The Pechora Pipit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anthus gustavi</Emphasis>, Passeriformes,Motacillidae) in Northeastern Asia

The data on the distribution and ecology of the Pechora pipit in northeastern Asia were updated on the basis of published data and the results of studies performed in the period from 1977 to 2016 in the basins of the Olenek, Lena, Yana, Indigirka, and Alazeya rivers. In contrast to the Ob and Yenisei watersheds, as well as to Chukotka and Kamchatka, in the basins of the above-mentioned rivers and in the mid-Kolyma basin, the Pechora pipit inhabits the northern taiga and shows less preference for the tundra zone. Compact breeding grounds are largely confined to large river valleys, and only in the Vilyui River basin can they be found in the watershed wetlands. The breeding range is predominately fragmented. The continuous distribution area of this species encompasses Kamchatka and, apparently, the Koryak Highlands and Southern Chukotka. Westwards, in the Yana and Kolyma basins between 66° N and 69° N, in the Lena valley between 68° N and 70° N, in the interfluve between the Vilyui and Olenek rivers between 63° N and 66° N, and in the Khatanga and Yenisei basins between 63° N and 72° N, a discontinuous distribution zone has formed. In the interfluve between the Vilyui and Olenek rivers and in the Alazeya River valley, the population density reaches its highest values observed in the species optimum in Kamchatka. The nesting sites of the Pechora pipit nests in grass associations, forages mostly in meadows and swamps, and feeds mainly on amphibiont invertebrates.     

Late Quaternary eolian sand depositional record for southwestern Kansas: Landscape sensitivity to droughts

Eolian deposits and landforms are ubiquitous in western Kansas, particularly south of the Arkansas River with the presence of a stabilized dune field. Stratigraphic studies and associated optical dating reveal a complex depositional history for this dune field spanning the late Quaternary. The oldest eolian deposits from ca. 16 to 12 ka completely or partially bury high terraces with ages of ca. 16 and 33 ka. It is unknown whether these eolian deposits reflect regional aridity and/or a change in sediment availability with the transition of the Arkansas River from a single channel to a braided system. There is pervasive evidence for episodic eolian erosion and deposition ca. 9.8 to 6.3 ka, generally coincident with loess deposition on upland surfaces [Olson, C.G., Nettleton, W.D., Porter, D.A., Brasher, B.R., 1997. Middle Holocene aeolian activity on the High Plains of west-central Kansas. Holocene, 7(3): 255–261], and thus it is inferred to reflect regional aridity. Sites within the dune field show a sequence of eolian sands and weak buried soils, reflecting either dune migration or sand sheet accretion at ca. 1490, 430, 380–320, 180, and 70 yr ago, which correspond well with continental-scale droughts in the tree-ring record. Eolian sand in the Arkansas River dune field may be derived principally with variability in fluvial activity and in climate during the late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene, with substantial reactivation of eolian systems during decadal-scale drought variability in the past 2000 yr.     

Composition and seasonality of Euglossina Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in forest and dune in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, PB

By using artificial fragrances as baits, we studied richness, composition, abundance and seasonality of Euglossina species in two areas (forest and dune) in the Environmental Protection Area of the Mamanguape River Bar, State of Paraiba, Brazil, between August 2002 and July 2004. Bees were attracted with wads of absorbent paper containing each of the fragrances: benzyl acetate, ionone beta, skatole, eucalyptol, eugenol and vanillin, and captured with insect net. We collected a total of 3,132 males of nine species of Euglossina. On both areas, Euglossa cordata (L.) and Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier were present throughout the year and were the most abundant species in the forest and the first one was the most abundant specie at the dune. Concerning to the composition, the Atlantic Rainforest areas in Paraíba State were more similar among themselves, the same occurring to the dune areas in Paraíba and Bahia States. In the forest, Euglossina species showed higher seasonality, being more abundant during the drier period, specially E. cordata. At the dune, species were homogeneously distributed in the dry and rainy periods.     

