Current status and distribution of golden jackals Canis aureus in Europe

• 1 The golden jackal Canis aureus is one of the most widespread canid species with a range covering areas of central, eastern and southern Europe, northern Africa and parts of Asia. Distribution of the golden jackal in Europe has been dynamic, including dramatic declines (until the 1960s), recovery (1960s and 1970s) and expansion (from the early 1980s onwards).
• 2 We present up‐to‐date information on golden jackal status in Europe and range expansion.
• 3 For data collection we reviewed the scientific literature and contacted scientists from the relevant countries. We distinguished between vagrant animals and established populations.
• 4 In the last decade, there has been an increase in jackal records in areas where the species has not been reported before. Increased presence is recorded northwards and westwards of the distribution range of the golden jackal, specifically in Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia. In Austria, the first case of reproduction was confirmed in 2007; reproduction has also recently been reported in Italy.
• 5 Results indicate an ongoing expansion in Europe's jackal population, with a particular spread of the Balkan populations towards central Europe. Although there are numerous reports of sightings, only few originate from confirmed sources and in many areas status is unknown or vague. There is a general lack of ecological data and almost no information on ecological consequences associated with the golden jackal expansion.

     

Crystal Structure of Human Carbonic Anhydrase C

The three dimensional structure of human carbonic anhydrase C has been determined at 2.0 Å resolution. The active site has been identified by the binding of inhibitors and the location of the zinc ion.     

Elevated mtDNA diversity in introduced populations of Cynotilapia afra (Günther 1894) in Lake Malawi National Park is evidence for multiple source populations and hybridization

Genetic variation in many invasive species shows little or no signs of a founder event, suggesting that high genetic diversity may facilitate establishment success. The rocky‐shore, plankton‐feeding cichlid fish Cynotilapia afra is endemic to Lake Malawi, but naturally absent from many suitable sites. In the 1960s, this species was introduced to the southern areas of the lake, presumably as a result of the aquarium fish trade. It has now become established on a number of rocky areas within the Lake Malawi National Park. Here, we analysed DNA sequence variation in the mitochondrial control region of six native and four introduced populations of C. afra, and three populations of the closely‐related and hybridizing Pseudotropheus zebra. In contrast to previous studies of Lake Malawi rock dwelling cichlids, network analyses suggested that native populations of C. afra showed high levels of lineage sorting in mtDNA. Introduced populations showed higher sequence and haplotype diversity than their native counterparts. Our analyses suggested that the elevated gene diversity was largely attributed to the fact that the introduced C. afra populations were derived from several genetically distinct and geographically separate populations, and to a lesser extent because of introgressive hybridization with native P. zebra. The establishment and spread of C. afra may be partly because of its ability to occupy a vacant ecological niche, but it may also have been facilitated by its enhanced genetic diversity.     

Mountain birch under multiple stressors – heavy metal‐resistant populations co‐resistant to biotic stress but maladapted to abiotic stress

Stress adaptations often include a trade‐off of weakened performance in nonlocal conditions, resulting in divergent selection, and potentially, genetic differentiation and evolutionary adaptation. Results of a two‐phase (greenhouse and field) common garden experiment demonstrated adaptation of mountain birch (Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii) populations from industrially polluted areas of the Kola Peninsula, north‐western Russia, to heavy metals (HM), whereas no adaptations to wind or drought stress were detected in populations from wind‐exposed sites. HM‐adapted seedlings were maladapted to drought but less palatable (co‐resistant) to insect herbivores, even under background HM concentrations. The absence of adaptations to harsh microclimate and the generally high adaptive potential of mountain birch, a critical forest forming tree in subarctic Europe, need to be accounted for in models predicting consequences of human‐driven environmental changes, including the projected climate change.     

