A bibliography and categorization of bony fishes exhibiting parental care

Parental care occurs in a diversity of fishes, but predominantly among freshwater groups. Among the approximately 422 families of bony fishes (Osteichthyes), 89 are presently known to exhibit parental care. Grouping these families into eight categories, based on the sex of the care-giver(s), reveals male parental care is as common or more common than female parental care. Although unusual among vertebrates, parental care by males alone is very common among bony fishes. Lists of families, the forms of parental care exhibited, the modes of fertilization, the environments in which reproduction occurs, and the sources of documentation are presented. An extensive bibliography and index are provided.     

Sexual selection determines parental care patterns in cichlid fishes

Despite a massive research effort, our understanding of why, in most vertebrates, males compete for mates and females care for offspring remains incomplete. Two alternative hypotheses have been proposed to explain the direction of causality between parental care and sexual selection. Traditionally, sexual selection has been explained as a consequence of relative parental investment, where the sex investing less will compete for the sex investing more. However, a more recent model suggests that parental care patterns result from sexual selection acting on one sex favoring mating competition and lower parental investment. Using species-level comparative analyses on Tanganyikan cichlid fishes we tested these alternative hypotheses employing a proxy of sexual selection based on mating system, sexual dichromatism, and dimorphism data. First, while controlling for female reproductive investment, we found that species with intense sexual selection were associated with female-only care whereas species with moderate sexual selection were associated with biparental care. Second, using contingency analyses, we found that, contrary to the traditional view, evolutionary changes in parental care type are dependent on the intensity of sexual selection. Hence, our results support the hypothesis that sexual selection determines parental care patterns in Tanganyikan cichlid fishes.     

植物抗坏血酸的生物合成、转运及其生物学功能

抗坏血酸是高等植物中普遍存在的小分子物质,在植物细胞对氧化胁迫的抵抗、细胞分裂和伸长中发挥着重要作用。它在线粒体中合成,然后被转运到其他细胞区间以发挥生理作用。在不同生物膜上可能存在不同的ASC转运体,这些转运体的存在可使ASC及其不同氧化还原态形式根据细胞生理状况的需要而在不同细胞区间转运。ASC的重要生理功能是与其氧化还原状态以及生物合成、代谢、再生和转运的相关酶类活性的变化密切相关的。本文简要综述了近年来人们在植物抗坏血酸生物合成、代谢、转运、逆境响应与植物生长发育中的研究进展。     

The Neglect of Parasitic Hymenoptera in Insect Conservation Strategies: The British Fauna as a Prime Example

Parasitic Hymenoptera, the major group of insects having the parasitoid life style, are extremely species rich and of wide significance in terrestrial ecosystems. Although the nature of their role with respect to species richness and stability in their host communities is unclear, the evidence that parasitoids can have a profound impact on host populations is incontestable. Because parasitic Hymenoptera are typically very specialised and occupy a high trophic level, species in this group are likely to be particularly vulnerable to local or even global extinction. That their particular conservation needs and extinction risks are rarely considered stems largely from our ignorance of them, both taxonomically and biologically. In Britain, parasitic Hymenoptera comprise about 25% (or perhaps significantly more) of the total insect fauna. The view is advanced that neglect consequent on the continuing poor knowledge of parasitic Hymenoptera in such an otherwise well-studied fauna is a serious conservation problem, undermining the rationality of various current conservation initiatives and analyses. Recommendations to redress this are made.     

Fishes as models in studies of sexual selection and parental care

Fishes are by far the most diverse group of vertebrates. This fact is in no way, however, reflected in their use as model organisms for understanding sexual selection or parental care. Why is this so? Is it because fishes are actually poor models? The usefulness of fishes as models for sexual selection and parental care is discussed by emphasizing some problems inherent in fish studies, along with a number of reasons why fishes are indeed excellently suited. The pros and cons of fishes as models are discussed mainly by comparison with birds, the most popular model organisms in animal behaviour. Difficulties include a lack of background knowledge for many species, and the problems of marking and observing fishes in their natural environment. Positive attributes include the diversity of lifestyles among fishes, and the ease with which they can be studied experimentally in the laboratory. How useful fish models can be is briefly illustrated by the impressive and broadly relevant advances derived from studies of guppies Poecilia reticulata and three‐spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus . A selection of topics is highlighted where fish studies have either advanced or could greatly enhance, the understanding of processes fundamental to animal reproductive dynamics. Such topics include sex role dynamics, the evolution of female ornamentation and mate choice copying. Finally, a number of potential pitfalls in the future use of fish as models for sexual selection and parental care are discussed. Researchers interested in these issues are recommended to make much more extensive use of fish models, but also to adopt a wider range of models among fishes.     

