Genetic analysis shows that Rubus vikensis is a distinct species with a disjunct distribution

Rubus vikensis A. Pedersen ex G. Wendt (sect. Corylifolii) was recently described from a restricted area in north western Scania, Sweden. In this investigation, I show that the same species occurs also on the Onsala peninsula in northern Halland and on a single locality in the middle of Halland. It has 35 chromosomes in all parts of the distribution area. Moreover, I show by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis that R. vikensis is a distinct and well‐defined species, clearly separated from the morphologically similar R. wahlbergii, with which it shares the chromosome number.     

BIOSYSTEMATICS OF RUELLIA TUBEROSA L. (ACANTHACEAE)

Ruellia tuberosa is a wide-ranging tropical, perennial herb that has been designated the type species for the large genus Ruellia. To clarify interspecific relationships, the R. tuberosa species complex, including R. nudiflora, R. malacosperma, and R. lorentziana, and R. tuberosa, has been proposed as the redefined and restricted genus Ruellia. All other Ruellia species would be transferred to segregate genera. Biosystematic investigations that included artificial hybridization experiments, herbarium comparisons, chromatographic analyses, and cytological studies demonstrated that R. tuberosa is genetically related to a number of North American temperate taxa and to certain other tropical species. The narrow definition of Ruellia cannot be supported from the biosystematic evidence at hand. Morphological comparisons suggest that R. tuberosa may be a primitive component in a broadened generic concept.     

Isozyme and morphological diversity within apomictic and sexual taxa of the Ranunculus auricomus complex

 In 17 populations of the tetraploid agamospecies R. variabilis, 10 enzyme systems have been studied by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis, and compared to previous data of 3 populations of the diploid sexual species R. notabilis. Allozymic and genotypic diversity of 12 polymorphic loci, and multilocus genotype diversity in R. variabilis compares to other apomictic taxa, confirming the assumed apomictic mode of reproduction previously found in 3 populations. A cluster analysis based on genetic distance values separated the two taxa, the populations of southeastern Austria sympatric with R. notabilis showing no closer relationships to the sexual species than the allopatric ones. The R. variabilis populations of the circumalpine regions are separated as a rather uniform group, those of the Bohemian massif as another, more heterogeneous group. This geographic differentiation is mainly due to genotypic variation, which is higher in the Bohemian massif than in the circumalpine group, and lower in areas where R. variabilis is sympatric with R. notabilis. Proportion of multilocus genotypes within populations (G/N), genotype diversity (D), and genotype evenness (E) measures indicate facultative recombination events with fixation and clonal reproduction of new recombined genotypes, which is regarded as the most important factor for the evolution of new lineages in goldilocks. Morphometric data of the R. variabilis and R. notabilis populations studied by cluster and principal coordinate analyses clearly separated the two taxa, and indicated a slight geographic differentiation with in R. variabilis corresponding to the results of isozyme data. A principal coordinate analysis of R. variabilis individuals based on stem and fruit characters showed a clinal variation, but no clear separation of groups. The variation found in this PCoA is almost completely covered from the most widespread clone (genotype I), and also from individual genotypes. The implications of the results on different species concepts for apomicts are discussed. For R. variabilis, no taxonomic conclusions can be drawn from the present data set. Received December 15, 1999 Accepted November 15, 2000     

Mode of reproduction is detected by Parth1 and Sex1 SCAR markers in a wide range of facultative apomictic Kentucky bluegrass varieties

Gametophytic apomixis in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) involves the parthenogenetic development of unreduced eggs from aposporic embryo sacs. Marker-assisted selection for the mode of reproduction in P. pratensis would avoid costly and time-consuming phenotypic progeny tests. We developed and tested two SCAR primer pairs that are associated with the mode of reproduction in P. pratensis. The SCAR primers identified the apomictic and sexual genotypes among progenies of sexual x apomictic crosses with very low bias. Furthermore, when tested on a wide range of Italian and exotic P. pratensis germplasm, they were able to unequivocally distinguish sexual from apomictic genotypes. This system should, therefore, allow new selection models to be set up in this species.     