über die Feinstruktur vonSynura petersenii unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Morphogenese ihrer Kieselschuppen

Zusammenfassung Der Bau des FlagellatenSynura petersenii und die Substruktur der Mastigonemen werden beschrieben. Coated vesicles finden sich in Verbindung mit Golgi-Zisternen, Cytolysosomen, ER-Elementen, jungen Schuppenvesikeln und dem Plasmalemma. 17 nm dicke Tubuli kommen im Lumen von Elementen des ER und des Golgi-Apparates vor. Die Kieselschuppen entstehen in besonderen Schuppenvesikeln, die zunÄchst dicht an periplastidÄren ER-Zisternen liegen und die Form einer ovalen, flachen Zisterne haben und sich dann unter der Beteiligung der periplastidÄren ER-Zisterne und vielleicht der Mikrotubuli zu einer exakten Gu\form für die Kieselschuppen umbilden. Die Schuppenmorphogenese ist also auf eine Morphogenese des Schuppenvesikels zurückzuführen.

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The fine structure ofSynura petersenii with special reference to the morphogenesis of the silicified scales

Summary Cells of Synura petersenii were studied by electron microscopy. One flagellum is covered by little non-silicified scales and fitted with mastigonemes, whose middle piece mainly consists of two helically wound filaments with a diameter of 4.5 nm. They end in a longer and a smaller terminal fibril. The flagellar bases are fixed to the nucleus and the border of the flagellar pit by several elements of the flagellar root. From this root and from the border of the flagellar pit, microtubules extend along the plasmalemma and along the concave face of the plastids to the basal cell pole.The plastids are enveloped by a periplastidal cisterna of the ER which often is in continuity with the nuclear envelope. Within these compartments there are bundles of tubules with a diameter of 17 nm. Such tubules are also found within peripheral parts of Golgi cisternae of the distal face of the dictyosome.In the region of the dictyosome but also in other parts of the cell there are many coated vesicles. They seem to bud off the Golgi cisternae and fuse with cytolysosomes (which also may be derivatives of the Golgi apparatus), or with young scale forming vesicles, or with the ER, or with the plasmalemma.The silicified scales cover the cell body and are formed in special vesicles. At first these vesicles are ovoid, flattened cisternae attached to peripheral parts of the periplastidal cisterna. They undergo a complicated formation process. The margins fold over, the periplastidal cisterna locally mushrooms out and pushes outward on the central part of the scale forming vesicle. This complex protuberance then remodels into a hollow cylinder which is connected with the underlying parts by a short hollow stalk. In this way the scale forming vesicle represents a true mould for the scale. The morphogenesis of the scale therefore is a consequence of the morphogenesis of these membranes. Local growth of the membranes and perhaps microtubules play a role in this process.

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Wir danken Herrn Dr. W.Koch, Göttingen, für die überlassung einerSynura-Kultur und für wichtige Hinweise sowie der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft für ihre Unterstützung.     

Disturbances of the mineral incorporation in various species of mice and shrews in the emission area of a phosphate plant

The Cd emission of a phosphate plant was clearly reflected by the Cd status of herbivorous European wood mice and common field voles as well as of European shrews taking in mostly animal food. The antagonistic effect of the emitted Cd and Mo better available for plants with high ground pH most probably caused the deterioration in the Cu status of the animals of both phases in the nutritional chain. The lower Ca, P, and Mg incorporation with European wood mouse and common field vole within the contaminated habitat might as well be owing to emission, whereas the lower Mn content in all three species rather has to be attributed to the lower Mn offer caused by the ground pH.     

Adaptive brain size divergence in nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius)?

Most studies seeking to provide evolutionary explanations for brain size variability have relied on interspecific comparisons, while intraspecific studies utilizing ecologically divergent populations to this effect are rare. We investigated the brain size and structure of first‐generation laboratory‐bred nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) from four geographically and genetically isolated populations originating from markedly different habitats. We found that the relative size of bulbus olfactorius and telencephalon was significantly larger in marine than in pond populations. Significant, but habitat‐independent population differences were also found in relative brain and cerebellum sizes. The consistent, habitat‐specific differences in the relative size of bulbus olfactorius and telencephalon suggest their adaptive reduction in response to reduced (biotic and abiotic) habitat complexity in pond environments. In general, the results suggest that genetically based brain size and structure differences can evolve relatively rapidly and in repeatable fashion with respect to habitat structure.