The advantage of using a starch based non-Newtonian fluid to prepare micro sections

The breakage or distortion of cellular structures is one of the biggest problems in creating micro-sections for wood anatomical analyses in tree-ring as well as other branches of anatomical research. These broken or distorted structures cause artifacts in photomicrographs that require time consuming image manipulation or corrections prior to further analyses. The simple application of a cornstarch, water, and glycerol (CWG) solution (10:8:7 ratio), a so called non-Newtonian fluid to the surface of wooden specimen before sectioning improves the overall quality of the resulting micro-sections. In particular the problem of secondary cell walls splitting off the primary wall while sectioning is drastically reduced. The quality of the sections using this solution is comparable to that obtained from the more laborious and expensive paraffin embedding.     

A new species of Gyraulus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) from Ancient Lake Lugu,Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau,Southwest China

A new aberrant species of the planorbid genus Gyraulus, Gyraulus luguhuensis n. sp., is described from Lake Lugu (Lugu-hu, in Chinese), Southwest China. The generic assignment with Gyraulus is based on features of the genital anatomy that are characteristic for members of that genus, in particular the presence of a chitinized penial stylet. Gyraulus luguhuensis n. sp. differs from most other congeners by its large, thick shell with an elevated spire. Similarly, aberrant shells are known from congeners in other Ancient Lakes worldwide indicating a potentially convergent evolution of shell characteristics in exclusively lacustrine species. Gyraulus luguhuensis differs from other lacustrine Gyraulus species with similarly large shells in having a sub-terminal penis pore and an unkeeled shell.     

Morphological and morphometrical description of the glochidia of Westralunio carteri Iredale, 1934 (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Hyriidae)

Most freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionoida) larvae (glochidia in Margaritiferidae, Hyriidae and Unionidae) are fish parasites. Knowledge of the larval morphology and the mechanism of release in freshwater mussels is useful in species systematics and ecology. Westralunio carteri is the only unionoid from south-western Australia. Little information is available on its biology and its glochidia have never been described. The aim of this study was to describe the glochidia of W. carteri and method of their release. Glochidia within vitelline membranes were embedded in mucus which extruded from exhalent siphons of females during spring/summer; they then hatched from vitelline membranes but remained tethered by a larval thread and began characteristically “winking”. Shells (n=120) were subtriangular, 308 μm long (±0.83 SE), 251 μm high (±0.73 SE) and had a hinge length of 212 μm (±0.78 SE). Larval teeth were singular with interlocking cusps and convex or concave basal protuberances on opposing valves.     

The osteology of the golden grey mullet Liza aurata (Teleostei: Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) including interactive three-dimensional reconstructions

Grey mullets are remarkably characterized by their overall uniform external morphology. Identifying species as well as positioning the Mugiliformes in a phylogenetic context is rather difficult. Most recently they were placed in the newly erected Ovalentaria, but more detailed relationships to potential sister taxa were not resolved. Studying the internal morphology, especially the osteology, might provide new insights into the evolution of the Mugiliformes as well as help clarify their phylogenetic position within the Ovalentaria. A detailed osteology of the golden grey mullet Liza aurata is presented. The use of cleared and stained specimens allowed for a complete examination of bony and cartilaginous structures, and a 3D reconstruction from a μCT data set provided additional information on the positional relationships of the bones. Following this, the data obtained were compared with different mugilid species, particularly with the flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus. Several differences between these species could be identified, such as the position of the basisphenoid, the shape of the hyomandibular and the composition of the branchial arches. These characters might help in understanding the evolutionary changes happening within the mugiliforms and will provide the basis to study this taxon in detail, finally allowing the reconstruction of the body plan of grey mullets.     

Characterisation of the effects of leaf galls of Clusiamyia nitida (Cecidomyiidae) on Clusia lanceolata Cambess. (Clusiaceae): Anatomical aspects and chemical analysis of essential oil

Galls develop in different plant organs and are induced by the activity of various organisms. Some studies have investigated the ecological interactions between species of Clusia and gall-inducing insects. The goal of our study is to characterise changes in leaf anatomy caused by the activity of gall insects in Clusia lanceolata. Additionally, we also investigated the chemical composition of volatile compounds of normal leaves and those with galls to detect possible effects on the host plants. For anatomical studies, we used botanical material fixed in FAA₅₀. Transversal sections of the leaf blade were obtained from samples of leaves located on the third and fourth nodes from both male and female individuals. Material was studied from both sexes both with unaffected leaves and leaves containing galls. Fresh leaves of C. lanceolata were used for the extraction of volatile compounds, which were submitted to stem distillation using a modified Clevenger apparatus determining the oil yields subsequently (w/w). The unaffected leaves of female and male individuals of C. lanceolata exhibit similar anatomical structures. However, galls on leaves of both sexes show anatomical differences. The activity of the gall insect Clusiamyia nitida induces several changes in the foliar anatomy and the distribution of metabolic compounds in new tissues during gall development. However, the larvae are not able to induce significant changes in the volatile compounds of inflected leaves from male and female individuals.     

Pallial systems in the Athoracophoridae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)

Abstract

Pallial systems are described for 10 athoracophorid species: Athoracophorus bitentaculatus, Pseudaneitea dendyi, P. gigantea, P. papillata, P. pallida, P. aspera, P. schauinslandi, P. multistriata, and Palliopodex verrucosus from the New Zealand and sub antarctic area; and Triboniophorus graeffei from Australia. In the New Zealand and subantarctic species the kidney is invariably bilobed, the ureter is extensively folded and connected to the intestine by an elongate tubule running initially through the lung, and the pneumostome, anus, and excretory pores are widely sepamted. Triboniophorus graeffei has the pneumostome, anus, and excretory pore closely associated, a compact kidney, and a more simply folded ureter. The New Zealand and subantarctic representatives are considered to be more advanced. Reasons for the development of the features they display are discussed, as is the function and evolution of the entire pallial system. An account of the variation in the pallial complex of Athoracophorus bitentaculatus is included.     

