Morphological characters and classification of the subclass Monilifera (Pogonophora) and the problem of evolution of the bridle in pogonophorans

This paper presents the results of the revision of the subclass Monilifera (Pogonophora) based on an analysis of all currently known morphological features. The most important diagnostic characters of Monilifera are the presence of two tentacles without pinnules, a neurotroch on the forepart, a fragmented bridle, a transparent rigid tube, the lack of postannular region, and spermatophores. A few characters are newly proposed for the systematics of Monilifera: the length of tentacles, cephalic lobe, and forepart relative to the forepart diameter, average forepart diameter, paired coelom I, the presence of multicellular glands in the prefrenular region of first segment, the lack of muscular ridges of girdles, unfolded and nonconcave opisthosomal growth zone, teethed opisthosomal setae being arranged in four transverse rows or in a circle on each setigerous segment. The modified and expanded differential diagnoses of subclass Monilifera, order Sclerolinida, family Sclerolinidae, and genus Sclerolinum are given. Archeolinum gen. n. is erected to accommodate all moniliferan species, except for Sclerolinum sibogae Southward, 1961, on the basis of bridle and tube structure, as well as the most important morphometric parameters of forepart. All data on the morphology and evolution of the bridle as one of the most peculiar organs of pogonophorans are systematized. A complete series of transformations of the bridle structure is proposed: from plesiomorphic simple cuticular plaques scattered on the forepart dorsal surface to regular plaques with a thickened edge, ridge, and rodlike bodies. The merging of individual cuticular plaques and the reduction of their membranes resulted in the formation of a fused bridle. However, the traces of rodlike bodies and their derivates (the so-called blocks) can be found in many apomorphic bridles. Finally, total reduction of all elements of the initial cuticular plaque, except the thickened edge, led to the formation of a homogenous bridle, which is characteristic of most pogonophorans.     

Pogonophora (Annelida): form and function

Pogonophora, also known as Siboglinidae, are tube-dwelling marine annelids. They rely on endosymbiotic chemoautotrophic bacteria for nutrition and their anatomy and physiology are adapted to their need to obtain both oxygen and reduced sulphur compounds. Frenulate pogonophores are generally long and slender, sediment-living tubeworms; vestimentiferans are stouter, inhabitants of hydrothermal vents and cool seeps; and moniliferans or sclerolinids are very slender inhabitants of decaying wood and sulphidic sediments. The anatomy and ultrastructure of the three groups are compared and recent publications are reviewed. Annelid characters are the presence of chaetae and septa, concentrated at the hind end. The adaptations to a specialised way of life include, in particular, the chitinous tube; the anterior appendages that function as gills; the internal tissue called the trophosome, where the endosymbiotic bacteria live; and the blood vascular system that transports oxygen, sulphide and carbon dioxide to the trophosome.     

Analysis of the embryonic development of Pogonophora in connection with the problems of phylogenetics

The development of the mesoderm in the Pogonophora being a point of argument, some stages of their ontogenesis are analyzed. The cleavage of Siboglinum caulleryi is considered as a modified spiral cleavage with the demonstration of the prospective significance of blastomeres. All mesoderm in Pogonophora is formed in enterocoelic mode from the anterior quadrant B. The spiral cleavage of pogonophores is compared to that of the Polychaeta and other animals. Some aspects of the formation and structure of the telosoma in the larva and adults are analyzed with a discussion of the nature of its segmentation. Some general problems of the evolution of the spiral cleavage are considered. The division of the Coelomata into 5 superphyla is confirmed, the Pogonophora being one of them.     

On the origin of Spanish two-rowed barleys

To investigate the phylogenetic origin of Spanish two-rowed barleys, we studied 44 accessions of old land-races both morphologically and biochemically to ascertain their similarity with 51 entries of old cultivars and land-races of widespread origin across Europe. They were also compared with 20 accessions of Hordeum spontaneum from the Mediterranean basin and other regions of its distribution range, 14 accessions of Moroccan cultivated six-rowed barley land-races, and different six-rowed Spanish and two-and six-rowed European cultivars. CM-(trypsin inhibitors and subunits of the barley tetrameric -amylase inhibitor) proteins and hordeins, all of which are endosperm proteins, were used as biochemical markers. The appearance of separate clusters of the Spanish barleys in the numerical classifications for both protein systems as a result of the existence of characteristic gene combinations that do not exist in entries from other origins permitted us to postulate the existence of local ancestors for most of the Spanish two-rowed barleys studied, and, therefore, a possible in situ domestication.     

