-forming indoor wood decay fungi is given. The key is based on observations of material from affected buildings and on wood samples that have been incubated in the laboratory. The key is with macro- and microscopic photographs.     

Parasites, emerging disease and wildlife conservation

In this review some emerging issues of parasite infections in wildlife, particularly in Australia, are considered. We discuss the importance of understanding parasite biodiversity in wildlife in terms of conservation, the role of wildlife as reservoirs of parasite infection, and the role of parasites within the broader context of the ecosystem. Using a number of parasite species, the value of undertaking longitudinal surveillance in natural systems using non-invasive sampling and molecular tools to characterise infectious agents is illustrated in terms of wildlife health, parasite biodiversity and ecology.     

Phylogenetic relationships among Southeast Asian climbing bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) and the Bambusa complex

A phylogenetic analysis of Bambusa and allies based on the plastid DNA non-coding regions rps16-trnQ, trnC-rpoB, trnH-psbA and trnD-T, and a partial nuclear GBSSI gene, was carried out. This included representatives from all four Bambusa subgenera (including type species), a group of segregate Southeast Asian genera distinctive by their climbing–scrambling culms (Dinochloa, Holttumochloa, Kinabaluchloa, Maclurochloa, Soejatmia, Sphaerobambos), and two other Bambusinae genera (Dendrocalamus, Gigantochloa). The results do not support the present subgeneric classification of Bambusa. The climbing Southeast Asian genera, all of which include species previously placed in Bambusa, are distinct from the “core Bambusa group” (type species and alliance) and the Bambusa complex generally.     

The identification of microRNAs in the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) liver by Illumina sequencing

MicroRNAs are indispensable players in the regulation of a broad range of biological processes. Here, we report the first deep sequencing of the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) liver. We mapped 91 miRNAs in the Callorhinchus milii genome that have previously been described in the Danio rerio, Fugu rubripes, Oryzias latipes, Xenopus laevis, Xenopus tropicalis, Homo sapiens, and Mus musculus. In addition, 156 new putative candidate (PC) C. plagiosum miRNAs were identified. From these 247 miRNAs, 39 miRNA clusters were identified, and the expression of these clustered miRNAs was observed to vary significantly. A total of 7 candidate miRNAs were selected for expression confirmation by stem-loop RT-PCR. This study resulted in the addition of a significant number of novel miRNA sequences to GenBank and laid the foundation for further understanding of the function of miRNAs in the regulation of C. plagiosum liver development.     

Multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the genus Aeromonas

A broad multilocus phylogenetic analysis (MLPA) of the representative diversity of a genus offers the opportunity to incorporate concatenated inter-species phylogenies into bacterial systematics. Recent analyses based on single housekeeping genes have provided coherent phylogenies of Aeromonas. However, to date, a multi-gene phylogenetic analysis has never been tackled. In the present study, the intra- and inter-species phylogenetic relationships of 115 strains representing all Aeromonas species described to date were investigated by MLPA. The study included the independent analysis of seven single gene fragments (gyrB, rpoD, recA, dnaJ, gyrA, dnaX, and atpD), and the tree resulting from the concatenated 4705 bp sequence. The phylogenies obtained were consistent with each other, and clustering agreed with the Aeromonas taxonomy recognized to date. The highest clustering robustness was found for the concatenated tree (i.e. all Aeromonas species split into 100% bootstrap clusters). Both possible chronometric distortions and poor resolution encountered when using single-gene analysis were buffered in the concatenated MLPA tree. However, reliable phylogenetic species delineation required an MLPA including several “bona fide” strains representing all described species.     

Bacterial flora in the alimentary tract of chickens infected with Eimeria brunetti and in chickens immunized with Eimeria maxima and cross-infected with Eimeria brunetti

Differential bacterial counts were made on the intestinal and caecal contents of chickens after inoculation with a standard dose of 320 000 freshly sporulated oocysts of Eimeria brunetti.