千岛湖岛屿社鼠的种群年龄结构和性比

2009年7月至11月以及2010年3月至11月在千岛湖地区2个岛屿上对社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)种群进行标志重捕,通过对社鼠种群年龄结构和性比的研究,探讨陆桥岛屿环境下生境片段化对社鼠种群结构的影响。结果显示:社鼠种群年龄结构整体上均表现为由上半年幼年组和亚成年组占优势逐渐过渡到下半年成年组和老年组占绝对优势,岛屿环境对社鼠年龄结构变化的影响与陆地环境有所不同;两岛社鼠种群数量与性比(♀:♂)之间均存在显著的负相关性(B岛2010年7-11月除外),当种群数量处于高峰期时,雌性少于雄性,而种群数量处于低潮期时,雌性多于雄性,这可能是社鼠种群数量变动内部调节机制的一种表现;由于9-10月和2-3月的繁殖高峰以及高的胎仔数,翌年上半年种群数量就能恢复并达到全年最高峰。     

陆桥岛屿环境下社鼠种群数量的估算方法

根据2010年3月—11月在千岛湖地区2个岛屿上社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)的标志重捕数据,分别用Jolly-Seber法、修正Lincoln指数法、Schnabel法和MNA法计算两个岛屿上社鼠种群数量,并深入探讨在陆桥岛屿环境下估算社鼠种群数量的适用方法。研究结果显示,在满足Jolly-Seber法的条件下,通过该方法计算的结果与修正Lincoln指数法无显著差异。但在野外实验中,并不是所有的重捕数据都满足Jolly-Seber法的条件,而且该方法不能估算头尾两月的数量。因此,修正Lincoln指数法更适于估算陆桥岛屿环境下社鼠的种群数量。可为今后开展陆桥岛屿环境下鼠类种群生态学研究奠定基础。     

千岛湖秋季社鼠种群年龄结构及繁殖状况初探

2007年9～11月,对千岛湖不同类型岛屿捕获的123只社鼠的年龄结构及繁殖状况进行研究,结果表明:9～10月为千岛湖区社鼠种群的繁殖高峰期,较同纬度其他地区早.雌鼠从亚成年组出现怀孕个体,雄鼠较雌鼠性成熟早,幼年组已出现睾丸下降个体.大、中、小型岛屿年龄结构不同,分别为稳定型、衰退型及增长型.岛屿大小能够对社鼠种群繁殖指标产生影响,大型岛屿雌鼠繁殖指数(1.96)与平均胎仔数(4.9±0.35只)及雄性个体睾丸下降率(50.0%)均较高,社鼠种群稳定;中型岛屿雌鼠的繁殖指数(3.45)与平均胎仔数(5.17±0.42只)为3种类型岛屿中最高,并且雄鼠的睾丸下降率(64.7%)也相对较高,有利于社鼠种群数量增加;小型岛屿雄鼠的睾丸下降率虽然最高(68.4%),但雌鼠繁殖指数(0.75)与平均胎仔数(4.00±1.53只)均较低,且参与繁殖的主体成年组性比(10∶ 5)失调,种群易出现波动.另外,社鼠的繁殖情况与植被类型和人为干扰也有较大的关联.     

基于亲权鉴定的千岛湖社鼠家群遗传结构与亲缘关系特征研究

于2009年7月至2010年11月,对浙江千岛湖两个岛屿上的社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)种群进行标志重捕,并采用8个高多态性的微卫星位点,对两个岛屿的社鼠种群进行家群分析和亲权鉴定,探讨了社鼠家群的亲缘关系特征。结果显示,8个微卫星位点能可靠地对两个岛屿社鼠种群进行亲权鉴定,A岛已确定亲缘关系的71只社鼠分为12个家群,家群中的个体数最多达到19个,B岛已确定的49只社鼠个体共分为11个家群,家群中的个体数最多达到14个。家群内部成员之间的亲缘关系表现为配对繁殖的个体对间亲缘系数最小,揭示了社鼠倾向于选择亲缘关系较远的异性作为配偶。家群中雄性后代个体之间与雌性个体之间的亲缘关系相比,两岛表现情况相反,该结果暗示两岛屿上社鼠扩散行为可能有所不同。通过计算与同一雄性(或同一雌性)交配的个体间的亲缘系数,发现两个岛屿上的社鼠在与不同异性交配时也存在选择性,即避免选择亲缘关系较近的异性作为混交的对象。     