EPIPELIC AND EPILITHIC DIATOM ASSEMBLAGES IN MONTEZUMA WELL NATIONAL MONUMENT,ARIZONA1

Epipelic and epilithic diatom assemblages in Montezuma Well National Monument, Arizona, were identified and analyzed by H' (species diversity), species number, J' (evenness), relative abundance, SIMI (similarity index), and DI (dissimilarity index) values. The epipelic assemblage was found to be a tri-dominant association of Cyclotella pseudostelligera f. parva Czar. & Blinn, Cocconeis placentula var. lineata (Ehr.) V.H. and Achnanthes linearis (W. Sm.) Grun. The epilithic assemblage was a tri-dominant association of Rhoicosphenia curvata (Kütz.) Grun. ex Rabh., Cy. Pseudostelligera f. parva and Synedra ulna (Nitz.) Ehr. Both associations persisted throughout the year. Of the 83 taxa observed, 51 were common to both assemblages, 24 were restricted to the epipelon, and 8 were restricted to the epilithon. On a yearly basis, the epipelic assemblage exhibited less diversity (H') than the epilithon, even though the latter exhibited fewer taxa. The use of mean diversity values was also determined to be unacceptable. Cy. Pseudostelligera f. parva and S. ulna appeared more abundant under high light intensity and duration, Fragilaria construens var. venter (Ehr.) Grun. favored low light intensity and duration, whereas A. linearis, R. curvata and Co. placentula var. lineata were tolerant of a variety of intensities and durations. On a yearly basis, both assemblages exhibited slight similarity (SIMI, DI). The use of SIMI values for comparing assemblages with few highly abundant taxa was determined to be unacceptable and under these conditions, the use of DI was recommended.     

Cytotaxonomische Untersuchungen in der Artengruppe desRanunculus alpestris (Ranunculaceae)

Morphological and cytological investigations as well as crossing experiments were carried out with the 5 species of theRanunculus alpestris group (R. alpestris L.,R. traunfellneri Hoppe,R. bilobus Bertol.,R. crenatus Waldst. etKit.,R. magellensis Ten.). A key to the species is presented; localities and distribution are given in addition to extensive diagnoses. Crossing experiments between the 5 taxa were successful (F₁-F₃ individuals, backcross types, tripeland quadrupelbastards); the morphology of the experimentally obtained F₁-hybrids was mostly intermediate. All 5 species as well as all hybrids have a chromosome number of 2n = 16; there is no statistically significant difference between the karyotypes of the 5 taxa. According to the results of the morphological investigations and the crossing experiments we can distinguish 2 subunits of very closely related species: a)R. alpestris, R. traunfellneri, R. bilobus; b)R. crenatus, R. magellensis. The speciation within the group ofRanunculus alpestris is discussed.

     

Taxonomic investigation using DNA fingerprinting in Geitlerinema species (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria)

The taxonomic study of 14 strains of Geitlerinema amphibium (Ag. ex Gom.) Anagnostidis and Geitlerinema unigranulatum (R.N. Singh) Komárek and Azevedo, coming from several localities was undertaken. Use was made of morphological data and molecular data were obtained by means of the DNA fingerprinting technique using highly iterated palindrome (HIP1) sequences. The employed morphological characteristics were those used for species taxonomic identification belonging to the Geitlerinema genus, namely, cell dimensions, shape of the apical cell, motility, number and localization of cyanophycin granules in the cell. The two species revealed as polymorphic were discriminated only by means of the average cellular diameters. In spite of this, minima and maxima values of the cellular diameters overlapped. It was found from molecular analysis that a high genetic diversity and the formation of two clusters consisted of G. amphibium and G. unigranulatum, plus a sole strain keeping itself isolated from the remaining. Also, these clusters were not related to the geographic location; they encompassed strains from water bodies distant from each other by as much as 3500 km, or Brazilian and Spanish strains. Molecular and morphological data support the possibility that G. unigranulatum could be considered a synonym for G. amphibium. HIP1 fingerprinting is a powerful tool for the study of genetic of cyanobacteria closely related taxa. This study points to the necessity of using other than morphological data in the taxonomic revision of cyanobacteria, as well as in the proposition of new taxons.     

