Tooth cusp sharpness as a dietary correlate in great apes

Mammalian molars have undergone heavy scrutiny to determine correlates between morphology and diet. Here, the relationship between one aspect of occlusal morphology, tooth cusp radius of curvature (RoC), and two broad dietary categories, folivory and frugivory, is analyzed in apes. The author hypothesizes that there is a relationship between tooth cusp RoC and diet, and that folivores have sharper teeth than frugivores, and further test the correlation between tooth cusp RoC and tooth cusp size. Eight measures of tooth cusp RoC (two RoCs per cusp) were taken from 53 M²s from four species and subspecies of frugivorous apes (Pongo pygmaeus, Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, and Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and two subspecies of folivorous apes (Gorilla beringei beringei, and Gorilla beringei graueri). Phylogenetically corrected ANOVAs were run on the full dataset and several subsets of the full dataset, revealing that, when buccolingual RoCs are taken into account, tooth cusp RoCs can successfully differentiate folivores and frugivores. PCAs revealed that folivores consistently had duller teeth than frugivores. In addition, a weak, statistically significant positive correlation exists between tooth cusp size and tooth cusp RoC. The author hypothesizes differences in tooth cusp RoC are correlated with wear rates, where, per vertical unit of wear, duller cusps will have a longer length of exposed enamel ridge than sharper cusps. More data need to be gathered to determine if the correlation between tooth cusp RoC and tooth cusp size holds true when small primates are considered. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:226–235, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cover and growth habit of Polylepis woodlands and shrublands in the mountains of central Argentina: human or environmental influence?

Aim To determine whether the cover and growth habit of the main forest forming species (Polylepis australis BITT.) in a mountain range with low human population density is mainly affected by anthropogenic activities or by environmental influences. Location Central Argentina. Methods Using GIS and field surveys we established 146 plots of 30 × 30 m located in five river basins differing in human impact. We measured P. australis cover, growth habit of each individual (number of basal ramifications), index of long term human impact (percentage of rock exposed by soil erosion due to livestock and fires), evidence of logging, fire scars, local relief, percentage of rock outcrops and altitude above sea level. We analysed the influence of independent variables on P. australis cover and growth habit (average number of basal ramifications per plot) using correlations and General Linear Models. Results Polylepis australis cover was greater at intermediate altitudes above sea level and in areas with reduced long term human impact. Contrastingly local relief, percentage of rock outcrops and logging in the recent past did not have a major influence on P. australis abundance. Growth habit varied in complex patterns. Individuals with fewer ramifications were found in valley bottoms and more disturbed basins, while more ramifications were found at mid‐ and upper slopes and well preserved basins. In valley bottoms, ramifications decreased with increasing altitude whereas the opposite trend was observed for mid‐slopes. Ramifications were positively related to fires in two river basins and in mid‐ and upper slopes but not in valley bottoms. Fire impact was always less in valley bottoms than at mid‐ and upper slopes. Main conclusions Human impact had a major role on P. australis cover, while growth habit was determined by complex combinations of potentially cumulative natural and anthropogenic factors. Even in sparsely populated mountains, both human impact and their interaction with natural environmental gradients influence plant communities and need to be understood for effective management.     

Colour vision and visual ecology of the blue-spotted maskray, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dasyatis kuhlii</Emphasis> Müller &; Henle, 1814

Relatively little is known about the physical structure and ecological adaptations of elasmobranch sensory systems. In particular, elasmobranch vision has been poorly studied compared to the other senses. Virtually nothing is known about whether elasmobranchs possess multiple cone types, and therefore the potential for colour vision, or how the spectral tuning of their visual pigments is adapted to their different lifestyles. In this study, we measured the spectral absorption of the rod and cone visual pigments of the blue-spotted maskray, Dasyatis kuhlii, using microspectrophotometry. D. kuhlii possesses a rod visual pigment with a wavelength of maximum absorbance (λ_max) at 497 nm and three spectrally distinct cone types with λ_max values at 476, 498 and 552 nm. Measurements of the spectral transmittance of the ocular media reveal that wavelengths below 380 nm do not reach the retina, indicating that D. kuhlii is relatively insensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Topographic analysis of retinal ganglion cell distribution reveals an area of increased neuronal density in the dorsal retina. Based on peak cell densities and using measurements of lens focal length made using laser ray tracing and sections of frozen eyes, the estimated spatial resolving power of D. kuhlii is 4.10 cycles per degree.     