千岛湖岛屿社鼠的扩散特征

2009年7月—11月,2010年3月—11月对千岛湖两个岛屿上的社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)种群进行标志重捕,通过分析扩散个体的性别、年龄及扩散距离等,探讨陆桥岛屿环境下社鼠的扩散特征。研究结果显示:岛屿环境下社鼠的扩散率为37.96%,不同季节社鼠的扩散率存在差异,社鼠倾向于在春季发生扩散,尤其是3月份,社鼠扩散个体数最多;对于整个捕获史而言,雌雄扩散个体数存在极显著的差异(x~2=12.542,df=1,P0.001),雄性个体更倾向于发生扩散;而在繁殖高峰期,当怀孕鼠存在时,雄性扩散数亦大于雌性,两者存在显著差异(x~2=4.504,df=1,P=0.034)。扩散个体体重的季节差异不显著;扩散与社鼠的年龄密切相关,社鼠更加倾向于在亚成年阶段发生扩散;另外,家群大小对社鼠扩散个体数量也有显著影响,家群越大,扩散个体越多;对扩散距离进行分析发现存在显著的性别差异(t=-9.229,df=50,P0.001),雌性个体的平均扩散距离为(282.97±16.14)m,显著大于雄性的(146.70±6.80)m,而扩散距离与年龄、体重、最大活动距离均无显著相关性。     

农田周围生态保留带中普通田鼠的种群生态学：种群数量动态及结构

于2003年5月~2004年11月,采用标志重捕法对栖息在生态保留带的普通田鼠种群结构和数量动态进行了跟踪研究。结果表明,两年中种群密度夏季最大分别达到410个体/hm2和641个体/hm2,春季最少分别达到166个体/hm2和153个体/hm2,种群数量从7月份开始增长,8月份种群密度减少并于11月份开始重新增长。种群中雌性个体数量比较多,雌性在种群中的居留时间较长,同时存活率比雄性高,这导致种群数量的季节变化。种群周转率比较高,在两个捕鼠期间种群中的80%个体被更新,这表明普通田鼠在生态保留带中的活动非常频繁,不断与周围的其他种群进行交流,提高了种群对环境的适应能力。种群中雌雄个体的巢区之间没有年间变化,活动巢区比较小,巢区长度2003年平均为11 m,最长为37.5 m,2004年平均为13 m,最长为52 m。Pearson相关指数表明种群数量和生态保留带年龄、覆盖率和高度之间没有相关性。     

年龄、性别及季节因素对千岛湖岛屿社鼠最大活动距离的影响

2009年7-11月及2010年3-11月,在千岛湖2个岛屿上进行社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)的标志重捕,根据春、夏、秋3个季节将重捕4次以上的社鼠进行最大活动距离计算,分析年龄、性别及季节对岛屿社鼠最大活动距离的影响.结果显示,岛屿间无显著差异;将2岛数据合并后,幼年、亚成年、成年及老年4个年龄组社鼠最大活动距离之间差异极显著;雄性社鼠最大活动距离极显著地大于雌性,4个年龄组雌雄之间的最大活动距离均表现为雄性＞雌性,但仅成年组雌雄之间存在极显著差异;春、夏、秋3个季节之间的最大活动距离差异极显著,而仅亚成年组在3个季节之间存在极显著差异,雌性和雄性社鼠均表现春季＜夏季＜秋季,但只在春季表现出雌雄个体之间差异极显著,与以往巢区研究结果不一致,可能反映了岛屿环境下社鼠巢区活动的特殊性.显示岛屿隔离环境对小型哺乳动物巢区活动有影响,但这种岛屿效应仍有待深入研究.     

