Patterns and processes of heterochrony in Mesozoic goniasterid sea-stars

Heterochronic processes are obvious in the most common family of Mesozoic asteroids, the Goniasteridae, whether studied from entire fossils or, as is more frequently the case, from isolated ossicles. When phylogeny is poorly known, comparison between species leads to such unsatisfactory interpretations as 'A is more paedomorphic than B' or 'C, compared with other species, has many peramorphic characters'. When the phylogeny is known, heterochronic trends appear amongst the lineages. The peramorphocline Metopaster parkinsoni - M. loirensis-M. trichilae-M. chilipora-M. hypertelicus is studied here from the Cenomanian to the Upper Campanian of France. Different morphological characters evolved at different speeds. Among each polymorphous population, some morphotypes foreshadowed the next step. Juveniles of one species look like the adults of one of the ascendants. The cline developed irrespective of the substrate, and proceeded together with a migration from the Anglo-Paris Basin to the Aquitanian Basin. Metopaster hunteri , during the Coniacian, and Metopaster meudonensis , during the Upper Campanian, both evolved from Metopaster parkinsoni by neoteny, and provide a good example of reiterated and canalized morphological evolution. Some non-heterochronic canalizations are described.     

PRODUCTION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE HUMAN RELA (p65) IN BACULOVIRUS-INFECTED INSECT CELLS

A recombinant baculovirus was constructed to express a cDNA encoding RelA (p65), a member of the NF-κB/Rel family of proteins. Infection of Spodoptera frugiderda insect cells with the recombinant baculovirus resulted in the production of the biologically active protein as measured by immunoblotting using RelA-specific antisera and by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The recombinant protein bound specifically to an oligonucleotide containing the NF-κB consensus motif but not to that containing the unrelated Oct-1 consensus motif. Thus insect cell-derived RelA possess properties similar to the native protein and may be used in physical, biochemical, and pharmacological studies.     

Moose Movement Rates Along Highways and Crossing Probability Models

ABSTRACT We developed and validated a density-adjusted spatial model to predict moose (Alces alces) highway-crossing probability to see if the model could be used as an index of moose-vehicle collision risk. We installed Global Positioning System telemetry collars on 47 moose in the north of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Québec, for 2–36 months. We recorded only 84 highway crossings in spring (0.29% of 28,967 2-hr steps) and 122 crossings in summer (0.18% of 68,337 2-hr steps), despite a high sampling effort and having captured moose close to highways. Moose movement rates during movement steps crossing a highway were on average 3 times higher than during the steps preceding or following highway crossing. Paths used by moose when crossing a highway were characterized by a high proportion of food stands, low proportion of lakes and rivers, and topography typical of a valley. Highway-crossing sites were located in valleys with brackish pools and forest stands providing coniferous cover but a low proportion of lakes and rivers. We adjusted moose crossing probability for local variation in moose density using aerial survey data and assessed crossing probability along the highways in the entire Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. We tested the model using moose-vehicle accident data from 1990 to 2002. The relationship between the density-adjusted crossing probability and number of accidents was relatively loose at the 1-km scale but improved markedly when using longer highway sections (5–15 km; r > 0.80). Our results demonstrate that roads and their surroundings are perceived as low-quality habitat by moose. We also conclude that road segments installed along secondary valleys could be a highly strategic site to deploy mitigation measures such as fences and that it could be desirable to increase the width of road shoulders to reduce forest cover and to eliminate brackish pools to reduce cervid-vehicle collisions. We suggest using empirical data such as location of vehicle-wildlife collisions to plan mitigation measures at a fine scale.