The origin of the tRNA molecule: implications for the origin of protein synthesis

A model for tRNA molecule origin is discussed. The model postulates that this molecule originated simply by direct duplication (and subsequent evolution) of a gene coding for an RNA hairpin structure, which can thus be hypothesized as the evolutionary precursor of the tRNA molecule. The main properties are defined for these hairpin structures and it is suggested that these structures might have housed, near their 3' end, anticodons that were transferred to the loop of the tRNA anticodon during duplication of the hairpin structures. Moreover, the main characteristics are given for the evolutionary intermediary formed by direct duplication of the hairpin structure, i.e. the double hairpin. The evolutionary stages envisaged by this model for tRNA origin seem to naturally imply some evolutionary transitions through which the origin of protein synthesis passed. Finally, some strong historical evidence is provided to corroborate the model.     

On the origin of cultivated rye

The origin of cultivated rye has been studied, taking into consideration evidence from various fields. Based on morphological resemblances and cytogenetic affinities, cultivated rye is included in Secale cereale L. emend. Sencer, which also includes annual wild and weedy ryes. Wild populations of 5. cereale , which have evolved from Secale montanum Guss. emend. Sencer, invaded wheat and barley fields during the early days of cultivation and gave rise to weedy ryes with varying degrees of rachis brittleness. Cultivated rye was selected from weedy ryes for non-brittle rachis and bigger caryopsis both unconsciously and consciously by man. The geographic origin of cultivated rye is postulated for the Büyük Ari Dai (Mt. Ararat) and Lake Van area in eastern Turkey. It spread from this area as a weed in wheat and barley fields towards the north, east and west and imposed itself as a secondary crop under conditions unfavourable for wheat and barley. It thus became a crop in its own right in several places independently, in addition to it being known by the people living in the Caucasus and Transcaucasus from very early agricultural times.     

On the origin and colonization of house mice in the Madeira Islands

The skulls and skins of adult house mice from the Madeira Islands have been studied and compared with those from the Salvage Islands and with material from the neighbouring Portuguese mainland man-associated and wild forms, respectively Mus musclus domesticus Rutty, 1772 and M. sprelus Lataste, 1883. Differences between island and mainland populations were found in some of the analysed features. Insular skins of mice were found to be smaller than those of specimens from the mainland. However, in Madeiran and Salvage mice the toothrows were much more developed than in the mainland house mice. It is considered that the causes of these differences lie in the different characteristics of the habitats, mainly food availability, and also in the isolation of populations. Mus musculus domesticus appears to be the only form of the house mouse to have so far successfully colonized the Madeiras.     

The origin of ethics

The evidence of ethics attitudes are quite difficult to be identified in the archaeological record. One of the first attitudes we can assume from the archeological record are those related with the recognition of death and how this recognition change the attitudes related with the deposition of humans corpses when death. The presence of graves or burials are firstly related with the Middle Palaeolithic in Eurasia. Its presence and distribution present many questions not so easy to solve. With the Upper Palaeolithic, the presence of items like decoration elements and those related broadly with “offerings”, give us the opportunity to understand the role of the individuals in the society.     

The origin of the cactus-yeast community

The yeast community found in decaying cactus stems and cladodes is stable in terms of species membership and is similar in composition over space and time. The ecological origins of the three core and four common species in the assemblage were inferred by mapping yeast habitats onto a phylogeny of yeasts reconstructed from rDNA sequences. The members of the community belong to distinct clades and consequently have independent origins. The inferred evolutionary pathways of the taxa originate in either tree-flux or decaying fruit habitats and lead to decaying Opuntia cladode and columnar stem habitats. The reasons for the polyphyletic origins of the cactus-yeast community could be due to unique aspects of cactus chemistry, environmental extremes, vector association and interactions among the members.     

Deep-ocean origin of the freshwater eels

Of more than 800 species of eels of the order Anguilliformes, only freshwater eels (genus Anguilla with 16 species plus three subspecies) spend most of their lives in freshwater during their catadromous life cycle. Nevertheless, because their spawning areas are located offshore in the open ocean, they migrate back to their specific breeding places in the ocean, often located thousands of kilometres away. The evolutionary origin of such enigmatic behaviour, however, remains elusive because of the uncertain phylogenetic position of freshwater eels within the principally marine anguilliforms. Here, we show strong evidence for a deep oceanic origin of the freshwater eels, based on the phylogenetic analysis of whole mitochondrial genome sequences from 56 species representing all of the 19 anguilliform families. The freshwater eels occupy an apical position within the anguilliforms, forming a highly supported monophyletic group with various oceanic midwater eel species. Moreover, reconstruction of the growth habitats on the resulting tree unequivocally indicates an origination of the freshwater eels from the midwater of the deep ocean. This shows significant concordance with the recent collection of mature adults of the Japanese eel in the upper midwater of the Pacific, suggesting that they have retained their evolutionary origin as a behavioural trait in their spawning areas.     