Are cloud forest tree structure and environment related in the Venezuelan Andes?

Cloud forest vegetation structure and composition were studied in the Venezuelan Andes at three sites in Mérida State. Although the sites are within 10 to 30 km of each other, climatic, geologic and topographic differences are remarkable. The main purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of specific environmental variables to forest vegetation characteristics, including basal area, tree height, density and diversity, and leaf area index (LAI). At 51 plots, all trees' diameter at breast height >10 cm were recorded and identified. Although the environment at the three sites is distinctive, the tree species composition of the most abundant species was very similar. None of the measured environment variables were significantly correlated with the measured vegetation structure variables, except LAI, which was correlated with slope orientation; LAI showed higher values at south‐facing plots. Tree height was relatively uniform, while basal area was highly variable and reached very high values. Stem densities were in the range reported elsewhere in cloud forests. Multivariate analysis using structure or composition data shows segregation of the plots by site. Principal component analyses by site indicate a minor impact of environmental factors on forest variables. At each site, a particular group of species are correlated with the ordination axes. We conclude that species pools and forest dynamics add to the complexity of the structure of the studied cloud forests.     

The translation initiation functions of IF2: targets for thiostrepton inhibition

Bacterial translation initiation factor IF2 was localized on the ribosome by rRNA cleavage using free Cu(II):1,10-orthophenanthroline. The results indicated proximity of IF2 to helix 89, to the sarcin-ricin loop and to helices 43 and 44, which constitute the "L11/thiostrepton" stem-loops of 23S rRNA. These findings prompted an investigation of the L11 contribution to IF2 activity and a re-examination of the controversial issue of the effect on IF2 functions of thiostrepton, a peptide antibiotic known primarily as a powerful inhibitor of translocation. Ribosomes lacking L11 were found to have wild-type capacity to bind IF2 but a strongly reduced ability to elicit its GTPase activity. We found that thiostrepton caused a faster recycling of this factor on and off the 70S ribosomes and 50S subunits, which in turn resulted in an increased rate of the multiple turnover IF2-dependent GTPase. Although thiostrepton did not inhibit the P-site binding of fMet-tRNA, the A-site binding of the EF-Tu-GTP-Phe-tRNA or the activity of the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (as measured by the formation of fMet-puromycin), it severely inhibited IF2-dependent initiation dipeptide formation. This inhibition can probably be traced back to a thiostrepton-induced distortion of the ribosomal-binding site of IF2, which leads to a non-productive interaction between the ribosome and the aminoacyl-tRNA substrates of the peptidyl transferase reaction. Overall, our data indicate that the translation initiation function of IF2 is as sensitive as the translocation function of EF-G to thiostrepton inhibition.     

Fern endemism and its correlates: contribution from an elevational transect in Costa Rica

We studied the distribution patterns of endemic ferns along an elevational gradient of 3400 m in Costa Rica, Central America. We related the endemism patterns of the whole species set and separated for life forms and microhabitats according to topography and environmental factors. Fern species were surveyed in 156 plots each with an area of 400 m², with up to five plots at every elevational step of 100 m. Global range size for every species was compiled from literature data, and species restricted to the mountain range from Costa Rica and adjacent western Panama were defined as endemic (24.5% of all species recorded). We found patterns of endemism rates mostly peaking at mid-elevation, but when separated for different life forms and microhabitats, some deviations from the overall pattern emerged. High constant humidity and reduced surface area were closely related to high levels of endemism. High humidity is discussed as a general predictor for high endemism rates in concert with highest overall richness. Restricted area of elevational belts, indicating a fragmented habitat, leads to a higher degree of population isolation and thus species differentiation. However, both interpretations were not fully supported by our data. Most importantly, endemism rates were fairly low on mountain tops that have the smallest available area in a topographically highly fragmented setting. In contrast, endemic species were more common than widespread species at the highest elevations. History and climatic shifts are assumed to play a role in this respect.     

Determinants of Leaf Litter Nutrient Cycling in a Tropical Rain Forest: Soil Fertility Versus Topography

We investigated the influence of landscape-level variation in soil fertility and topographic position on leaf litter nutrient dynamics in a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica. We sampled across the three main edaphic conditions (ultisol slope, ultisol plateau, and inceptisol) to determine the effect of soil nutrients on leaf litter nutrient concentrations while controlling for topography, and to examine topographic effects while controlling for soil nutrients. Both leaf litter macronutrient [phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg)] and micronutrient concentrations were quantified throughout a 4-year period. Leaf litter [P], [N] and [K] varied significantly among soil types. The variation in [P], [N], and [K] was explained by soil fertility alone. Leaf litter [S], [Ca], and [Mg] did not vary among the three soil types. Macronutrient (P, K, Mg, S, Ca) concentrations in the leaf litter were much less variable than those of Fe and Al. Lower variability in essential plant nutrients suggests a great deal of plant control over the amount of nutrients resorbed before senescense. Leaf litter macronutrient concentrations varied significantly over the 4-year period, but the temporal variation did not differ among the three edaphic types as anticipated. Hence, although the magnitude of nutrient fluxes may be controlled by local factors such as soil fertility, temporal patterns are likely regulated by a common environmental variable such as precipitation or temperature.     

冰雪灾害对森林的影响

冰雪灾害是一种常见的自然灾害,往往对森林造成很大破坏。随着冰在树冠上不断积累,产生的压力逐渐增大,最后超过该部位最大弯曲力矩时林木会受到伤害。受害程度与林分的多种特征,如树种组成和林分密度及林木的多种特征,如胸径、树高、树干尖削度、叶片表面积、树冠对称性、根系、林龄等有密切关系。影响冰雪灾害的外部因素有地形因子和土壤因子,包括海拔、坡度、坡向、坡位和土壤类型、土壤厚度、土壤水分含量。冰雪灾害对林下光照、土壤、凋落物、真菌和森林动物产生影响。冰雪灾害后的林下光照对树种更新、森林动态和恢复具有重要意义。研究冰雪灾害对天然林的影响,长期监测冰雪灾害后的森林动态、林下植物的光环境、森林的养分循环、土壤以及森林动物,特别是土壤微生物的变化,加强森林的防灾管理是今后该领域的研究方向。     

Pituitary Secretory Granule Topography: Influence of Different Electron Microscopic Preparation Procedures on the Surface of Epon Sections

Human, rat and mouse pituitary tissues have been examined electron microscopically in transmission (TEM), scanning-transmission (STEM) and scanning (SEM) modes for the surface appearance of the secretory granules in tissue sections. Cryofixed and cryosectioned tissue showed only slightly protruding granule profiles which had a smooth surface. Cryofixed, freeze-dried and Epon embedded pituitaries, on the other hand, demonstrated swollen and furrowed surfaces over the granules after contact with water. This topography could also be seen after glutaraldehyde fixation but less after post-fixation in OsO₄. The surface alterations in the sections of pituitary secretory granules are thought to be due to differences in the homogeneity of the resin infiltration, leaving resin-free openings where water can enter. It also seems probable that the Epon resin is more influenced by water than has been previously assumed, based on the findings of efficient elimination of osmium from the granules after incubation of tissue sections in water for only 10 min.