Cladistics and Biogeography of Artemisia sect. Viscidipubes and sect. Albiraotea (Compositae)

Twenty-six species and eight varieties of Sect．Viscidipubes & Sect．Albibractea are endemic to Asia．Most species of Sect．Viscidipubes are distributed from low to high altitudes and cold areas in the Hengduan-Himalayan Mountains,with only a few species extending to E or S Asia．Sect．Albibractea is distributed mainly in the subtropics and tropics,lower altitudes and moist areas in S & SE Asia,with a few species extending to the Qinling range of China．Both sections are more advanced than the other sections．They were studied by cladistic analysis and outgroup comparison．Data matrix of 55 characters from stems,leaves,inflorescences,female flowers,bisexual flowers,achenes,pollen grains and chemical constitution was employed in separate and combined studies．Eighteen most parsimonious cladograms were generated with 358 steps,consistency index of 0．72 and retention index of 0．87． 1．Within Artemisia,Sect．Viscidipubes and Sect．Albibractea are sister groups to all the other groups． 2．We support the idea to separate Sect．Viscidipubes (incl．Ser．Viscidipubes,Ser．Erlangshanenses and Ser. Pleiocephalea) and Sect．Albibractea (incl．Ser．Albibractea,Ser．Flaccidae and Ser. Anomalae)．The authors suggest that Ser．Anomalae include A．deversa and Ser．Erlangshanenses include A．zayuensis and A．yadongensis as well as Ser．Viscidipubes include A．gyitangensis and A．boreali-siamensis．As the result of the cladistic analysis,the authors tend to propose a new series, Ser．Tanguticae,incl．A．tangutica in the section． 3．We consider that SW China,especially W Sichuan,is the speciation center and the tration of the present distribution center．4．A．boreali-siamensis,only in N Thailand,is not related to the widely distributed species in Ser．Pleiocephalae,such as A．atrovirens,A．chingii and A．myriantha,but rather closely related to species,such as A．vexans,A．occidentali-sichuanensis,which are endemic to W.Sichuan and E．Xizang．     

演化极端结合分支分类方法

从生物演化的逆方向考虑,提出一种聚合的分支分类运算方法,称为演化极端结合分支分类法。文章阐明其设计思路、演算步骤,并以实例具体说明其演算过程。最后以演化长度系数、合理解与合理方法等概念,对演化极端结合法进行评价。     

Latimeria chalumnae and its pedigree

Synopsis Latimeria is the product of a long coelacanth lineage, usually viewed as having changed very little. In this paper a classification of better known coelacanth genera is proposed based on a cladistic computer analysis of 56 morphological characters. Biometrical data are then matched with the classification to explore the possibility of identifying subtle change. It is concluded that throughout coelacanth history there have been changes in the structure of the vertebral column involving an overall increase in the number of vertebral elements, and a consequent crowding of these elements within the abdominal region. These changes may be associated with increasing lobation of the second dorsal and anal fins. In the skull, parameters involving the intracranial joint have also changed in such a way that the anterior part of the skull has lengthened in relation to the posterior part and this may be associated with an increase in length of the basicranial muscle.Abbreviations in text figures Ang angular - a.o.r anterior opening of th rostral organ - Art articular - ba.cr.m basicranial muscle - Basi basisphenoid - Boc basioccipital - bpt.pr basipterygoid process - c.p.l cheek pit line - De dentary - Esc extrascapular - eth.sp etmosphenoid - f.e frontoethmoid - Fr frontal - Fr.d descending process of frontal - intr. j intracranial joint - io.s interorbital septum - sc jugal sensory canal - L.e lateral ethmoid - m.Cor modified coronoid - Mm memtomeckelian - m.ot.sc medial branch of otic canal - Op operculum - o.p.l oral pit line - ot,occ otico-occipital - Pa parietal - Pa.d descending process of parietal - Par parasphenoid - pa.s parietal shield - p.Cor principal coronoid - Po postorbital - Pop preoperculum - p.o.r posterior openings of the rostral organ - Pmx premaxilla, Pre-preorbital - Pro prootic - Pro.p posterior process of prootic - Rart retroarticular - Sc.o sclerotic ossicle - So supraorbital - Soc supraoccipital - Sop suboperculum - Sp spiracular - spl splenial - Sq squamosal - Stt supratemporal - Stt.com supratemporal commissure - Stt.d descending process of supratemporal - Par.a.w ascending wing of parasphenoid - Te tectal - X level of vagus exit     

Systematics of tarsiers and lorises

It seems probable that there are more species (in the sense of sharply diagnosable entities) than hitherto recognized among small Asian primates, and contrasting to some degree with larger-sized taxa. This presumably relates to their lesser vagility and consequent reduced potential for gene-flow. Even where some gene-flow can be demonstrated, as betweenNycticebus coucang andN. bengalensis, this appears to be very limited and does not affect the essential homogeneity and diagnosability of the two taxa. The biogeographic implications of the taxonomic findings of this study are noteworthy. They confirm the distinctness of Sulawesi in contrast to a Sundaland/southern Philippines link (Tarsius); the separation of the Indochinese and Sundaic faunal subregions (Nycticebus); and the uniqueness of the Sri Lankan “wet zone” (Loris). Much more work needs to be done on all three genera, but their great taxonomic interest, indicating much greater complexity than previously assumed, is apparent.     

