Evolutionary processes in the genusCapsella (Brassicaceae)

Capsella comprises diploid (C. grandiflora andC. rubella) and tetraploid taxa. It is argued that the tetraploidC. bursa-pastoris is of intraspecific origin despite disomic inheritance and fixed heterozygosity. It is of considerable age as evidenced by the fossil record and molecular data. Gene duplication by polyploidization and a mixed mating system provided the genetic flexibility for greatest colonizing success. Pronounced variation patterns at a micro- and macrogeographic scale are observed inC. bursa-pastoris for many characters including life history traits, leaf morphology and allozymes. This variation pattern can be explained by several components comprising phylogenetic age, random processes, ecotypic variation and colonization history. The adaptive strategy ofC. bursa-pastoris cannot be assigned to either ecotypic differentiation or phenotypic plasticity alone. It depends on the trait under study.Dedicated to emer. Univ.-Prof. DrFriedrich Ehrendorfer on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Late Viséan–Serpukhovian foraminifers in the Montagne Noire (France): Biostratigraphic revision and correlation with the Russian substages

The “calcaires à Productus” of the Montagne Noire (Aude-Hérault, southern France) are carbonate lenses embedded within a thick Carboniferous siliciclastic complex. Foraminiferal assemblages in some of the larger carbonate lenses are typically representative of the late Viséan and Serpukhovian. Eleven new species of foraminifers are described: Hemidiscopsis variabilis, H. pilleae, Planohowchinia rara, P. redondensis, Spireitlina minima, Rectoendothyra japhetensis, Mikhailovella enormis, Cribrospira? perretae, Pojarkovella occidentalis, Parabiseriella vailhanensis, and Biseriella delicata. Eight foraminiferal biozones are defined; they are based on the first occurrence of some taxa, and could be used for other regions of southern France (e.g., Mouthoumet and the Pyrenees). These biozones are informally named as A to H. Due to the problems with classical biozonations and substages in northern England as well as Belgium and northern France, the biozones established herein are mostly compared with the Russian standard substages. Thus, biozones A and B are correlated with the Mikhailovian, corresponding to the latest Asbian and earliest Brigantian in western Europe; biozones C, D and E are correlated with the Venevian, equivalent to the upper part of the early Brigantian in western Europe. Therefore, biozones A–E form part of the late and latest Viséan. The stratigraphically younger biozones F, G and H contain foraminiferal assemblages correlated with the Tarusian, Steshevian and Protvian, respectively.     

根瘤菌系统学研究进展与展望

根瘤菌(Rhizobia)原指能与豆科植物共生固氮的革兰氏阴性细菌,归属于变形杆菌门的α-变形杆菌纲和β-变形杆菌纲。近年来,细菌系统学研究方法的发展及大量新菌株的研究,大大改变了根瘤菌的分类方法和分类系统。最新的分类体系中,对α-纲内的根瘤菌属(Rhizobium)进行了重新划分:一部分种仍保留在根瘤菌属内,新增了副根瘤菌属(Pararhizobium)和新根瘤菌属(Neorhizobium),恢复并修订了土壤杆菌属(Agrobacterium)和其它根瘤菌属(Allorhizobium),且所有属中都包括了共生和非共生的细菌。α-纲内的中华根瘤菌属(Sinorhizobium)学名虽已被剑菌属(Ensifer)取代,但在研究共生的细菌时,前者的名称仍被广泛使用。在分类方法方面,最重要的进展是全基因组序列测定及平均核苷酸一致性(ANI)已取代传统的DNA同源性分析。由于16S rRNA基因序列在根瘤菌系统发育中的保守性,目前它多用于确定系统发育中属的分类地位,而多基因序列分析、全基因组序列比较来确定种的分类地位已成为确定根瘤菌基因种的"黄金标准"。加上生理生化特性、脂肪酸、醌等的快速测定获得表型和化学分类数据,使得近十年来根瘤菌的系统学快速发展。可以期待,未来基于全基因组序列分析的根瘤菌分类系统将更趋稳定,但大量的新种仍有待描述,而这仍会导致建立一些新属,或在原本不包括根瘤菌的细菌属内分离到一些共生固氮的种或菌株。另外,药用豆科植物苦参与含有不同结瘤基因型的多种根瘤菌共生混杂性的发现,突破了原来对共生专一性的认识,为豆科植物与根瘤菌之间共生关系的研究开拓了新思路。     

Genetic variation in the genus Leiopelma and relationships to other primitive frogs

Allozyme variation was studied the three living species of Leiopelma. L. hamiltoni and L. archeyi are shown to be closely related to each other although L. hamiltoni is slightly more divergent relative to L. hochstetteri. This parallels previous cytoenetic data. The rarity and insularity of L. hamiltoni enables the calculation of a mutation rate based on genetic variance and population size. A mutation rate per generation of 2.7times 10^--⁶ is sufficient to account for the observed levels of variation. Six populations of L. hochstetteri show a pattern of genetic divergence that also closely parallels previously detected cytogenetic variation. L. hochstetteri is genetically distant from its congeneric species while all species of Leiopelma are at an extreme genetic distance from Ascaphus truei, the only other living amphicoelous fro At the limits of resolution of the allozme technique, Ascaphus clusters with the more morphologically advanced frogs, Discogiossus and Bombina, rather than with Leiopelma. Taken with other evidence, this supports recognition of two families, Leiopelmatidae anl Ascaphidae, with Leiopelma the probable sister group of all other frogs.     