Foramen magnum position in bipedal mammals

The anterior position of the human foramen magnum is often explained as an adaptation for maintaining balance of the head atop the cervical vertebral column during bipedalism and the assumption of orthograde trunk postures. Accordingly, the relative placement of the foramen magnum on the basicranium has been used to infer bipedal locomotion and hominin status for a number of Mio-Pliocene fossil taxa. Nonetheless, previous studies have struggled to validate the functional link between foramen magnum position and bipedal locomotion. Here, we test the hypothesis that an anteriorly positioned foramen magnum is related to bipedalism through a comparison of basicranial anatomy between bipeds and quadrupeds from three mammalian clades: marsupials, rodents and primates. Additionally, we examine whether strepsirrhine primates that habitually assume orthograde trunk postures exhibit more anteriorly positioned foramina magna compared with non-orthograde strepsirrhines. Our comparative data reveal that bipedal marsupials and rodents have foramina magna that are more anteriorly located than those of quadrupedal close relatives. The foramen magnum is also situated more anteriorly in orthograde strepsirrhines than in pronograde or antipronograde strepsirrhines. Among the primates sampled, humans exhibit the most anteriorly positioned foramina magna. The results of this analysis support the utility of foramen magnum position as an indicator of bipedal locomotion in fossil hominins.     

兴安落叶松针叶解剖结构变化及其光合能力对气候变化的适应性

叶片易受环境因子影响,其形态解剖结构特征不但与叶片的生理功能密切相关,而且反映树木对环境变化的响应和适应。叶片结构的改变势必会改变树木的生理功能。同一树种长期生长在异质环境条件下,经过自然选择和适应,会在形态和生理特性等方面产生变异,形成特定的地理种群。另外,母体所经受的环境胁迫也会影响到其子代的生长、发育和生理等特征。因此,了解植物叶片形态结构对环境变化的响应与适应是探索植物对环境变化的响应适应机制的基础。兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii Rupr.)是我国北方森林的优势树种,主要分布在我国东北地区,但日益加剧的气候变化可能会改变其现有的分布区。为了区分叶片对气候变化的可塑性和适应性,本研究采用同质园法比较测定了6个不同气候条件下的兴安落叶松种源的32年生树木的针叶解剖结构和光合生理相关因子,利用石蜡切片方法分析了针叶的解剖结构特征、光合能力（Pmax-a）、水分利用效率（WUE）之间的关系及其对气候变化的适应性。结果表明：表皮细胞厚度、叶肉细胞厚度、传输组织厚度、维管束厚度、内皮层厚度以及叶片总厚度均存在显著的种源间差异（P < 0.05）。叶肉细胞厚度与Pmax-a、气孔导度和WUE之间均存在显著的正相关关系（P < 0.05）。叶肉细胞厚度、表皮细胞厚度、叶片总厚度以及叶肉细胞厚度和表皮细胞厚度在叶片总厚度中所占比例均与种源地的干燥度指数（即年蒸发量与年降水量之比）呈正线性关系。这些结果说明：不同种源兴安落叶松针叶解剖结构因对种源原地气候条件的长期适应而产生显著的差异,从而引起其针叶光合作用、水分利用等生理功能发生相应的变化,从而有利于该树种在气候变化的情景下得以生存和繁衍。     

Nasal and oral calls in mother and young trunk-nosed saiga antelopes,Saiga tatarica

The trunk-like nose of the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica is a striking example of an exaggerated trait, assumed to having evolved as a dust filter for inhaled air. In addition, it functions to elongate the vocal tract in harem saiga males for producing low-formant calls that serve as a cue to body size for conspecifics. This study applies the source–filter theory to the acoustics of nasal, oral and nasal-and-oral calls that were recorded from a captive herd of 24 mother and 32 neonate saigas within the first 10 days postpartum. Anatomical measurements of the nasal and oral vocal tracts of two specimens (one per age class) helped to establish the settings for the analysis of formants. In both mother and young, the lower formants of nasal calls/call parts were in agreement with the source–filter theory, which suggests lower formants for the longer nasal vocal tract than for the shorter oral vocal tract. Similar fundamental frequencies of the nasal and oral parts of nasal-and-oral calls were also in agreement with the source–filter theory, which postulates the independence of source and filter. However, the fundamental frequency was higher in oral than in nasal calls, probably due to the higher emotional arousal during the production of oral calls. We discuss production mechanisms and the ontogeny of formant patterns of oral and nasal calls among bovid and cervid species with and without a trunk-like nose.     

上颌第一前磨牙三维模型的建立与研究

目的：建立上颌第一前磨牙三维模型,以辅助牙体解剖学数字化教学和指导临床根管治疗术。方法：对人离体上颌第一前磨牙通过ConebeamCT扫描,获得DICOM格式影像,将获得的影像定位后利用Mimicsl0．0三维重建软件采集牙釉质、牙本质及髓腔的点数据,然后将采集到的点数据导入到MagicslO．0软件进行面网格化,将网格化后的图像标本进行光滑处理后保存,再次利用MimicslO．0三维重建软件进行数据处理,最终获得清晰的牙体及根管系统三维立体图像。结果：准确的建立了包含牙釉质、牙本质、牙髓腔的三维立体模型。结论：本实验方法建立的上颌第一前磨牙的三维模型,具有极高的真实性和精确性,对辅助教学、指导临床根管治疗都具有重要意义。为牙体解剖教学和口腔临床应用提供了一种简捷而精确的建模方法。