Molecular markers shared by diverse apomictic Pennisetum species

Two molecular markers, a RAPD (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) and a RFLP/STS (restriction fragment length polymorphism/sequence-tagged site), previously were found associated with apomictic reproductive behavior in a backcross population produced to transfer apomixis from Pennisetum squamulatum to pearl millet. The occurrence of these molecular markers in a range of 29 accessions of Pennisetum comprising 11 apomictic and 8 sexual species was investigated. Both markers were specific for apomictic species in Pennisetum. The RFLP/STS marker, UGT 197, was found to be associated with all taxa that displayed apomictic reproductive behavior except those in section Brevivalvula. Neither UGT197 nor the cloned RAPD fragment OPC-04₆₀₀ hybridized with any sexually reproducing representatives of the genus. The cloned C04₆₀₀ was associated with 3 of the 11 apomictic species, P. ciliare, P. massaicum, and P. squamulatum. UGT197 was more consistently associated with apomictic reproductive behavior than OPC04₆₀₀ or cloned C04₆₀₀, thus it could be inferred that UGT197 is more closely linked to the gene(s) for apomixis than the cloned C04₆₀₀. The successful use of these probes to survey other Pennisetum species indicates that apomixis is a trait that can be followed across species by using molecular means. This technique of surveying species within a genus will be useful in determining the relative importance of newly isolated markers and may facilitate the identification of the apomixis gene(s).     

Conservation unit status inferred for plants by combining interspecific crosses and AFLP

Hybridization and introgression are common in plants and lead to morphological similarity between species and taxonomic confusion. This gene flow with closely related species can complicate efforts to determine whether an endangered taxon is evolutionarily distinctive and should be identified as a separate conservation unit. Potentilla delphinensis is a rare and threatened endemic species of the Southern French Alps. Two common related taxa (P. grandiflora and P. thuringiaca) are morphologically similar and occur in the same geographical locations. Thus, whether P. delphinensis represents a reliable conservation unit remained unclear. Our evaluation procedure based on a combination of molecular biology and interspecific crosses was used to define taxa within these plants. Plants were sampled from a total of 23 single and mixed localities for the three supposed taxa and were genotyped with 68 polymorphic Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) loci. Fourty-one seedlings from interspecific crosses were obtained and genotyped. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism markers identified four genetically distinct units (P. delphinensis, P. grandiflora and two distinct groups of P. thuringiaca). All individuals of P. delphinensis formed a homogeneous and distinct taxon. This taxon was most probably an old allopolyploid from P. grandiflora and the related group of P. thuringiaca. Interspecific crosses gave low seed set and low germination rate. Furthermore, assignment test indicated that seedlings obtained from interspecific crosses were essentially apomictic rather than hybrids. These results suggest that a reproductive barrier exists between the different taxa. In conclusion, all results supported P. delphinensis as a true biological species and justified its conservation unit status. A surprising outcome of this work was the evidence of a potential new cryptic species. This study demonstrated the need to combine a molecular marker-based approach and pollination experiments for an accurate evaluation of plant taxa.     

Microsatellite loci development in endangered pamphagid grasshoppers endemic to the Canary Islands (Orthoptera)

The five recognized endemic pamphagid species (Orthoptera) of the Canary Islands have restricted and fragmented ranges due to habitat decline. Seven polymorphic microsatellite markers have been developed for Acrostira tamarani, and the performance of primer pairs amplifying these loci in related taxa has been tested. The number of alleles in A. tamarani samples taken from two distant localities in the island of Gran Canaria ranged from two to eight per locus. Observed heterozygosities were from 0.151 to 0.559. Up to four primer pairs amplified in related species with moderate heterozigosities (maximum of 0.687 and 10 alleles for Ata67 locus in Purpuraria erna). These markers could be useful tools to study the population structure and management of endemic threatened pamphagids of the Canary archipelago.     