社鼠种群生态研究

1983—1987年在北京西山研究了社鼠的种群生态学,共捕获标本870只,用胴体重方法划分5个年龄组。种群年龄组成,随季节而有变化。年龄锥体有季节和年度差异。雌雄性比亦有年度变化。在多数年份中,幼体和亚成体的雌性比例高于雄性。社鼠一般在3—4月开始繁殖,9月基本结束,10月见到个别孕鼠。雄性个体性成熟时的睾丸重量在0.8克以上,雌性产仔数平均为5.20。多数雌体一年繁殖2次,个别可繁殖3次。生态寿命约一年半或更长一些。有些雌体参加两年的繁殖活动。社鼠的种群数量,有明显的季节和年度变化。     

千岛湖岛屿化对社鼠的肥满度之影响

2008年5月以夹夜法对千岛湖区部分岛屿开展小型兽类种群数量调查,对其间捕获的优势鼠种——社鼠（Niviventer confucianus）进行解剖观察以及相应的测量,计算其肥满度指标K值（K=100W/L³）;同时对岛屿化环境下,社鼠的肥满度与性别、年龄、生境类型、岛屿面积和捕获率等生态因子的关系进行了研究。结果显示：岛屿化对社鼠两性之间的肥满度产生影响,其差异程度由大型岛屿的显著差异（P=0.015）至中小型岛屿的无显著差异（中：P=0.063;小：P=0.288）;年龄组间,除个别相邻年龄组差异显著（大：♂,I与II,P=0.042;中：♀和♂皆为II与III,P=0.013和P=0.044）或极显著（大：♀,III与IV,P=0.000）外,其余均未达到显著水平（P>0.05）。社鼠肥满度年龄组间的变化主要与其自身生理特征变化有关,与岛屿化关系不明显;岛屿的隔离作用,致使不同类型岛屿上的植被优势种及丰富度存在明显差异,从而影响到社鼠的肥满度差异;各岛捕获率所示的社鼠种群的相对数量与其肥满度并无显著相关性（Pearson-test,♀,r=−0.226,P=0.437;♂,r=−0.019,P=0.949）,岛屿化对其种群数量不产生影响;不同面积岛屿之间社鼠的肥满度差异极显著（P=0.000）,且肥满度均值与岛屿面积呈显著正相关（Pearson test,r=0.561,P=0.037）,岛屿面积不同,对社鼠的肥满度之变化产生影响。总之,千岛湖岛屿社鼠的肥满度差异的产生,除了性别、年龄等因素外,与岛屿的面积、生境及种群压力有直接或间接的关系,从侧面也反映了社鼠对岛屿环境的适应性。     

千岛湖社鼠种群遗传现状及与生境面积的关系

以千岛湖地区13个岛屿上的社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)种群为研究对象,利用13个微卫星位点分析了13个社鼠种群的遗传现状,并探讨了种群遗传现状与岛屿面积大小之间的关系。研究结果显示,13个社鼠种群的平均观测等位基因数(Na)与平均有效等位基因数(Ne)分别为7.385,5.952,平均期望杂合度(He)与平均观测杂合度(Ho)分别为0.819,0.930,平均多态信息含量(PIC)为0.760,说明13个社鼠种群均具有较高的遗传多样性。13个种群间的分化系数(Fst)为0.053,表明种群间的遗传分化较小。3个面积较大且相近岛屿上社鼠种群,即高仙阁种群 (Gaoxiange Island,G);乌石T岛种群 (Wushi T Island,WT);东门岛种群 (Dongmen Island,DM)间的Fst值均小于0.05,表明种群间无分化,而小岛种群与大岛种群间的分化却比较明显。此外,一元回归结果显示,多态信息含量(PIC)和Shannon多样性指数(I)与岛屿面积大小之间均存在显著地正相关关系。以上结果说明,在社鼠种群进化过程中,生境面积的缩小可能使种群的遗传结构发生改变,并有可能导致种群的快速进化。     