Cladistic analyses of behavioural variation in wild Pan troglodytes: exploring the chimpanzee culture hypothesis

Long-term field studies have revealed considerable behavioural differences among groups of wild Pan troglodytes. Here, we report three sets of cladistic analyses that were designed to shed light on issues relating to this interpopulation variation that are of particular relevance to palaeoanthropology.In the first set of analyses, we focused on the proximate cause of the variation. Some researchers have argued that it is cultural, while others have suggested that it is the result of genetic differences. Because the eastern and western subspecies of P. troglodytes are well differentiated genetically while groups within the subspecies are not, we reasoned that if the genetic hypothesis is correct, the phylogenetic signal should be stronger when data from the eastern and western subspecies are analysed together compared to when data from only the eastern subspecies are analysed. Using randomisation procedures, we found that the phylogenetic signal was substantially stronger with in a single subspecies rather than with two. The results of the first sets of analyses, therefore, were inconsistent with the predictions of the genetic hypothesis.The other two sets of analyses built on the results of the first and assumed that the intergroup behavioural variation is cultural in nature. Recent work has shown that, contrary to what anthropologists and archaeologists have long believed, vertical intergroup transmission is often more important than horizontal intergroup transmission in human cultural evolution. In the second set of analyses, we sought to determine how important vertical transmission has been in the evolution of chimpanzee cultural diversity. The first analysis we carried out indicated that the intergroup similarities and differences in behaviour are consistent with the divergence of the western and eastern subspecies, which is what would be expected if vertical intergroup transmission has been the dominant process. In the second analysis, we found that the chimpanzee cultural data are not only comparable to a series of modern human cultural data sets in terms of how tree-like they are, but are also comparable to a series of genetic, anatomical, and behavioural data sets that can be assumed to have been produced by a branching process. Again, this is what would be expected if vertical inter-group transmission has been the dominant process in chimpanzee cultural evolution.Human culture has long been considered to be adaptive, but recent studies have suggested that this needs to be demonstrated rather than assumed. With this in mind, in the third set of analyses we investigated whether chimpanzee culture is adaptive. We found the hypothesis that chimpanzee culture is adaptive was supported by an analysis of data from the Eastern African subspecies, but not by an analysis of data from the eastern and western subspecies.The results of our analyses have implications for the number of subspecies in Pan troglodytes, the relationship between hominin taxa and Palaeolithic industries, and the evolution of hominin cognition and behaviour.     

Making Tracks

The science of ichnology has grown out of its early phase of infancy, but has not yet entered into the stage of senility. As long as we ichnologists continue playing around with trace fossils just for the fun of it while at the same time employing trace fossils as serious tools in solving geologic problems, our science will continue to be a dynamic and exciting pursuit for many years to come.     

基于广义形态学性状对木通科的分支系统学分析

基于43个广义的形态学性状,对木通科进行了分支系统学分析。经过简约性分析,得到了68个同等简约的分支树。50％多数规则一致树的分支结构与以前建立的族划分系统基本一致。外类群大血藤属与木通科的勃奎拉藤属形成姐妹群,与以前的分支分析结果一致,但在分子系统发育树中,大血藤属却是整个木通科的姐妹群;除此之外,形态分支树的结构与分子树的结构差别不大,但一致性指数、保持性指数和各分支内部支持率均较低。单型的猫儿屎族和串果藤族位于分支树的基部,拉氏藤族与木通族是姐妹群,在木通族内,长萼木通属和木通属是姐妹群,作为一个分支;另一分支是PHS（牛藤果属、八月瓜属和野木瓜属）复合群,牛藤果属位于八月瓜属和野木瓜属各类群的基部。但八月瓜属和野木瓜属的属内系统发育关系仍有待进一步研究。     

黄耆属簇毛黄耆亚属系统学研究

簇毛黄耆亚属以其柱头上具簇毛等形态特征与黄耆属其它类群相区别,约含49种（变种）。主要分布在青藏高原及其邻近地区,绝大多数种类分布于横断山区。本文基于形态特征和分支系统学方法分析亚属内种系发生关系。结果表明,49种（变种）可分为9组。其中双小苞组Sect.Bibracteolati含种类最多,是一个并系类群。借助于分支图,分析了6个较重要的鉴定特征的演化,习性,茎的着生方式,小苞片,果实形态,柱头具簇毛,果实膨胀状况等。最后作出了这个亚属的一个分类纲要。     

槭树科植物广义形态学性状分支分析

通过45个广义的形态学性状对槭树科(Aceraceae)尤其是槭属(Acer L.)的主要类群做了分支分析,结果显示：1)槭属内由于各类群分布着较多的同塑性状状态,而难以为属下组间关系的解决提供更多有价值的信息;通过对具体的性状状态分布分析显示,对于象槭属这样在形态上分化较大的类群,由于多数分类性状在不同类群间经历了平行和逆转演化,因而在较低分类阶元水平很难选择合适的性状来通过分支分析构建其系统发育;2)鸡爪槭组(section Palmata)作为整个槭属的基部类群,虽然支持率较低,但与其它类群相比在槭属内维持了较多的原始性状;3)金钱槭属(Dipteronia Oliv.)的两个种作为单系得到了100％的靴带支持,且和槭属作为姐妹群也得到了较好的支持。