Genus Colocasiomyia (Drosophilidae: Diptera) in Sabah,Bornean Malaysia: High species diversity and use of host aroid inflorescences

A total of 21 Colocasiomyia species, including 17 undescribed species, are reported from Sabah (Mt. Kinabalu and neighboring areas), Malaysia, based on samples collected from inflorescences of 14 or 15 Araceae species. This number of species is the largest as a local fauna of this genus in the world. The high species diversity is attributed to 12 undescribed species belonging to the Colocasiomyia baechlii species group. A particular breeding habit of Colocasiomyia is sharing of the same inflorescence by a pair of species, with partial niche separation between them: one species uses exclusively the pistillate (lower female‐flower) section of the spadix for oviposition and larval development, whereas the other mostly uses the staminate (upper male‐flower) section. However, the baechlii group species show quite different patterns of host plant use: many (up to eight) species cohabit on the same inflorescence. It is unlikely that they separate their breeding niches micro‐allopatrically within an inflorescence. Instead, species composition and their proportions of individual numbers vary among different localities, seasons and host plants, with partial overlap among them. Such partial separations in local distribution, phenology and host selection would in combination contribute to their coexistence and promote the species diversity of this group.     

Diploid and autotetraploid sexuals and their relationships to apomicts in the Ranunculus cassubicus group: insights from DNA content and isozyme variation

 From the predominantly aposporous Ranunculus cassubicus group, a subgroup of the R. auricomus complex, two species with both diploid and tetraploid cytodemes (R. cassubicifolius W. Koch and R. carpaticola Soó) were known. Nine population samples of both species have been analyzed for variation of ploidy levels and isozymes. DNA image analysis showed that three populations of R. cassubicifolius from Bavaria and Salzburg are diploid, two from Lower Austria tetraploid. In R. carpaticola, two populations from Central Slovakia and one from Romania are diploid, one from northern Slovakia is hexaploid. The polyploid populations had somewhat smaller C-values than expected from diploids. Ploidy levels are consistent within populations, contradicting previous hypotheses that cycles of diploid-tetra-ploid-dihaploid apomictic individuals occur in natural populations of goldilocks. Isozyme-allozyme analysis of nine polymorphic loci showed that individual variation and genetic measures of di-ploid and tetraploid populations are equivalent to those of sexual taxa. Multiple allelism and unbalanced gene dosages in tetraploid R. cassubicifolius give evidence for autopolyploidy that is most probably of multiple origin. The observed excess of homozygotes and the high diversity between populations in the diploid populations of R. cassubicifolius are most probably due to geographical isolation of population groups, that might have happened during the Würm glaciation and might have promoted the separation of autotetraploids in the easternmost part of the distribution range. Genetic distance values analyzed by UPGMA of all sexual populations separated the two taxa and the cytodemes within R. cassubicifolius. Multidimensional scaling of individuals (including the apomicts) based on a presence/absence matrix of alleles confirmed this differentiation with an overlapping zone between R. cassubicifolius and R. carpaticola. The hexaploid R. carpaticola population showed reduced genotypic diversity, an increased number of heterozygotes and fixed heterozygosity as typical for apomictic mode of reproduction. This population shared alleles of both species without any specific ones, multidimensional scaling placed genotypes among R. cassubicifolius. Thus, the hexa-ploid apomicts might have originated from hybrids of R. cassubicifolius and R. carpaticola. In general, evolution of agamic lineages in the R. cassubicus complex might have been facilitated by autopoly-ploids, because they can provide a bridge between the reproductive systems that are otherwise isolated by ploidy levels, and also a starting point for spontaneous origin of apomixis. Received October 8, 2001; accepted May 10, 2002 Published online: November 7, 2002 Addresses of the authors: Elvia H?randl (E-mail: elvira.hoerandl@univie.ac.at), Department of Systematics and Evolution of Higher Plants; Johann Greilhuber (E-mail: Johann.Greilhuber@univie. ac.at), Department of Systematic Karyology and Embryology of Plants; both: Institute of Botany, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.     

Un'Ipotesi Sull'Evoluzione dei Limonium del Bacino del Mediterraneo

Abstract

A hypothesis on the evolution of Limonium species in the Mediterranean area. — The chromosomic somatic number of 27 species and 2 hybrids belonging to the genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) of several Mediterranean regions (Spain, France, Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily) and Canarian Islands are here determined on wild populations. Keeping into account 10 data previously determined by other Authors, the chromosomic number is now known for more than 1/3 of the species occurring in West Europe and Mediterranean.