Carnivora from the Plio-Pleistocene hominin site of Drimolen, Gauteng, South Africa

Drimolen is one of the newest and most productive hominin sites in South Africa, and is dated on faunal grounds between 2.0 Ma to 1.5 Ma. This paper provides the first overview of the Carnivora from Drimolen, updating the previously published preliminary faunal list, and describing all currently prepared craniodental and postcranial material. The Drimolen specimens are described in comparison with other modern and fossil South African carnivore material. The carnivores cover a range of taxa including hyaenids, felids, canids and herpestids. Most notable amongst these are the sabretooth Dinofelis aff. piveteaui craniodental and postcranial remains, which are described in detail, and a Chasmaporthetes nitidula cranium. The genus Chasmaporthetes is found at three other sites in the area - Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Coopers D. There are two models for the geographic origin of Dinofelis piveteaui, in that it may have arisen in either eastern or southern Africa. These possibilities are discussed in the light of the new South African Dinofelis material, as the Drimolen material appears to represent a more primitive form with affinities with D. piveteaui. Fossil leopard material from Kromdraai B and Drimolen is also discussed, as the metapodia assigned to P. pardus from these two sites are very small, but lie within the variation of modern leopards. Such size differences in fossil postcrania may have implications for the niches that these animals may have occupied in the past.     

Hox genes and regional patterning of the vertebrate body plan

Several decades have passed since the discovery of Hox genes in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Their unique ability to regulate morphologies along the anteroposterior (AP) axis (Lewis, 1978) earned them well-deserved attention as important regulators of embryonic development. Phenotypes due to loss- and gain-of-function mutations in mouse Hox genes have revealed that the spatio-temporally controlled expression of these genes is critical for the correct morphogenesis of embryonic axial structures. Here, we review recent novel insight into the modalities of Hox protein function in imparting specific identity to anatomical regions of the vertebral column, and in controlling the emergence of these tissues concomitantly with providing them with axial identity. The control of these functions must have been intimately linked to the shaping of the body plan during evolution.     

Cold-adaptation in sea-water-borne signal proteins: sequence and NMR structure of the pheromone En-6 from the Antarctic ciliate Euplotes nobilii

Ciliates of Euplotes species constitutively secrete pleiotropic protein pheromones, which are capable to function as prototypic autocrine growth factors as well as paracrine inducers of mating processes. This paper reports the amino acid sequence and the NMR structure of the pheromone En-6 isolated from the antarctic species Euplotes nobilii. The 63-residue En-6 polypeptide chain forms three alpha-helices in positions 18-25, 36-40 and 46-56, which are arranged in an up-down-up three-helix bundle forming the edges of a distorted trigonal pyramid. The base of the pyramid is covered by the N-terminal heptadecapeptide segment, which includes a 3(10)-turn of residues 3-6. This topology is covalently anchored by four long-range disulfide bonds. Comparison with the smaller pheromones of E. raikovi, a closely related species living in temperate waters, shows that the two-pheromone families have the same three-helix bundle architecture. It then appears that cold-adaptation of the En proteins is primarily related to increased lengths of the chain-terminal peptide segments and the surface-exposed loops connecting the regular secondary structures, and to the presence of solvent-exposed clusters of negatively charged side-chains.     