Vegetation fluctuation in mediterranean dune ponds in relation to rainfall variation and water extraction

Abstract. The structure of dune ponds hygrophytic vegetation has a spatial organisation in belts around the pond basin, closely related to water level and flooding regime. Doñana National Park has an important representation of temporal dune ponds, which are subjected to rainfall fluctuations and may be suffering the impact of water extraction from the neighbouring tourist resort. Permanent transects in a vegetation complex of five dune ponds have been monitored during a eight year period (1990-1997). This period was characterised by a number of dry years (annual rainfall around 300 mm), located between two wet cycles (800-900 mm). Transects were analysed in 1990 (wet period), 1994 (dry) and 1997 (wet) by hierarchical agglomera-tive clustering. During the dry period hygrophytic species showed regression, with a high mortality of some species like Ulex minor, while the xerophytic species advanced to lower areas. Seedlings of some xerophytic species colonised the dry surface of the pond basin. The lowering of the water table varied in the different ponds, ranging from 312 to 190 cm depending on topography and the distance to the pumping area. The new period of flooding during 1995-96 and 1996-97 cycles provided the opportunity for hygrophytic spe cies to re-establish themselves in their original places. This study suggest that changes in vegetation are caused by the interaction between weather conditions and human disturbance (water extractions). In our example man-made disturbance is more marked during the dry periods while wet periods tend to obscure the effects of water extractions. From a management perspective, long-term monitoring of water table and vegetation structure is revealed as a key procedure to the management of land-water ecotones on pressured areas and threatened habitats.     

黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区啮齿动物群落结构

2005年4–5月和9月对黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区不同生境中啮齿动物群落结构进行了研究。在甘肃省张掖市高台县黑泉乡选择流动沙丘、含砾沙漠、固定沙地、荒漠灌丛、防护林带、灌耕草地、灌耕农田和河岸草地等8种代表性生境,采用活捕法(4,800铗日)共捕获啮齿动物254只,隶属于3科8属9种。利用捕获记录计算了群落结构特征指数,进一步利用Pearson相关系数考察了不同生境啮齿动物群落的相似性,并在此基础上对不同生境的啮齿动物群落作了聚类分析。群落结构特征指数表明,啮齿动物物种多样性(用Shannon-Wiener指数测度)在灌耕草地中最低(0.6859),在固定沙地中最高(1.7036);物种均匀度(用Pielou均匀度指数测度)在流动沙丘中最低(0.6531),在河岸草地中最高(1.0000)。聚类分析结果显示,研究区啮齿动物群落可以分成荒漠型群落和绿洲型群落两大类。三趾跳鼠(Dipussagitta)在荒漠型生境中密度较高,总体上具有优势地位,尤其是在流动沙丘生境中占据绝对优势;黑线仓鼠(Cricetulusbarabensis)在植被较好的绿洲型生境中占据优势地位,但在流动沙丘外的其他荒漠型生境中也有发现。除五趾跳鼠(Allactagasibirica)外,其他种类的跳鼠只在荒漠型生境中发现。本次调查没有在防护林内部生境中捕获啮齿动物,但在林缘区域仍有捕获记录。啮齿动物群落物种多样性指数与捕获率间无显著关联(r=0.240,P=0.566)。本研究提示人为干扰可能对维持研究区域的啮齿动物多样性有积极意义。     

Sandy beach macrofaunal assemblages as indicators of anthropogenic impacts on coastal dunes