高等植物中的萜类化合物及其在生态系统中的作用

植物通过次级代谢途径产生的物质称为次生代谢产物(ｓｅｃｏｎｄａｒｙｐｒｏｄｕｃｅ)。作为代谢的末端产物 ,它们通过降解或合成产生 ,不再对代谢过程起作用。这些产物是在植物体内合成的 ,但对维持植物的基本生命活动尚无确定作用。既然这些次生代谢物质对植物的基本生命活动没有明显的作用 ,为什么植物要合成它们呢 ?到目前为止 ,已经初步明确植物次生代谢物质的主要功能表现为两个方面。首先 ,它们具有重要的生态学意义自身防御和繁衍后代。为了生存 ,植物合成和利用这些次生代谢物质既可以阻止其它生物的侵害 ,又可以抑制与其竞争生存…     

Nonbreeding season pairing behavior and the annual cycle of testosterone in male and female downy woodpeckers, Picoides pubescens

Studies in birds show that testosterone (T) concentrations vary over the annual cycle depending on mating system and life history traits. Socially monogamous species show pairing behavior throughout the year and low levels of male-male aggression and are underrepresented in these studies, yet the function of testosterone could be particularly important for sexual and social interactions occurring outside the breeding season. We measured fecal T concentrations over the annual cycle and the frequency of interactions between male and female downy woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) from late fall through early spring. We validated the fecal assay by collecting blood in conjunction with a subsample of our fecal samples: fecal T correlated with circulating levels in the blood. The annual peak level of T in males was relatively low and short-lived, similar to that of other bird species with low levels of male-male aggression and high paternal care. The annual cycle of female T resembled the male pattern, and the ratio of male T to female T was close to 1.0. Likewise, the frequency of aggression among females was similar to the frequency among males. Overall, testosterone levels in both sexes were variable, even in winter. In other bird species, sexual behavior during nonbreeding periods correlates with circulating levels of T in males. Based on this observation, we tested the hypothesis that T in winter was positively related to the frequency of interaction between mated downy woodpeckers. The results showed no such relationship. We discuss this finding and further relate the annual cycle of T in both males and females to behaviors that appear to facilitate mate choice and retention of the pair bond during conspecific challenge.     

Sialic acids: fascinating sugars in higher animals and man

Sialic acids are acidic monosaccharides, which are among the most important molecules of higher animals, and occur in some microorganisms. They are bound to complex carbohydrates and occupy prominent positions, especially in cell membranes. Their structural diversity is high and, correspondingly, the mechanisms for their biosynthesis are complex. Sialic acid substituents strongly influence the activity of catabolic enzymes, in particular the sialidases, and thus the turnover rate of glycoconjugates. These sugars are involved in manifold cell functions. Due to the surface location of the acidic molecules they shield macromolecules and cells from enzymatic and immunological attacks. But they also represent recognition sites for various physiological receptors as well as for toxins and microorganisms, and thus allow their colonization. Many viruses use sialic acids for the infection of cells. As sialic acids also play a decisive role in tumor biology they prove to be rather versatile molecules that modulate cell biological events in a sensitive way. It is discussed that their evolvement may have stimulated evolution and rendered organisms less vulnerable to environmental attacks. However, disturbance of their metabolism may cause diseases.     

Unifying cornerstones of sexual selection: operational sex ratio,Bateman gradient and the scope for competitive investment

What explains variation in the strength of sexual selection across species, populations or differences between the sexes? Here, we show that unifying two well‐known lines of thinking provides the necessary conceptual framework to account for variation in sexual selection. The Bateman gradient and the operational sex ratio (OSR) are incomplete in complementary ways: the former describes the fitness gain per mating and the latter the potential difficulty of achieving it. We combine this insight with an analysis of the scope for sexually selected traits to spread despite naturally selected costs. We explain why the OSR sometimes does not affect the strength of sexual selection. An explanation of sexual selection becomes more logical when a long ‘dry time’ (‘time out’, recovery after mating due to e.g. parental care) is understood to reduce the expected time to the next mating when in the mating pool (i.e. available to mate again). This implies weaker selection to shorten the wait. An integrative view of sexual selection combines an understanding of the origin of OSR biases with how they are reflected in the Bateman gradient, and how this can produce selection for mate acquisition traits despite naturally selected costs.     

Glycan Markers of Human Stem Cells Assigned with Beam Search Arrays,

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Highlights

• •R-10G is a mono-sulfated glycan antigen of human iPS and ES cells on podocalyxin.
• •R-10G and nonsulfated i are reciprocal antigens on type 2 glycan backbones.
• •TRA-1–60 and -81 and FC10.2 are antigens expressed on unsulfated type 1 backbones.
• •These assignments open the way to probing their roles in podocalyxin-signaling.