Halotolerant and halophilic fungi

Extreme environments have for long been considered to be populated almost exclusively by prokaryotic organisms and therefore monopolized by bacteriologists. Solar salterns are natural hypersaline environments characterized by extreme concentrations of NaCl, often high concentrations of other ions, high uv irradiation and in some cases extremes in pH. In 2000 fungi were first reported to be active inhabitants of solar salterns. Since then many new species and species previously known only as food contaminants have been discovered in hypersaline environments around the globe. The eukaryotic microorganism most studied for its salt tolerance is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, S. cerevisiae is rather salt sensitive and not able to adapt to hypersaline conditions. In contrast, some species like Debaryomyces hansenii, Hortaea werneckii, and Wallemia ichthyophaga have been isolated globally from natural hypersaline environments. We believe that all three are more suitable model organisms to study halotolerance in eukaryotes than S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, they belong to different and distant taxonomic groups and have developed different strategies to cope with the same problems of ion toxicity and loss of water.     

Distribution and long-term temporal patterns of four invasive colonial ascidians in the Gulf of Maine

Invasive ascidians are a growing concern for ecologists and natural resource managers, yet few studies have documented their short- and long-term temporal patterns of abundance. This study focuses on the invasion of the Gulf of Maine by the colonial ascidians Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides violaceus, Diplosoma listerianum and Didemnum sp. A. We examined the time of arrival and potential vectors for these four invasive ascidians using survey data (collected from 1969 onwards) and literature documentation. We also compared the dominance and seasonal patterns of abundance of these species using data from two identical panel studies; one conducted from 1979 to 1980, the other from 2003 to 2005. Didemnum and Botrylloides were most likely first introduced into the Damariscotta River, Maine in the early 1970's through oyster aquaculture while Botryllus and Diplosoma were probably transported by commercial and recreational vessels. The overall abundance of colonial ascidians has increased since 1979 and 1980. Botryllus was the only invasive colonial ascidian present during the 1979 to 1980 study and accounted for an average of 6.16% cover on panels. From 2003 to 2005, the more recently arrived colonial ascidians Botrylloides and Didemnum accounted for 7.38% and 2.08% cover respectively, while Botryllus covered only 1.16%. Our results reveal a shift in seasonal abundance between 1979 to 1980 and 2003 to 2004. In 1979 and 1980, colonial ascidians had the highest percent cover in fall and winter while in 2003 and 2005 they had highest percent cover in summer and fall. Seasonal patterns of space occupation by colonial ascidians were correlated with seasonal changes in seawater temperature.     

Multi-step assembly pathway of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase complex

The cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidases as members of the heme-copper oxidase superfamily are involved in microaerobic respiration in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic proteobacteria. The biogenesis of these multisubunit enzymes, encoded by the ccoNOQP operon, depends on the ccoGHIS gene products, which are proposed to be specifically required for co-factor insertion and maturation of cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidases. Here, the assembly of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase from the facultative photosynthetic model organism Rhodobacter capsulatus was investigated using blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This process involves the formation of a stable but inactive 210 kDa sub-complex consisting of the subunits CcoNOQ and the assembly proteins CcoH and CcoS. By recruiting monomeric CcoP, this sub-complex is converted into an active 230 kDa CcoNOQP complex. Formation of these complexes and the stability of the monomeric CcoP are impaired drastically upon deletion of ccoGHIS. In a ccoI deletion strain, the 230 kDa complex was absent, although monomeric CcoP was still detectable. In contrast, neither of the complexes nor the monomeric CcoP was found in a ccoH deletion strain. In the absence of CcoS, the 230 kDa complex was assembled. However, it exhibited no enzymatic activity, suggesting that CcoS might be involved in a late step of biogenesis. Based on these data, we propose that CcoN, CcoO and CcoQ assemble first into an inactive 210 kDa sub-complex, which is stabilized via its interactions with CcoH and CcoS. Binding of CcoP, and probably subsequent dissociation of CcoH and CcoS, then generates the active 230 kDa complex. The insertion of the heme cofactors into the c-type cytochromes CcoP and CcoO precedes sub-complex formation, while the cofactor insertion into CcoN could occur either before or after the 210 kDa sub-complex formation during the assembly of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase.