Morphological, vocal and genetic divergence in the Cettia acanthizoides complex (Aves: Cettiidae)

We used morphological, vocal and molecular (one mitochondrial and two nuclear loci) data to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of the taxa acanthizoides , concolor , and brunnescens in the Cettia acanthizoides (J. Verreaux, 1871) complex. We conclude that all three are valid taxa, and that acanthizoides of China and concolor of Taiwan are best treated as conspecific, whereas brunnescens of the Himalayas is better considered as a separate species. The degree of morphological, vocal, and genetic differentiation is variably congruent among all taxa; the recently separated acanthizoides and concolor differ slightly in plumage and structure but are indistinguishable in vocalizations, whereas the earlier diverged brunnescens and acanthizoides/concolor differ only slightly more in morphology but to a much greater degree in vocalizations. We stress the essential nature of taxonomic revisions as a prerequisite for the biodiversity estimates required for conservation planning.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 149 , 437–452.     

Description of a new species of Phylloscopus warbler from Vietnam and Laos

A new species of Phylloscopus warbler, which we name Phylloscopus calciatilis Limestone Leaf Warbler, is described from central and northern Vietnam and central and northern Laos; it probably also breeds in southernmost China. In morphology, the new species is very similar to Sulphur-breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti , but it is smaller with a proportionately larger bill and rounder wing. Its song and calls are diagnostic. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, the new species is most closely related to P. ricketti and Yellow-vented Warbler Phylloscopus cantator , and it is inferred to be sister to the latter. The mitochondrial divergences between these three species are at the low end of the variation found in other species of Phylloscopus and Seicercus warblers, but greater than in other taxa generally treated as subspecies. Possible introgressive hybridization between the new species and P. ricketti is discussed, but more data are needed to establish whether it does occur and, if it does, to what extent. The new species appears to have a restricted breeding range in limestone karst environments, where it is locally common and therefore not under any immediate threat. In view of the recognition of the new species, all previous records of P. ricketti sensu lato need to be re-evaluated.     

Higher‐level phylogeny of the insect order Hemiptera: is Auchenorrhyncha really paraphyletic?

The higher‐level phylogeny of the order Hemiptera remains a contentious topic in insect systematics. The controversy is chiefly centred on the unresolved question of whether or not the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha (including the extant superfamilies Fulgoroidea, Membracoidea, Cicadoidea and Cercopoidea) is a monophyletic lineage. Presented here are the results of a multilocus molecular phylogenetic investigation of relationships among the major hemipteran lineages, designed specifically to address the question of Auchenorrhyncha monophyly in the context of broad taxonomic sampling across Hemiptera. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) were based on DNA nucleotide sequence data from seven gene regions (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, histone H3, histone 2A, wingless, cytochrome c oxidase I and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4) generated from 86 in‐group exemplars representing all major lineages of Hemiptera (plus seven out‐group taxa). All combined analyses of these data recover the monophyly of Auchenorrhyncha, and also support the monophyly of each of the following lineages: Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Heteropterodea, Heteroptera, Fulgoroidea, Cicadomorpha, Membracoidea, Cercopoidea and Cicadoidea. Also presented is a review of the major lines of morphological and molecular evidence for and against the monophyly of Auchenorrhyncha.     

Coprolite morphotypes from the Upper Cretaceous of Sweden: novel views on an ancient ecosystem and implications for coprolite taphonomy