This allows to formulate a hypothesis on the group's evolution: from some diploid species living on inner rocks (Felsenheide) or sea cliffs and having a very restricted area, tetraploid races living on sandy shores had developped, which expanded afterwards on the whole Mediterranean area, and finally by hybridations giving rise to triploids.

Ecology and areal dimension of triploid species are generally intermediate between those of diploids and tetraploids; in some cases there is an apparent tendency to fragmentation into local forms, sometimes joined with apomictic reproduction.     

The genera Dirina and Roccellina (Roccellaceae)

In the present monograph of the coastal lichens, generally referred to as Dirina (crustose), Lobodirina (placoid), and Roccellina (suffruticose), two genera comprising 38 taxa are recognized: Dirina Fr. (7 species, 2 subspecies, and 4 forms) and Roccellina Darbish. (23 species and 2 forms). One Chiodecton and one Enterographa species are transferred to Dirina. Lobodirina Follm. is included in Roccellina together with seven species formerly placed in Dirina, one in Schismatomma, and one in Dirinastrum. The relationships between the two genera and the relation to other genera in Roccellaceae are discussed. Eleven species, and four forms are new: Dirina approximata Zahlbr. ssp. hioramii (B. de Lesd.) Tehler f. sorediala Tehler, D. catalinariae Hasse f. sorediala Tehler, D. insulana (C. Tav.) Tehler f. sorediala Tehler, Roccellina badia Tehler, R. cerebriformis (Mont.) Tehler f. sorediala Tehler, R. chalybea Tehler, R. conformis Tehler, R. exspectata Tehler, R. flavida Tehler, R. inaequabilis Tehler, R. nigricans Tehler, R. nigrocincta Tehler, R. obscura Tehler, R. suffruticosa Tehler, R. terrestris Tehler. Sixteen new combinations are proposed: D. approximata Zahlbr. ssp. africana (Fee) Tehler, D. approximata Zahlbr. ssp. hioramii (B. de Lesd.) Tehler, Dirina cretacea (Zahlbr.) Tehler, D. insulana (C. Tav.) Tehler, D. massiliensis Durteu et Mont. f. sorediala (Mull. Arg.) Tehler, Roccellina accedens (Nyl.) Tehler, R. capensis (Nyl. ex Stiz.) Tehler, R. cerebriformis (Mont.) Tehler, R. chilena (Dodge) Tehler, R. cinerea (Mull. Arg.) Tehler, R. cinerea (Mull. Arg.) Tehler f. sorediosa (Müll. Arg.) Tehler, R. falklandica (Zahlbr.) Tehler, R. limitata (Nyl.) Tehler, R. lutosa (Zahlbr.) Tehler, R. mahuiana (Follm.) Tehler, R. niponica (Nyl.) Tehler. All Dirina and 18 Roccelina species have been collected and studied in the field. Gross morphology and chemistry arediscussed. Statistical measurements of spore size are made for all species and subspecies. A cladistic relationship of the species of both genera, and a reduced area cladogram for Roccellina are proposed. Dirina is mainly restricted to the Northern Hemisphere and Roccellina, except for four species, is found in the Southern Hemisphere. The species are mainly bound to mediterranean, arid or subtropical climates.     

Ecology and biogeography of plant communities associated with the post Plio-Pleistocene relict Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum in southern Spain