Mitochondrial diversity and the origin of Iberian sheep

Mitochondrial DNA diversity was analysed in 19 Iberian and six foreign sheep breeds. Three mtDNA lineages (B, A and C) were found in the Iberian sheep, with type B clearly predominating over the others. The results were analysed for each of the morphologically determined breed groups in Iberian sheep: Merino, Entrefino, Churro and Iberian trunks. MtDNA lineage C was found only in the Iberian trunk composed of Montesina and Ojalada. These two populations had high mtDNA variability, and in the Iberian sheep only Merino Branco had more variation. The other three Merino types studied showed moderate variability, including the most authentic Merino, the Spanish Merino. These three Merinos clustered closely in a multidimensional scaling representation of distances, while the fourth breed (Merino Branco) showed a clear separation. As for the other two trunks, breeds from the Churro group showed greater maternal uniformity while results for populations included in the so-called Entrefino trunk seemed to have a more heterogeneous maternal origin. The results obtained are discussed with available data from nuclear markers and with morphological classifications, and all this information is analysed in relation to the origin of the different Iberian sheep breeds.     

Simulation modeling of the origin of multicellular animals

A simulation model of the evolution of a free-living bilayered animal is proposed. The model object developed two layers of cells. The inner layer was able to produce digestive enzymes, to split and absorb organic substances. The evolution of these model objects was accompanied by mutations resembling real adaptations in some coelenterates and placozoans. It was observed that the outer layer of the model produced cells capable of secretion of digestive ferments. This mutation was a principal apomorphy leading to the appearance of organisms with extraorganismal digestion. Visual Basic and STELLA modeling software were used for simulations.     

Cellular origin of prealbumin in the rat

The synthetic rate of prealbumin and albumin in primary monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes was measured by immunochemical methods. The isolated hepatocytes synthesized these proteins in the same ratio as that previously found for the whole body synthesis in vivo. It is concluded that the hepatocytes synthesize the main part of prealbumin in the rat.     

On the origin of mongrels: evolutionary history of free-breeding dogs in Eurasia

Although a large part of the global domestic dog population is free-ranging and free-breeding, knowledge of genetic diversity in these free-breeding dogs (FBDs) and their ancestry relations to pure-breed dogs is limited, and the indigenous status of FBDs in Asia is still uncertain. We analyse genome-wide SNP variability of FBDs across Eurasia, and show that they display weak genetic structure and are genetically distinct from pure-breed dogs rather than constituting an admixture of breeds. Our results suggest that modern European breeds originated locally from European FBDs. East Asian and Arctic breeds show closest affinity to East Asian FBDs, and they both represent the earliest branching lineages in the phylogeny of extant Eurasian dogs. Our biogeographic reconstruction of ancestral distributions indicates a gradual westward expansion of East Asian indigenous dogs to the Middle East and Europe through Central and West Asia, providing evidence for a major expansion that shaped the patterns of genetic differentiation in modern dogs. This expansion was probably secondary and could have led to the replacement of earlier resident populations in Western Eurasia. This could explain why earlier studies based on modern DNA suggest East Asia as the region of dog origin, while ancient DNA and archaeological data point to Western Eurasia.     

Phylogenetic evidence for the herbaceous origin of angiosperms

The ancestral angiosperm is commonly interpreted as an arborescent to shrubby magnolialean with large, multiparted, complex flowers. We examined this hypothesis using a phylogenetic analysis of new and reevaluated characters polarizabled with outgroup comparison. Our cladistic analysis of basal angiosperms placed the nonmagnolialeanChloranthaceae andPiperaceae at the bottom of the tree. We further inferred the probable ancestral states of characters not polarizable with outgroup comparison by examining their distribution among taxa at the base of our cladogram. The sum of ancestral character states suggests that the protoangiosperm was a diminutive, rhizomatous to scrambling perennial herb, with small, simple flowers.