Ocean sandy beaches are iconic recreational assets to society and have undergone rapid degradation caused by both natural and anthropogenic pressures. A major effect of urbanisation on biota stems from artificial structures placed in aquatic systems. While the installation of these structures has been widespread, our understanding of how they impact shoreline habitats and fauna is relatively limited. On the sandy Leirosa Beach, on the European Atlantic coast (Portugal), a decade of cumulative impacts was recorded, with disruption of the frontal dune, dune nourishment and the incorporation of geotextiles to reconstruct the dune and maintain it as an artificial structure. Two years after the dune rehabilitation process at Leirosa Beach, seasonal sampling campaigns (from spring 2010 to winter 2011) were carried out to assess the effects of the artificial dune (and the first signs of its eventual disruption) on macrofauna compared to a natural dune on the same beach. During the study period, the rehabilitated foredune maintained the average slope, with similar sediment characteristics (finer sediments) when compared with the natural dune system, with no physical significant differences being appreciated between the two sites. The macrofaunal assemblages were represented especially by crustaceans (amphipods and isopods), with similar mean total density, taxon richness and diversity between sites. Special attention was given to the supralittoral species, and the results revealed that the natural zone harboured a significantly higher density of sandhopper Talitrus saltator with respect to the artificial zone. PERMANOVA results detailed the significant difference that occurred, particularly during the warmer seasons (spring and summer 2010), the recruitment period described for this species along this coast. In fact, SIMPER analysis revealed that T. saltator accounted for 46% of the dissimilarities between the natural and artificial dune sites. The presence of geotextiles extending across the supralittoral zone appeared, on the one hand, to allow for the presence of talitrids, but the application of textiles around the area prevented them from burrowing, thus causing them to avoid the rehabilitated area. The results highlighted the potentially negative effects of this artificial dune system if textile disruption continues, and the usefulness of T. saltator as an effective and reliable ecological indicator for these ecosystems. Thus, evaluating the risks and magnitude of human interventions is a major challenge for sandy beach ecologists, and baseline information is required if we are to better understand how resident macrofaunal species deal with future impact scenarios.     

Genetic Structure of Wild Chinook Salmon Populations of Southeast Alaska and Northern British Columbia

Allozyme variation was used to examine population genetic structure of adult chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, collected between 1988 and 1993 from 22 spawning locations in Southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia. Thirty-five loci and two pairs of isoloci were variable, and of these, 25 loci and one pair of isoloci expressed the most abundant allele with a frequency of less than or equal to 0.95 in at least one collection. A neighbor-joining (NJ) tree of genetic distances defined five regional groups: (1) King Salmon River (the only island collection), which has large allelic frequency differences from other populations in this study; (2) heterogeneous coastal populations from southern southeast Alaska; (3) transmountain collections from the Taku and Stikine Rivers on the eastern side of the coastal mountain range; (4) Chilkat River in northern Southeast Alaska; and (5) northern coastal Southeast Alaska, which consists of the Situk River and the Klukshu River, a tributary of the Alsek River. A second NJ tree that included collections from the Yukon River and British Columbia did not reveal any strong genetic similarity between Southeast Alaska and the Yukon River. The data suggest that Southeast Alaska may have been colonized from both northern and southern refugia following the last glaciation — a period of sufficient time to allow for isolation by distance to occur.     

Multi-scale phylogenetic structure in coastal dune plant communities across the globe

