Characterization of 36 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) including two sex‐linked loci and their amplification in four other Charadrius species

We isolated 45 new Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) microsatellite loci. These were tested for polymorphism in 42 Kentish plovers breeding in the Çukurova Delta, Turkey. Thirty‐six of the 45 loci were polymorphic with observed heterozygosity varying between 0.22 and 0.93. Genotypes of individuals of known sex indicated that two loci were sex‐linked (Calex‐26 is located on the Z chromosome and Calex‐31 on the W chromosome). Additionally, we tested all loci for amplification in four other species of Charadridae (Kittlitz's plover, Madagascar plover, three‐banded plover and white‐fronted plover). On average 34 loci amplified per species (range 29–36).     

Obligate association of an oligolectic bee and a seasonal aquatic herb in semi‐arid north‐eastern Brazil

Hydrocleys martii (Limnocharitaceae) is an annual aquatic herb common in ephemeral isolated ponds in semi‐arid northe‐astern Brazil. We studied pollination of H. martii, emphasizing reproductive success and association with oligolectic pollinators. The yellow flowers bear a central cone of staminodes that encloses the fertile stamens and four free carpels. The self‐incompatible species depends on pollinators to set fruits. In 25 temporary water bodies in five Brazilian states, Protodiscelis palpalis bees (Colletidae, Paracolletinae) were the unique effective pollinators of H. martii and, in 18 of these, the sole flower visitors. Females of this narrowly oligolectic species show adapted behaviour to access the pollen chamber in the flower centre. Females removed more than 80% of the 480 000 pollen grains in only 2 h from the flowers but maintained a high visitation frequency almost until flower senescence. In this highly specialized plant‐pollinator system, on average, 1.6% of the pollen grains reached the stigmatic surface and 9.6% remained uncollectible in the flowers. In the absence of P. palpalis, flowers set almost no seeds, indicating reproductive dependence on the oligolectic species. This pioneer pollination study of a species of Limnocharitaceae provides evidence of a close relationship of the family to species of Protodiscelis, their specific pollinators. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102 , 355–368.     

Activation of the Protein Synthetic Capacity of Rat Liver Cell Sap by Amino-acids

CHANGES in the availability of amino-acids have marked effects on the rate of protein synthesis in rat liver^1–4. A high amino-acid concentration in the perfusion⁵ or incubation⁶ medium is needed to observe an effect of growth hormone in vitroon incorporation of precursors into protein and RNA of isolated hepatic tissue. We report here changes in the ability of cell-free systems to incorporate amino-acids into acid-insoluble material in vitrowhen they were prepared from slices incubated in various concentrations of amino-acids.     

从异地迁入的动物类群是北美西部内陆地区古新世最早期哺乳动物群的重要组成部分吗?(英文)

K/T界线绝灭事件后残存类群的迁入和地方性辐射在北美西部内陆地区的古新世最早期(Puercan期)哺乳动物群的进化中所起的作用存在争议。持续的野外工作和室内研究极大地扩展和提升了我们对北美地区的白垩纪最晚期(北美陆相哺乳动物分期的Lancian期)和Puercan1期(Pu1)的地方动物群组成的认识,也揭示了这些地方动物群生物年代学对比的局限。总的来说,北美西部内陆地区北部的Pu1地方动物群主要由多瘤齿兽类和真兽类组成,而Lancian期存在的有袋类各类群绝灭。大多数的Pu1哺乳动物是由其他地区迁移而来,其中许多类群在K/T界线后不久就迁徙到这个地区。北美洲古纬度高的地区和亚洲太平洋沿岸地区的白垩纪最晚期或者古新世最早期哺乳动物群的缺乏,妨碍了对异地迁移到北美的哺乳动物起源于亚洲这一假说的验证。另一个假说认为,大多数迁入北美西部内陆地区北部的Pu1哺乳动物可能来自北美大陆的其他地区。这一假说得到了越来越多的支持,并且没有证据表明是错误的。     

Modification of Drought Resistance by Water Stress Conditioning in Acacia and Eucalyptus

Plants of Acacia and Eucalyptus species were grown under differentlevels of shading, nutrition, and irrigation to assess the effectof these factors on plant water use. Water use per unit of leaf(phyllode) area was affected only by the irrigation treatment,control plants that had received water daily using appreciablymore water than plants that had been repeatedly subjected towater stress. Water stress conditioning had little or no effecton plant height, leaf (phyllode) area, or minimum stomatal resistancein any of the species. Detailed study of the water stress conditioningof Eucalyptus robusta showed that controls used 46% more waterthan conditioned plants. Leaf area and plant height were unaffectedby conditioning. Control of transpiration was not due to stomatalfunctioning, both sets of plants operating with the same leafdiffusive resistance under conditions of ready water availability.Hydraulic conductivity of the intact root system was loweredby conditioning and it is suggested that this was due, at leastin part, to the effect that conditioning had on root xylem conductivity.Specific conductivity of stem sections was lowered by waterstress conditioning. Water stress avoidance was also associatedwith a more pronounced tendency for stomata to close prior towilting and with a higher level of leaf resistance which couldbe maintained at a low leaf water potential. Conditioned plantsexhibited drought tolerance in their ability to control lossof water from the leaf at lower leaf water potentials than thecontrols.     

