THE SERIES OF THE REDEFINED SILURIAN SYSTEM

The procedure of first defining a time boundary between the Silurian and Devonian Systems and postponing the designation of a stratotype leaves stratigraphers without guidance as to which series the Silurian should be divided into and which corresponding epochs would be practicable for reference in international work. The situation in Europe is reviewed with respect to established usage, and it is found that with present concepts Silurian series based on the succession in the Welsh Borderland and in the Barrandian can be made compatible in the critical part of the succession. A natural consequence of the establishment of a system boundary at the base of the zone with Monograptus uniformis would be the redefinition of the Downtonian as proposed by Allen & Tarlo 1963, to be used subsynonymously with the Pridolian.     

A new species of Monoplacophora, redescription of the genera Veleropilina and Rokopella, and new information on three species of the class

Vema levinae Warén, sp. n. is described from a submarine volcano off western Mexico. The type species of Rokopella and Veleropilina are redescribed, the usage of the names is discussed and Rokopella and Veleropilina are recognized as valid genera in Neopilinidae. Rokopella euglypta (Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1897) is redescribed from shells and a single live specimen taken from seamounts south of the Azores, from a depth of 1200–1600 m. Tectura reticulata Seguenza, 1876 (Gastropoda, 'Acmaeidae', southern Italy, Upper Pliocene/Lower Pleistocene) is considered to have been based on the monoplacophoran species previously known as Neopilina zografi from the Mediterranean, and is classified in the genus Veleropilina. Veleropilina zografi (Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1896) is redescribed based on shells from several seamounts south of the Azores. It is considered distinct from Rokopella euglypta and classified in the genus Veleropilina. An undescribed species of Veleropilina from a seamount off southern Baja California is reported, figured and discussed but not formally described.     

The adaptive significance of colour pattern polymorphism in the Australian scincid lizard Lampropholis delicata

Females of Lampropholis delicata are dimorphic for colour pattern, the difference between morphs being the presence or absence of a distinct white mid-lateral stripe. A less distinct striped morph occurs also in males. We evaluated alternative hypotheses for the maintenance of this polymorphism by examining temporal and spatial variation in morph frequency, testing for differential selection among morphs using data on body size and reproductive traits from preserved specimens, and experimentally manipulating colour pattern in free-ranging lizards of both sexes, to assess the influence of the lateral stripe on survival rates. We found that the relative frequency of striped individuals varied among populations and decreased from north to south in both sexes, coincident with an increasing incidence of regenerated tails. Morph frequencies did not change through time within a population. Striped gravid females appeared to survive better and produced larger clutches than did non-striped females. In our experimental study, the relationship between survival and colour morph differed between the two sexes; males painted with a white lateral stripe had lower survival than control (brown stripe) males, but survival did not differ between striped and control females. The different response in the two sexes may be due partly to differences in temperature and microhabitat selection. We propose that the white lateral stripe decreases susceptibility to predators in gravid females but increases risk of predation in males, especially in combination with low temperatures. The polymorphism might be maintained by: (1) opposing fitness consequences of the stripe in males and females; (2) sex-specific habitat selection; and (3) gene flow in combination with spatial variation in relative fitness of the two morphs.     

Revision of the Genera Thyca, Stilifer, Scalenostoma, Mucronalia and Echineulima (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Eulimidae)

All species that have been described of the genera mentioned in the title are listed and their systematic position given. The species of Stilifer (with 11 species, including S. inflatus sp.n. and 5. concavus sp.n.) are parasites of starfishes. Scalenostoma (3 species) are parasites of stone corals. Thyca (with 8 species) is removed from Capulidae, and included in Eulimidae. T. hawaiiensis sp.n. is described. The species of Thyca are parasites of starfishes. The species of Mucronalia (including M. trilineata sp.n.) are probably parasites of ophiuroids and Echineulima (with 4–6 species, including E. ponderi sp.n.) are parasites of echinoids. All species are figured, their characteristics are given and their host species and distributions are listed. Keys are given to the species of each genus, except Mucronalia. The genera Stilimella Laseron and Hyperlia Pilsbry are synonymized with Scalenostoma and the genera Kiramodulus Kuroda, Granulithyca Habe and Bessomia Berry are considered subgenera of Thyca.     

Population recovery of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus in a seagrass flat (Araruama Lagoon,Brazil): the role of recruitment in a disturbed environment

Summary

The size, structure, and density of a population of Lytechinus variegatus were recorded from a shallow seagrass bed (Halodule wrightii) at 40-day intervals from April 1994 to April 1995. A local mass mortality was observed in May 1994. The density declined from 0.57±0.10 to 0.06±0.05 ind.m^?2, mean size declined from 37.6±0.49 to 16.2±2.14 mm and maximum size from 75 to 40 mm. Ten months after mortality, the maximum and mean sizes had returned to initialvalues, but density had not (0.10±0.03 ind.m^?2). A second, smaller mass mortality occurred in April 1995. High values of gonad index were recorded before mortality (9.40±5.97) and after population recovery (11.96±5.74). Recruitment was continuous throughout the year, but reached a peak from August to October. This can he related to the patterns of upwelling in the region. Mass mortality is probably an annual event in this population that can be correlated with the occurrence of low tides during daytime in the fell. The population can recover during the summer when low tides occur during the night. The massive input of recruits prevents extinction of the population during the season of high mortality. Population recovery depends on the magnitude of recruitment.