Aims Studies integrating phylogenetic history and large-scale community assembly are few, and many questions remain unanswered. Here, we use a global coastal dune plant data set to uncover the important factors in community assembly across scales from the local filtering processes to the global long-term diversification and dispersal dynamics. Coastal dune plant communities occur worldwide under a wide range of climatic and geologic conditions as well as in all biogeographic regions. However, global patterns in the phylogenetic composition of coastal dune plant communities have not previously been studied.Methods The data set comprised vegetation data from 18463 plots in New Zealand, South Africa, South America, North America and Europe. The phylogenetic tree comprised 2241 plant species from 149 families. We calculated phylogenetic clustering (Net Relatedness Index, NRI, and Nearest Taxon Index, NTI) of regional dune floras to estimate the amount of in situ diversification relative to the global dune species pool and evaluated the relative importance of land and climate barriers for these diversification patterns by geographic analyses of phylogenetic similarity. We then tested whether dune plant communities exhibit similar patterns of phylogenetic structure within regions. Finally, we calculated NRI for local communities relative to the regional species pool and tested for an association with functional traits (plant height and seed mass) thought to vary along sea–inland gradients.Important findings Regional species pools were phylogenetically clustered relative to the global pool, indicating regional diversification. NTI showed stronger clustering than NRI pointing to the importance of especially recent diversifications within regions. The species pools grouped phylogenetically into two clusters on either side of the tropics suggesting greater dispersal rates within hemispheres than between hemispheres. Local NRI plot values confirmed that most communities were also phylogenetically clustered within regions. NRI values decreased with increasing plant height and seed mass, indicating greater phylogenetic clustering in communities with short maximum height and good dispersers prone to wind and tidal disturbance as well as salt spray, consistent with environmental filtering along sea–inland gradients. Height and seed mass both showed significant phylogenetic signal, and NRI tended to correlate negatively with both at the plot level. Low NRI plots tended to represent coastal scrub and forest, whereas high NRI plots tended to represent herb-dominated vegetation. We conclude that regional diversification processes play a role in dune plant community assembly, with convergence in local phylogenetic community structure and local variation in community structure probably reflecting consistent coastal-inland gradients. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the globally distributed dynamic coastal ecosystems and the structuring factors working on dune plant communities across spatial scales and regions.     

Self domestication and the evolution of language

We set out an account of how self-domestication plays a crucial role in the evolution of language. In doing so, we focus on the growing body of work that treats language structure as emerging from the process of cultural transmission. We argue that a full recognition of the importance of cultural transmission fundamentally changes the kind of questions we should be asking regarding the biological basis of language structure. If we think of language structure as reflecting an accumulated set of changes in our genome, then we might ask something like, “What are the genetic bases of language structure and why were they selected?” However, if cultural evolution can account for language structure, then this question no longer applies. Instead, we face the task of accounting for the origin of the traits that enabled that process of structure-creating cultural evolution to get started in the first place. In light of work on cultural evolution, then, the new question for biological evolution becomes, “How did those precursor traits evolve?” We identify two key precursor traits: (1) the transmission of the communication system through learning; and (2) the ability to infer the communicative intent associated with a signal or action. We then describe two comparative case studies—the Bengalese finch and the domestic dog—in which parallel traits can be seen emerging following domestication. Finally, we turn to the role of domestication in human evolution. We argue that the cultural evolution of language structure has its origin in an earlier process of self-domestication.     

吴李碘泡虫的重描述及其长江流域不同江段株系的比较研究

研究在对吴李碘泡虫Myxobolus wulii (Wu & Li) Landsberg & Lom, 1991重描述的基础上, 基于形态和分子数据对长江流域不同江段的吴李碘泡虫(重庆株系、湖北株系及江苏株系)进行了比较研究。结果表明: 吴李碘泡虫重庆株系孢子及极囊量度比湖北株系略小, 重庆株系两极囊等大而湖北株系两极囊大小不等。重庆株系、湖北株系及江苏株系18S rDNA序列相似度为99.2%—99.9%, 遗传距离为0.002—0.007。系统发育分析显示: 吴李碘泡虫并未形成地理种群特有的进化枝, 也并未依宿主种类而聚支, 而是依据寄生部位不同分为鳃寄生和肝胰脏寄生2大支系。这表明, 相同寄生部位的吴李碘泡虫具有更近的亲缘关系。吴李碘泡虫的2大支系中, 鳃寄生种群先分化出来, 这可能与体表寄生和体内寄生的演化有关, 而鳃寄生的吴李碘泡虫可能是较早定居的群体。     

A quantitative life history of endangered humpback chub that spawn in the Little Colorado River: variation in movement,growth, and survival

While the ecology and evolution of partial migratory systems (defined broadly to include skip spawning) have been well studied, we are only beginning to understand how partial migratory populations are responding to ongoing environmental change. Environmental change can lead to differences in the fitness of residents and migrants, which could eventually lead to changes in the frequency of the strategies in the overall population. Here, we address questions concerning the life history of the endangered Gila cypha (humpback chub) in the regulated Colorado River and the unregulated tributary and primary spawning area, the Little Colorado River. We develop eight multistate models for the population based on three movement hypotheses, in which states are defined in terms of fish size classes and river locations. We fit these models to mark–recapture data collected in 2009–2012. We compare survival and growth estimates between the Colorado River and Little Colorado River and calculate abundances for all size classes. The best model supports the hypotheses that larger adults spawn more frequently than smaller adults, that there are residents in the spawning grounds, and that juveniles move out of the Little Colorado River in large numbers during the monsoon season (July–September). Monthly survival rates for G. cypha in the Colorado River are higher than in the Little Colorado River in all size classes; however, growth is slower. While the hypothetical life histories of life‐long residents in the Little Colorado River and partial migrants spending most of its time in the Colorado River are very different, they lead to roughly similar fitness expectations when we used expected number of spawns as a proxy. However, more research is needed because our study period covers a period of years when conditions in the Colorado River for G. cypha are likely to have been better than has been typical over the last few decades.     

Viable Nematodes from Late Pleistocene Permafrost of the Kolyma River Lowland

We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for longterm cryobiosis in permafrost deposits of the Arctic. The viable soil nematodes Panagrolaimus aff. detritophagus (Rhabditida) and Plectus aff. parvus (Plectida) were isolated from the samples of Pleistocene permafrost deposits of the Kolyma River Lowland. The duration of natural cryopreservation of the nematodes corresponds to the age of the deposits, 30 000–40 000 years.     

黄河三角洲贝壳堤土壤微生物生物量对不同生境因子的响应

从土壤微生物生物量角度分析黄河三角洲贝壳堤不同生境的土壤肥力状况,基于黄河三角洲贝壳堤植被类型,以4种不同生境的土壤为研究对象,测定了微生物生物量碳、氮、磷和相关的土壤理化性质。结果表明,不同生境中土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、土壤微生物生物量(MBN)、土壤微生物生物量(MBP)均值均为滩脊背海侧高潮线向海侧,且表现出明显的垂直分布特征:0—5 cm5—10 cm10—20 cm20—40 cm40—60 cm。土壤MBC、MBN、MBP占土壤有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)百分比变化范围分别为1.09%—3.48%、2.62%—7.27%、0.78%—2.86%,滩脊、背海侧和高潮线处MBC/SOC无显著差异(P0.05),但显著高于向海侧MBC/SOC(P0.05)。土壤MBN/TN、MBP/TP的变化趋势为滩脊和背海侧向海侧和高潮线。滩脊和背海侧土壤微生物碳、氮、磷的非生物限制性因子为土壤含水量、p H值、含盐量;向海侧和高潮线区域土壤微生物碳、氮、磷的非生物限制性因子为含水量和pH值。滩脊、背海侧和高潮线土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷及土壤养分间的相关关系显著或极显著,且协同性和稳定性高,表明土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷可以作为判断黄河三角洲贝壳堤土壤肥力状况的生物学指标,这为黄河三角洲贝壳堤的土壤肥力管理和植被恢复提供一定的理论依据。     

沙障对流动沙丘区地表节肢动物分布及多样性的影响

沙障作为人工固沙植被恢复与保护绿洲和道路安全的一种手段,可以有效阻止沙丘移动,改变流动沙丘地表生态水文过程,进而影响节肢动物多样性及营养结构及功能变化。鉴于此,选取临泽县中部沙带为研究区,利用陷阱法系统调查了生物、物理沙障和流动沙丘区沙丘不同部位地表节肢动物分布及多样性。研究结果表明,沙障营建强烈影响了流动沙丘区地表节肢动物组成,生物和物理沙障区地表节肢动物的活动密度、物种丰富度及多样性均显著高于流动沙丘区,捕食性和其它食性节肢动物较植食性节肢动物对沙障营建的响应更为敏感。沙障还改变了沙丘地表节肢动物的分布规律,生物和物理沙障区地表节肢动物的活动密度从沙丘底部到顶部依次增加,而流动沙丘区地表节肢动物主要分布在沙丘中下部。谢氏宽漠王和尖尾东鳖甲在流动沙丘区主要分布沙丘的中下部,沙障营建导致沙丘顶部谢氏宽漠王和尖尾东鳖甲的活动密度大幅提高。此外,研究还发现生物和物理沙障对地表节肢动物的影响不同,生物沙障区地表节肢动物活动密度显著高于物理沙障区,捕食性和东鳖甲属等其它食性节肢动物的活动密度在生物沙障区均高于物理沙障区。总之,沙障营建及类型差异强烈影响地表节肢动物的分布及多样性,它通过资源上行效应和土壤物理环境的改变提高了地表节肢动物的多样性及营养结构,从而影响了土壤生态系统结构及功能变化过程。     

Spatial-typological heterogeneity and environmental organization of the summer population of birds in the Middle Region of Northern Eurasia

The area under study covered the West Siberian Plain from the Urals to the Yenisei River and the same band to the southern borders of the former Soviet Union in 1991, including a part of the Altai-Sayan mountain country, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the whole of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The results of ornithogeographic surveys carried out on routes with a length of 63000 km in 3140 habitats from May 16 to July 31 in the period from 1936 to 2013 were analyzed for this territory. More than 110 specialists took part in the study. The collected data were averaged according to the contours of natural-geographical maps. The subsequent cluster analysis revealed the presence of three systems (series) of bird communities in undeveloped and developed lands, as well as in water and riparian areas. Eight types of communities were distinguished within the first system: 1—tundra type; 2—forest-tundra type; 3—forest type; 4 and 5—West Siberian meadow-steppe and semidesert-steppe types; 6 and 7—Middle Asian northern desert-steppe and southern desert types; 8—high-mountain type. The borders of their distribution do not coincide with the zonal borders. Seven and six types of communities were distinguished in the second and third systems, respectively. A part of them was divided into 29 subtypes in total. The revealed heterogeneity of bird communities is largely determined by 12 environmental factors. The greatest correlation was detected for forestation, buildup, and watering. The multiple correlation of the bird population variability with all the identified environmental factors amounted to about 54 ± 1% of variance in the similarity matrix, which approximately corresponds to the correlation coefficient of 0.74.     

CONIFEROUS TREES ASSOCIATED WITH INTERDUNE DEPOSITS IN THE JURASSIC NAVAJO SANDSTONE FORMATION, UTAH, USA

Abstract:  The Lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone Formation of south-west USA represents one of the largest erg deposits ever to have developed on Earth. Here, we report the widespread occurrence of silicified conifer stumps and trunks within interdune deposits near Moab, south-east Utah. Where present as (par)autochthonous assemblages, trees are associated with the deposits of spring-fed carbonate lakes. A few stumps preserved in growth position are rooted in aeolian sandstone immediately below the lake deposits, and evidently established on interdune soils in response to a rising water table. Following at least several decades of growth, trees were killed as the water table continued to rise forming shallow lakes containing ostracodes. Where present as allochthonous assemblages, randomly orientated tree trunks are associated with massive sandstone beds interpreted as fluidized mass flow deposits. These may have formed when dune slip-faces collapsed during occasional heavy downpours of rain, destroying stands of trees. The occurrence of large conifers over a wide area of the Navajo Sandstone Formation in south-east Utah may record long-lived pluvial episodes during which the dune field stabilized, or reflect the erg-margin position of the localities.     

Ecological Status of the Chusovaya River by Its Epilithon and Hydrochemical Indices (Near the Town of Chusovoi)

Biology Bulletin - Abstract—As a result of our research, we obtained data on the structure of the epilithon and physicochemical parameters of waters in the Chusovaya River near the town of...     