Eriksson, M.E., Lindgren, J., Chin, K. & Månsby, U. 2011: Coprolite morphotypes from the Upper Cretaceous of Sweden: novel views on an ancient ecosystem and implications for coprolite taphonomy. Lethaia, Vol. 44, pp. 455–468. Coprolites (fossilized faeces) are common, yet previously unreported, elements in the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) shallow‐marine strata of Åsen, southern Sweden. They are associated with a diverse vertebrate fauna and comprise at least seven different morphotypes that suggest a variety of source animals. Their faecal origin is corroborated by several lines of evidence, including chemical composition (primarily calcium phosphate), external morphology and nature of the inclusions. Preservation in a fossil coquina, interpreted as a taphocoenosis, suggests early lithification promoted by rapid entombment. This would have prevented disintegration of the faecal matter and facilitated transportation and introduction to the host sediment. The coprofabrics can generally be correlated to specific gross morphologies, supporting a morphology‐determined coprolite classification. Moreover, having been deposited under presumably comparable taphonomic conditions, variations in coprofabrics infer differences in diet and/or digestive efficiency of the host animal. Size and morphology of the coprolites imply that most, if not all, were produced by vertebrates and the largest specimens infer a host animal of considerable size. Two spiralled coprolite morphotypes yield bone fragments and scales of bony fish, suggesting that the producers were piscivorous sharks. Other coprolites contain inclusions interpreted as the remains of shelled invertebrates, thus indicating that they may have derived from durophagous predators and/or scavengers. The occurrence of small scrapes, tracks and traces on several specimens suggest manipulation of the faeces by other (presumably coprophagous) organisms after deposition. The collective data from the Åsen coprolites provide new insights into a shallow‐water Late Cretaceous marine ecosystem hitherto known solely from body fossils. □ Coprolites, vertebrates, coprofabrics, taphonomy, trophic levels, Upper Cretaceous, Sweden.     

Carotenoid responses to environmental stimuli: integrating redox and carbon controls into a fruit model

Carotenoids play an important role in plant adaptation to fluctuating environments as well as in the human diet by contributing to the prevention of chronic diseases. Insights have been gained recently into the way individual factors, genetic, environmental or developmental, control the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway at the molecular level. The identification of the rate‐limiting steps of carotenogenesis has paved the way for programmes of breeding, and metabolic engineering, aimed at increasing the concentration of carotenoids in different crop species. However, the complexity that arises from the interactions between the different factors as well as from the coordination between organs remains poorly understood. This review focuses on recent advances in carotenoid responses to environmental stimuli and discusses how the interactions between the modulation factors and between organs affect carotenoid build‐up. We develop the idea that reactive oxygen species/redox status and sugars/carbon status can be considered as integrated factors that account for most effects of the major environmental factors influencing carotenoid biosynthesis. The discussion highlights the concept of carotenoids or carotenoid‐derivatives as stress signals that may be involved in feedback controls. We propose a conceptual model of the effects of environmental and developmental factors on carotenoid build‐up in fruits.     

A new species of Phylloscopus warbler from Sichuan Province, China

A new species of leaf warbler (Sylviidae: Phylloscopus ) is described from the mountain Emei Shan, Sichuan Province, China. Morphologically it is extremely similar to, yet significantly different from, the sympatric Blyth's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides and White-tailed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni. Songs and calls are both very different from P. reguloides and P. davisoni, and playback tests confirmed the specific status of the new species.     

Evolution of Delphacidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea): combined‐evidence phylogenetics reveals importance of grass host shifts

The planthopper family Delphacidae is a speciose lineage of phloem‐feeding insects, with many species considered as pests of economic significance on essential world food commodities (including rice, maize, wheat, barley and sugar cane). Despite their economic importance, evolutionary relationships among delphacids, particularly those within the speciose tribe Delphacini, are largely unknown. Presented here are the results of a phylogenetic investigation of Delphacidae based on DNA nucleotide sequence data from four genetic loci (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless and cytochrome oxidase I) and 132 coded morphological characters. The resulting topologies are used to test the higher classification of Delphacidae and to examine evolutionary patterns in host–plant associations. Our results generally support the higher classifications of Delphacidae proposed by Asche, Emeljanov and Hamilton, and suggest that the rapid diversification of the Delphacini was associated with host shifts to, and within, Poaceae, and specifically from C3 to C4 grasses.     

Mammalian Cross-Reactive H-Y Antigen Induces Sex Reversal in vitro in the Avian Testis

Testes of either newborn rats or newly hatched chickens, dissociated into single cell suspensions, reorganize in vitro into their histotypic structures. In birds, the heterogametic female sex is H-Y antigen positive, and not the male as in mammals. Cocultivation of rat and chicken testicular cells results in the reorganization of an ovotestis. A similar result is obtained after cultivation of chicken testicular cells in the supernatant medium of cultured human male Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cells. Rat testicular Sertoli cells as well as Daudi cells are a source of H-Y antigen. The simultaneous application of H-Y antigen and anti-H-Y antiserum prevents ovotestis formation. It is concluded that H-Y antigen which is known to be testis-organizing in mammals, is the ovary-organizing factor in birds.