冲绳海槽海底黑烟囱中微生物化石的发现及其意义

采用光学显微镜以及扫描电镜对冲绳海槽海底黑烟囱样品进行研究,发现了大量的微生物化石,它们保留了完好的形态,主要有四种不同类型的丝状体,可能是硫或者铁氧化化能自养细菌和真菌。这些化石微生物的鉴别基于大小、形状、细胞分裂、群落聚集等物理标志。初步研究表明这些微生物不仅依存于海底热液活动,同时在热液成矿过程中起着重要的作用。     

东北黑土区坡耕地表层土壤颗粒有机碳和团聚体结合碳的空间分布

北黑土区典型漫岗坡耕地为研究对象,测定不同侵蚀程度地形部位表层土壤不同粒级有机碳、水稳性团聚体及其结合碳含量,探讨土壤侵蚀和沉积作用对表层土壤有机碳（SOC）损失、迁移和累积的影响.研究结果表明：与侵蚀微弱的坡顶相比,严重侵蚀的坡肩部位表层土壤水稳性大团聚体、矿质结合碳（IOC）和团聚体结合碳含量分别减少23﹪、17.5﹪和8.7﹪,而土壤颗粒有机碳（POC）含量无明显差异.长期处于沉积状态的坡脚部位,表层土壤大团聚体、POC和大团聚体结合碳含量分别较坡顶低56.1﹪、47.9﹪和67﹪;而IOC和微团聚体结合碳分别较坡顶高10﹪和18.7﹪.研究结果反映了土壤侵蚀以及耕作倾向于破坏水稳性大团聚体,其内部包裹的轻质、细颗粒物质易被地表水流迁移流失,加上下层土壤的稀释作用,导致侵蚀部位SOC减少.轻质活性碳组分在迁移和累积过程中易被微生物利用分解,沉积区土壤以IOC和微团聚体碳为主,形成一个惰性碳汇.     

茂名油页岩废渣场土壤动物的种类组成及其多样性

研究不同生态改造状况下,茂名市油页岩废渣场的土壤动物种类组成及其多样性.研究样地分别设在1985年形成并同时植树造林和1992年形成后刚开始种树的两个废渣场（南排和北排）上.研究的土壤动物包括手拣法和干漏斗法收集的以大、中型为主的类群.动物分类至科或属,只有很小的部分分类至目（如唇足纲）或分类至种（如等足目等）.本研究共获得11164号标本（分属27目,110科-属）,并根据此样本进行分析：在土壤动物种类组成方面,分别在群落和类群两个层面上,分析样地间的差异;在土壤动物的多样性方面,除用Shannon指数（H′）进行样地间种类多样性比较外,还用以类群为基础的DGg指数,及以种类为基础的DGs指数,分别进行样地间的比较.主要结果：（1）在只有幼树的北排废渣场,获得土壤动物9目33科属;在南排废渣场中,经过约20a自然恢复的草地及种植约20a的大叶相思林地,分别获得23目67科属和23目61科属.（2）以种类为基础的DGs指数,3个样地分别为4.0、17.7和16.7.显示出北排的土壤动物种类组成简单,多样性很低;南排的两个样地,土壤动物的种类组成都较复杂,多样性较高而且很相近.但是,（3）以类群为基础的DGg指数,则南排的两个样地可分高低：大叶相思林为7.75,稍高于草地的7.20;此外,作为环境质量的甲螨指数（甲螨个体数/蜱螨类总个体数）,也是前者（0.93）高于后者（0.73）.因此,从实际上看,人工纯林对土壤改造效果应比草地要好一些,但还不是最理想的.     

湖北省野生药用植物资源现状

对湖北省野生药用植物资源种类、地道植物药材种类、中国特有科、属、种和珍稀、濒危物种等在湖北省的分布情况进行了分析,为政府制定有力的资源保护政策以及湖北省和全国的生物物种(含野生物种,药用动、植物物种)保护执法评估标准的制定提供了科学依据。     

Isolation, characterization and chromosome locations of polymorphic black-billed magpie Pica pica (Corvidae, AVES) microsatellite loci

One-hundred and two unique loci were isolated from a microsatellite-enriched black-billed magpie Pica pica genomic library. Sixteen of these new loci, along with 148 existing microsatellite passerine loci, were tested for polymorphism in four unrelated black-billed magpies. We identified a total of 43 unique polymorphic loci (10 and 33 respectively) that we characterized in 24 unrelated individuals from a population in Guadix, Spain. The putative chromosomal locations of loci polymorphic in black-billed magpie were assigned based on the location of their orthologues in the assembled zebra finch and chicken genomes.     

Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the dung fly (Sepsis cynipsea)

The polyandrous fly Sepsis cynipsea has been used extensively in studies of sexual selection and local adaptation. We isolated and characterized 11 novel microsatellite markers for S. cynipsea from a genomic library and screened 32 flies for polymorphism. All microsatellite markers show high allelic diversity with an average of 9.64 alleles per locus. Two microsatellites were found likely to be X-linked. These novel markers will significantly advance studies of sexual selection and evolutionary genetics of S. cynipsea and related species, especially given the low numbers of markers currently available in this family.     

Contrasting coloration in terrestrial mammals

Here I survey, collate and synthesize contrasting coloration in 5000 species of terrestrial mammals focusing on black and white pelage. After briefly reviewing alternative functional hypotheses for coloration in mammals, I examine nine colour patterns and combinations on different areas of the body and for each mammalian taxon to try to identify the most likely evolutionary drivers of contrasting coloration. Aposematism and perhaps conspecific signalling are the most consistent explanations for black and white pelage in mammals; background matching may explain white pelage. Evidence for contrasting coloration is being involved in crypsis through pattern blending, disruptive coloration or serving other functions, such as signalling dominance, lures, reducing eye glare or in temperature regulation has barely moved beyond anecdotal stages of investigation. Sexual dichromatism is limited in this taxon and its basis is unclear. Astonishingly, the functional significance of pelage coloration in most large charismatic black and white mammals that were new to science 150 years ago still remains a mystery.     

Dynamics of seasonal outbreaks of black band disease in an assemblage of Montipora species at Pelorus Island (Great Barrier Reef,Australia)

Recurring summer outbreaks of black band disease (BBD) on an inshore reef in the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) constitute the first recorded BBD epizootic in the region. In a 2.7 year study of 485 colonies of Montipora species, BBD affected up to 10 per cent of colonies in the assemblage. Mean maximum abundance of BBD reached 16±6 colonies per 100 m² (n=3 quadrats, each 100 m²) in summer, and decreased to 0–1 colony per 100 m² in winter. On average, BBD lesions caused 40 per cent tissue loss and 5 per cent of infections led to whole colony mortality. BBD reappearance on previously infected colonies and continuous tissue loss after the BBD signs had disappeared suggest that the disease impacts are of longer duration than indicated by the presence of characteristic signs. Rates of new infections and linear progression of lesions were both positively correlated with seasonal fluctuations in sea water temperatures and light, suggesting that seasonal increases in these environmental parameters promote virulence of the disease. Overall, the impacts of BBD are greater than previously reported on the GBR and likely to escalate with ocean warming.     

Modeling the Geographical Distribution and Fundamental Niches of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cacajao</Emphasis> spp. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chiropotes israelita</Emphasis> in Northwestern Amazonia via a Maximum Entropy Algorithm

We modeled the geographical distribution of 4 pithecine primate species: brown-backed bearded sakis (Chiropotes israelita) and 3 black uakaris (Cacajao melanocephalus, C. hosomi, and C. ayresi) that inhabit remote regions of western Amazonas, Brazil. We applied a maximum entropy algorithm modeling program (MAXENT) to field data Boubli collected from 1991 to 2007. We used 23 environmental coverage variables to model the distribution of the primates. The layers were related to precipitation, temperature, topography, and ecological bioregions or Ecoregions. The predicted distribution for Cacajao hosomi was strongly associated with the Negro-Branco Moist Forest and Guianan Highlands Moist Forests Ecoregions, and the Worldclim variables Bio3 (isothermality), Bio4 (temperature seasonality) and Bio17 (precipitation of the driest quarter). Cacajao melanocephalus was strongly associated with Japurá/ Solimões-Negro Moist Forests, Caquetá Moist Forests, Purús Várzea Flooded Forests, Rio Negro Campinaranas, and Cordillera Oriental Montane Forests, Ecoregions. Cacajao ayresi was strongly associated with Negro-Branco Moist Forest and Rio Negro Campinarana Ecoregions as well as Worldclim Bio3 (isothermality). Chiropotes israelita was also strongly associated with Worldclim Bio3 (isothermality) followed by the Negro Branco Moist Forests and Guianan Piedmont and Lowland Moist Forests Ecoregion, and to the Guianan Highland moist forests. These results show a great overlap between the bearded saki and 2 black uakaris, Cacajao hosomi and C. ayresi. Given that one cannot attribute the separation between the species in the Rio Negro-Rio Branco interfluvium to the existence of geographical barriers such as rivers, we suggest that the present geographical boundaries and thus coexistence of the 3 pithecines north of the Rio Negro is maintained by competitive exclusion or stochastic events. Until more surveys are conducted, the present geographical distributions of the pithecines and the mechanism maintaining their boundaries in the Rio Negro-Rio Branco interfluvium will remain uncertain. One important contribution of our model is to identify areas of higher probability of occurrence that might be helpful in guiding future survey expeditions and choices of areas for future conservation of pithecines.