Aims Rhododendron ponticum L. is reputed to be a post Plio‐Pleistocene relict plant species with a disjunct distribution that comprises the Iberian Peninsula to the west and the Euxinian region plus some restricted Mediterranean areas to the east. We analysed the ecological range (of subsp. baeticum) in the western area (Aljibe Mountains, north of the Strait of Gibraltar) to understand the factors determining the present area limitation. Location Sierra del Aljibe, north of the Strait of Gibraltar (Iberian Peninsula). Methods We selected 20 riparian sites where R. ponticum is common, and compiled data on the ecological diversity of associated woody species and ferns. We established a 500‐m main transect in each site, along the stream or river course, in which we placed five 20‐m‐long plots at regular intervals. We recorded physiographic habitat features, woody plants and fern abundance, and the number of R. ponticum individuals. Results Rhododendron ponticum in southern Spain is restricted to riparian forests in acidic soils (pH 4.0–6.4), and is mainly found on the banks of inclined and enclosed streams. In our inventory we recorded 59 woody taxa and 12 ferns, with R. ponticum being the dominant species of the understorey (mean abundance 78.6%). The communities are characterized by a high incidence of the humid warm temperate element, both in number of species (18.8 ± 3.7 per site) and abundance; meanwhile, the presence of the modern Mediterranean element (mean number of species 3.4 ± 3.8 per site) appears to be favoured by disturbance. These ecological–historical groups of taxa also show distinct patterns of typological habit, frequency of endemism, infrageneric diversity and geographical range. Populations of R. ponticum are characterized by a very variable density of seedlings in many sites, and the virtual lack of juveniles. Main conclusions Riparian forests of the Aljibe Mountains constitute a refuge for R. ponticum where the species persists, but populations appear to be in decline. The narrow ecological range of R. ponticum in the area strongly contrasts with its wide amplitude in the eastern natural area, mainly the Euxinian region, where R. ponticum probably finds better conditions due to the environmental heterogeneity of the region, and the lack of a hot dry season.     

BIOSYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATIONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA POPULATIONS OF RUELLIA (ACANTHACEAE)

Relationships of the putative Ruellia species, R. caroliniensis, R. ciliosa, R. heteromorpha, and R. succulenta were analyzed by population sampling, investigation of chromosome numbers, garden transplants, and hybridization experiments. Character data from 25 local, Florida populations and from transplants were evaluated. Some interfertility of these “taxa” was demonstrated, as was some interfertility with other species occurring in the eastern United States. Chromosome numbers are n = 17 and 2n = 34. The effect of different breeding systems on population structure is discussed. Total evidence suggests that the 4 “taxa” in question be considered ecological races of a single species widespread in the eastern United States, namely R. caroliniensis.     

Genetic evidence for recent range fragmentation and severely restricted dispersal in the critically endangered Sierra Madre Sparrow, Xenospiza baileyi

Assessing patterns of genetic structure and diversity of threatened species has become an essential tool for determining conservation status and designing management strategies. We examine the genetic structure of the Sierra Madre sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi), a species restricted to fragmented patches of subalpine bunchgrass in three small isolated areas of northwestern and central Mexico. Coding and non-coding regions of mtDNA (1,878 bp) from individuals of the only three known populations revealed the existence of a single major lineage, with closely related haplotypes being shared between populations across the range. The sharing of haplotypes between the distant northwest and central populations (~800 km) suggests a recent fragmentation of a formerly contiguous population. Despite a lack of large-scale phylogeographic structure, haplotype frequencies at local scales revealed significant genetic differentiation and high F _ST values between all three remaining populations, even between localities separated by less than 12 km. These results suggest restricted gene flow and limited dispersal, likely due to the species’ inability to cross areas of unsuitable habitat. On the basis of genetic interchange and ecological equivalence criteria, we recommend that the species be managed as a single unit, permitting the strengthening of the small population in the northwest with individuals from central Mexico, and/or the translocation of individuals to new areas of suitable habitat.     

Carnivore population trends in Spanish agrosystems after the reduction in food availability due to rabbit decline by rabbit haemorrhagic disease and improved waste management