A problem in morganucodontid taxonomy (Mammalia)

During the past three decades knowledge of the earliest mammals has greatly increased through study of specimens of morganucodontids of Late Triassic and Early Jurassic age discovered in Africa, Asia and Europe. Communication of the results of diis research has been and continues to be impaired by disputes over the validity or content of the genera Eozostrodon Parrington and Morganucodon Kiihne. On the basis of the limited data available and in the interest of stability of nomenclature, Eozostrodon parvus is the appropriate name for the morganucodontid represented in the fauna preserved in fissure fillings in Holwell Quarry, England. Its diagnostic dental morphology is not duplicated in the extensive samples of the most abundant morganucodontid known from Wales for which the name Morganucodon watsoni is appropriate. Although generic reference of these species is a moot point, recognition of separate species is warranted and, with other data, points to a diverse assemblage of morganucodontids forming part of the base of a prototherian radiation.     

New morganucodontans from an Early Jurassic fissure filling in Wales (United Kingdom)

Abstract: Two new genera and species of morganucodontans, Bridetherium dorisae and Paceyodon davidi, are recognized as members of the Morganucodon‐sphenodont fauna preserved in a fissure filling (Pant 4) exposed in Pant Quarry, Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. Both taxa are based on isolated molariforms. Mode of occlusion of upper and lower molariforms in B. dorisae differs from the embrasure shearing pattern of Megazostrodon and the offset pattern characteristic of Morganucodon. Lack of a clear correlation between different patterns of occlusion and morphologies of their molariforms supports the working hypothesis that a close correlation between function and morphology of the molars characteristic of therian mammals, for example, was not present in morganucodontans. P. davidi is based on an isolated morganucodontan molariform that is significantly larger than any yet discovered. Several isolated morganucodontan‐like molariforms cannot be referred to these taxa. The new Welsh morganucodontans added to records from other sites indicate the group achieved considerable taxonomic diversity and a near global distribution by the Early Jurassic.     

Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in annual and perennial land-use systems of the irrigated areas in the Aral Sea Basin

Land use and agricultural practices can result in important contributions to the global source strength of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). However, knowledge of gas flux from irrigated agriculture is very limited. From April 2005 to October 2006, a study was conducted in the Aral Sea Basin, Uzbekistan, to quantify and compare emissions of N₂O and CH₄ in various annual and perennial land-use systems: irrigated cotton, winter wheat and rice crops, a poplar plantation and a natural Tugai (floodplain) forest. In the annual systems, average N₂O emissions ranged from 10 to 150 μg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ with highest N₂O emissions in the cotton fields, covering a similar range of previous studies from irrigated cropping systems. Emission factors (uncorrected for background emission), used to determine the fertilizer-induced N₂O emission as a percentage of N fertilizer applied, ranged from 0.2% to 2.6%. Seasonal variations in N₂O emissions were principally controlled by fertilization and irrigation management. Pulses of N₂O emissions occurred after concomitant N-fertilizer application and irrigation. The unfertilized poplar plantation showed high N₂O emissions over the entire study period (30 μg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹), whereas only negligible fluxes of N₂O (<2 μg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹) occurred in the Tugai. Significant CH₄ fluxes only were determined from the flooded rice field: Fluxes were low with mean flux rates of 32 mg CH₄ m⁻² day⁻¹ and a low seasonal total of 35.2 kg CH₄ ha⁻¹. The global warming potential (GWP) of the N₂O and CH₄ fluxes was highest under rice and cotton, with seasonal changes between 500 and 3000 kg CO₂ eq. ha⁻¹. The biennial cotton–wheat–rice crop rotation commonly practiced in the region would average a GWP of 2500 kg CO₂ eq. ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The analyses point out opportunities for reducing the GWP of these irrigated agricultural systems by (i) optimization of fertilization and irrigation practices and (ii) conversion of annual cropping systems into perennial forest plantations, especially on less profitable, marginal lands.