Cladistic analysis of some freshwater araphid diatoms (Bacillariophyta) with particular reference toDiatoma andMeridion

Interrelationships of the ribbed araphid diatoms have been reinvestigated using a cladistic analysis of a revised morphological dataset. The presence of silicified transapical ribs has previously been used to distinguish between different groups and its ability to serve as a distinguishing feature is reevaluated. The importance of valve symmetry, not fully appreciated in a previous paper, is examined. The evolution of heteropolarity, and its importance in taxonomy appear more complex than is implied by a simple dichotomy dividing groups of species into heteropolar and isopolar forms, involving an inferred evolutionary transformation from one condition to the other. This analysis proposes a close relationship betweenDiatoma, Fragilariforma, Asterionella, Distrionella, Meridion, Tabellaria, andTetracyclus. It also confirms the sub-division ofDiatoma into two closely related taxa. The genusMeridion, however, should not include both heteropolar and isopolar species in a single genus. Although the species are closely related, the isopolar species are more closely related toTabellaria andTetracyclus than they are to the heteropolar species ofMeridion.     

Why copulatory organs provide so many useful taxonomic characters: the origin and maintenance of hemipenial differences in lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae)

The structure of copulatory organs is used very widely in systematics, both for differentiating species and for working out relationships. Differences between taxa may arise from a variety of sources, including non-homology, differences in other parts of the animal, direct selection on copulatory organs, development of physical isolating mechanisms and pleiotropic events. Physical isolating mechanisms seem likely to account for the abrupt differences, involving size, asymmetry and simplifications, that are useful in distinguishing very similar lacertid species. Although these differences usually seem to arise at the end of a speciation event they can simultaneously be the initiating mechanism in a second one. Copulatory organs appear to have high inherent stability, probably resulting from frequent location in strongly homoeostatic environments, single function, insensitivity to niche shift and inertia due to the need to conform to the genitalia of the opposite sex. This stability may be overridden at times by direct selection on the organs themselves or pleiotropic events. Such changes tend to be retained because efficiency in copulation depends not on any absolute genital architecture but on close conformity of the organs. It is the combination of relative stability and tangible input of varied change, which tends to be retained, that so often makes these structures good indicators of relationship.     

Phylogenetic relationships between the families of recent Thysanoptera (Insecta)

One family, the Phlaeothripidae, is recognized in the suborder Tubulifera, whereas extant species of Terebrantia are classified into seven families: Uzelothripidae, Merothripidae, Aeolothripidae, Adiheterothripidae, Fauriellidae (stat. n.), Heterothripidae and Thripidae. A phylogenetic analysis of the relationships between these families is given, based on consideration of 35 imaginal characters; however, the relationships of Uzelothripidae and Phlaeothripidae to the rest of the Thysanoptera remain equivocal. The Phlaeothripidae are either derived independently from Protothysanoptera, or else are the sister-group of the Thripidae, the most specialized family of Terebrantia.
Diagnostic characters, diversity, distribution and relationships of each family are discussed. Keys to family and, in Fauriellidae, to genus are provided. Holarthrothrips Bagnall (= Adiheterothrips Ramakrishna, syn. n.) and Oligothrips Moulton are removed from Heterothripidae to Adiheterothripidae and Fauriella Hood, Opisthothrips Hood and Ropotamothrips Pelikan (= Osmanothrips Priesner, syn. n.) from Heteromripidae to Fauriellidae (stat. n.). These transfers leave Aulacothrips Hood, Heterothrips Hood and Scutothrips Stannard as the only genera in Heterothripidae.     

Biochemical differentiation between some genera of African Cyprinodontidae

The polymorphism of 12 loci encoding enzymes has been investigated in 11 species of tropical freshwater fishes of the family Cyprinodontidae. These species can be divided into six genetic groups (A to F) on the basis of NEI'S genetic distances. The genetic differentiation between these groups is equivalent and very high.     

The emissary foramina: Their value in platyrrhine systematics

A discriminant analysis was performed on 226 ceboid skulls using data on emissary foramina size and shape. The purposes of the study are to 1) measure the success with which these discriminating variables can distinguish among platyrrhine genera and 2) derive a set of classification functions which will permit the classification of new cases with unknown group membership (i.e., fossil skulls). This technique is able to correctly classify 80% of the 226 ceboid skulls. Support is given to the allocation of Chiropotes, Cacajao, and Pithecia into one morphologically unified subfamily, Pitheciinae. Alouatta, Ateles, and Lagothrix also share many similarities in emissary foramina size and shape and their inclusion into one subfamily, Atelinae, is probably warranted. The distinctiveness of Cebus in these same morphological features is apparent. Possibilities for extending this procedure to study fossil lineages in platyrrhines are discussed.     

Index of unidentified ectomycorrhizae IV. Names and identifications published 1993–1994

This latest instalment of the index of unidentified mycorrhizae lists binomials and characterizations of reference specimens of mycorrhizae first described in 1993–1994.