We conducted spotlight counts from 1992 to 2006 in 59 localities to describe carnivore presence, distribution and relative abundance in open agriculture lands in Aragon, northeastern Spain. During the study period, urban waste and carcases of domestic livestock became less available to wild animals, and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) abundance was low after rabbit haemorragic disease. We calculated a kilometric abundance index (KAI, individuals seen per 100 km surveyed) and the ratio between the number of positive localities in which a species was detected and the total of localities surveyed in a year. Indices to abundance and presence included: red fox (Vulpes vulpes), KAI per 100 km 10.70 and 100.0% localities per year; stray dog (Canis familiaris), KAI 0.48 and 22.6% localities; wildcat (Felis silvestris), KAI 0.10 and 19.1% localities; domestic cat (Felis catus), KAI 0.21 and 20.6% localities; polecat (Mustela putorius), KAI 0.02 and 2.0% localities; badger (Meles meles), KAI 0.16 and 23.6% localities; stone marten (Martes foina), KAI 0.11 and 19.6% localities; weasel (Mustela nivalis), KAI 0.002 and 0.6% localities; and genet (Genetta genetta), KAI 0.06 and 10.0% localities. Indices of badger abundance increased significantly, whereas indices of stray dogs decreased significantly over the study period. Abundance indices of red fox, the most important predator of small game, were stable throughout the study period. No significant trend was observed to other studied species. This study concludes that Aragon region maintains a diverse and rather stable carnivore community and shows that large scale data may help to identify trends of the more abundant wild and feral carnivores.     

Morphological differentiation within the Ranunculus cassubicus group compared to variation of isozymes, ploidy levels, and reproductive systems: implications for taxonomy

 In the partly apomictic Ranunculus cassubicus group, a subgroup of the R. auricomus complex, two species were studied by morphometric analyses: R. cassubicifolius W. Koch (with three diploid and two autotetraploid sexual populations), and R. carpaticola Soó (with three diploid sexual populations and a hexaploid apomictic one). Multidimensional scaling analyses (MDS) of individuals, boxplots and cluster analyses of populations revealed a differentiation of R. cassubicifolius and R. carpaticola, whereby in MDS the hexaploid apomictic individuals are partly intermediate between R. cassubicifolius and R. carpaticola. The cytodemes of R. cassubicifolius showed no morphological and only a weak genetic differentiation. A comparison of morphology, isozymes, reproductive system and ploidy levels showed only partly congruence of data sets in respect of grouping populations, thus illustrating the problem to find criteria for a taxonomic concept. A treatment of the apomictic population as a separate group is indicated by all data sets, afterwards R. cassubicifolius and diploid R. carpaticola represent two other well-defined groups. Canonical variate analysis including all characters confirmed the three suggested groups as significantly different and showed that a total of 89.3% of individuals are correctly classified; number of teeth of stem leaf segments and number of petals are the most discriminating characters. Herbarium studies confirm the morphological differentiation yielded from population samples. The three population groups are even better separated in a canonical variate analysis of isozyme data (presence/absence of 25 alleles) of the same material, here 92.6% of individuals are correctly classified. Morphology and isozyme data suggest that the hexaploid apomict originated from hybrids of R. cassubicifolius and diploid R. carpaticola and must be excluded from the sexual taxa; the final classification and naming of the apomicts must be left for further studies on a larger material. The sexual taxa should be classified as separate species. Herbarium studies indicate that R. carpaticola s.str. is widespread over the Carpathians and might include other populations hitherto ascribed to other microspecies as well. Received November 20, 2001; accepted May 10, 2002 Published online: September 13, 2002     

Genetic studies in representatives of genusRhipidomys (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from Brazil

Karyotypic polymorphism of five taxa of the rodent genusRhipidomys from the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes was analysed.Rhipidomys nitela Thomas, 1901 from Amazon has 2n=48, FN=68. The other species, all have 2n=44, but can be separated into two groups, one with high FNs (76, 80) and the other with low FNs (48, 52). Two cytotypes ofR. mastacalis (Lund, 1840) with high FNs were trapped in four localities of the Cerrado, showing 19 and 17 biarmed autosomes, respectively. A low FN (48) was observed inR. leucodactylus (Tschudi, 1844) in two localities of the Cerrado and FN=52 in one locality in the Cerrado and the Amazon. All taxa with 2n=44 have a medium-sized acrocentric X chromosome and a small Y.Rhipidomys nitela is different from the species with 2n=44 by presenting a heterochromatic short arm of the X chromosome. In all karyotypes analysed, the nucleolus organizer regions were located in the short arms of two to six pairs and the (T₂AG₃)_n telomeric probes hybridizedin situ in both the short and long arms of all pairs of the karyotypes.