Comparative riverscape genomics of the rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) in glaciated and unglaciated environments

Periodic glaciation during the Quaternary period shaped the contemporary riverscape and distribution of freshwater fishes in the Mississippi River drainage of central North America. The rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) is a member of this ichthyofauna and has a disjunct distribution in glaciated and unglaciated environments west of the Mississippi River. Based on glacial history of the region, there are different expectations on the observed spatial genetic structure of populations in these environments. The aim of this study was to utilize genome‐wide SNP data to compare the population genomic structure of the rainbow darter in river networks with disparate glacial histories; the Volga River in the glaciated upper Mississippi River basin and the Meramec River in the unglaciated Ozark Plateau. Individuals were sampled from localities within each river system at distances dictated by the organismal life history and habitat preferences. Riverscape analyses were performed on three datasets: total combined localities of both rivers and one for each river independently. The results revealed a lasting influence of historic glaciation on the population genomic structure of rainbow darter populations. There was evidence of population expansion into the glaciated northern region following glacial retreat. The population genetic signature within the Volga River did not fit expectations of the stream hierarchy model, but revealed a pattern of repeated colonization and extirpation due to cyclic glaciation. The population within the unglaciated Meramec River adhered to the stream hierarchy model, with a directional order of genetic diversity based on the life history and habitat preferences of the species. These results demonstrate the importance of considering the geologic and climatic history of a region as well as the life history of an organism when interpreting spatial genetic patterns.     

Neotropical frogs and mating songs: The evolution of advertisement calls in glassfrogs

Anurans emit advertisement calls with the purpose of attracting mates and repelling conspecific competitors. The evolution of call traits is expected to be associated with the evolution of anatomical and behavioural traits due to the physics of call emission and transmission. The evolution of vocalizations might imply trade‐offs with other energetically costly behaviours, such as parental care. Here, we investigated the association between body size, calling site, parental care and call properties (call duration, number of notes, peak frequency, frequency bandwidth and call structure) of the advertisement calls of glassfrogs (Centrolenidae)—a family of Neotropical, leaf‐dwelling anurans—using phylogenetic comparative methods. We also explored the tempo and mode of evolution of these traits and compared them with those of three morphological traits associated with body size, locomotion and feeding. We generated and compiled acoustic data for 72 glassfrog species (46% of total species richness), including representatives of all genera. We found that almost all acoustic traits have significant, but generally modest, phylogenetic signal. Peak frequency of calls is significantly associated with body size, whereas call structure is significantly associated with calling site and paternal care. Thus, the evolution of body size, calling site and paternal care could constrain call evolution. The estimated disparity of acoustic traits was larger than that of morphological traits and the peak in disparity of acoustic traits generally occurred later in the evolution of glassfrogs, indicating a historically recent outset of the acoustic divergence in this clade.     

Phylogeography of ninespine sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) in North America: glacial refugia and the origins of adaptive traits

The current geographical distribution of the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) was shaped in large part by the glaciation events of the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 Mya–10 Kya). Previous efforts to elucidate the phylogeographical history of the ninespine stickleback in North America have focused on a limited set of morphological traits, some of which are likely subject to widespread convergent evolution, thereby potentially obscuring relationships among populations. In this study, we used genetic information from both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and nuclear microsatellite markers to determine the phylogenetic relationships among ninespine stickleback populations. We found that ninespine sticklebacks in North America probably dispersed from at least three glacial refugia—the Mississippi, Bering, and Atlantic refugia—not two as previously thought. However, by applying a molecular clock to our mtDNA data, we found that these three groups diverged long before the most recent glacial period. Our new phylogeny serves as a critical framework for examining the evolution of derived traits in this species, including adaptive phenotypes that evolved multiple times in different lineages. In particular, we inferred that loss of the pelvic (hind fin) skeleton probably evolved independently in populations descended from each of the three putative North American refugia.