A STATISTICAL STUDY OF MATE CHOICE: SEXUAL SELECTION IN A PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER (DESMOGNATHUS OCHROPHAEUS)

Our experiment revealed the existence of significant variation in mating success in a salamander species in which males do not provide courtship feeding, nest sites, or parental care. Differences in mating success were based on natural variation among adult males and females, rather than on traits of an artificially selected set of potential mates. Courtship encounters deliberately involved only one male and one female, thus eliminating the potentially confounding effects of male-male competition and variations in mate encounter rate. Even after eliminating these effects and random error, some females were more likely than others to elicit spermatophore deposition by a male, and some males were more likely than others to inseminate a female. Such variation among individuals represents an opportunity for sexual selection to act on phenotypic characters that affect mating success. We advocate the use of a factorial experimental design to analyze sexual selection. This approach permits the statistical evaluation of separate male and female effects, interaction between these effects, and random effects. Designs which combine the evaluations of mating success and courtship behaviors could estimate the force of sexual selection on behavior.     

GENETIC STRUCTURE OF THE BLUE RIDGE DUSKY SALAMANDER (DESMOGNATHUS ORESTES): INFERENCES FROM ALLOZYMES, MITOCHONDRIAL DNA, AND BEHAVIOR

Abstract The plethodontid salamander Desmognathus orestes, a member of the D. ochrophaeus species complex, is distributed in southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina. Previous allozyme analyses indicate that D. orestes consists of two distinct groups of populations (D. orestes‘B’ and D. orestes‘C’) with extensive intergradation and probable gene flow between these two groups. Spatially varying allele frequencies can reflect historical associations, current gene flow, or a combination of population‐level processes. To differentiate among these processes, we use multiple markers to further characterize divergence among populations of D. orestes and assess the degree of intergradation between D. orestes‘B’ and D. orestes‘C’, specifically investigating variation in allozymes, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and reproductive behavior among populations. On a broad scale, the mtDNA genealogies reconstruct haplotype clades that correspond to the species identified from previous allozyme analyses. However, at a finer geographic scale, the distributions of the allozyme and mtDNA markers for D. orestes‘B’ and D. orestes‘C’ are discordant. MtDNA haplotypes corresponding to D. orestes‘B’ are more broadly distributed across western North Carolina than predicted by allozyme data, and the region of intergradation with D. orestes‘C’ indicates asymmetric gene flow of these markers. Asymmetric mating may contribute to observed discordance in nuclear versus cytoplasmic markers. Results support describing D. orestes as a single species and emphasize the importance of using multiple markers to examine fine‐scale patterns and elucidate evolutionary processes affecting gene flow when making species‐level taxonomic decisions.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION OF SEXUAL DICHROMATISM AMONG POPULATIONS OF THE YARROW'S SPINY LIZARD (SCELOPORUS JARROVII)

Understanding evolution of geographic variation in sexually dimorphic traits is critical for understanding the role that sexual selection may play in speciation. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of geographic variation in sexual dichromatism in the Yarrow's spiny lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii), a taxon that exhibits remarkable diversity in male coloration among populations (e.g., black, red, green, yellow, blue, brown). An mtDNA phylogeny based on approximately 880 bp from the 12S ribosomal RNA gene and 890 bp from the ND4 gene was reconstructed for 30 populations of S. jarrovii and eight other species of the torquatus species group using maximum-likelihood and parsimony methods. The phylogeny suggests that S. jarrovii consists of at least five evolutionary species, none of which are sister taxa. Although intraspecific diversity in male coloration is less than indicated by previous taxonomy, two species formerly referred to as S. jarrovii exhibit impressive geographic variation in sexual dichromatism. In one of these species, the phylogeny shows the independent evolution of a distinctive blue color morph in different parts of the species range. This pattern suggests that sexual selection may lead to striking phenotypic divergence among conspecific populations and striking convergence. Results also demonstrate the importance of a phylogenetic perspective in studies of evolutionary processes within nominal species and the problematic nature of “polytypic” species recognized under the biological species concept.     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE THREE ALLOPATRIC POPULATIONS OF THE MALUTI MINNOW,OREODAIMON QUATHLAMBAE (BARNARD) WITH NOTES ON ITS EVOLUTION,ECOLOGY, SPAWNING,AND CONSERVATION

SUMMARY

Meristics and pigmentation of specimens of Oreodaimon quathlambae from the three known populations were compared to determine whether the species has experienced divergent evolution. Pigmentation was found to vary substantially but meristics counts did not. A proposal is made-to recognise three varieties of the species: Tsoelika-na, Senqu, and Moremoholo.

A review of the possible evolution of the species and the Drakensberg ecosystem suggests that the decline of the minnow is due to its exclusive adaption to a disappearing habitat.

Examination of what is known of the fish's life history and the history of the host rivers implies that competition from trout is a secondary cause of extermination of the endangered minnow. Environmental degradation poses a greater threat to the survival of the species.

Speculation is offered that O. quathlambae is a crevice spawner.

A report on the current conservation status and research is given along with management recommendations. Recent surveys have discovered another isolated population on the Tsoelikana River.     

井冈山自然保护区栲属群落优势种群的种间联结关系研究

 采用2×2联列表,通过方差分析、χ2检验、联结系数AC值、Jaccard指数及点相关指数对井冈山栲属（Castanopsis）群落样地中出现频率较高的20个种群的种间联结进行了定量分析。结果表明：井冈山栲属群落20个优势种群的总体种间关联性呈显著正关联,反映该群落处于稳定的顶极阶段;20个优势种群的种间联结关系中10个种对具有极显著正联结,10个种对具有显著正联结,4个种对具有极显著负联结,8个种对具有显著负联结。190个种对中,绝大多数种对联结关系未达到显著水平,种对间的独立性相对较强,这种种间联结的松散性可能与目前群落的发展阶段及种本身的生态学特性有关。目前,群落处于比较稳定的顶极阶段。     

THE ROLE OF COURTSHIP SONGS IN REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION AMONG POPULATIONS OF GREEN LACEWINGS OF THE GENUS CHRYSOPERLA (NEUROPTERA: CHRYSOPIDAE)

Male and female lacewings tremulate during courtship, establishing duets that always precede copulation. Three distinct courtship songs are found in populations of the green lacewing Chrysoperla plorabunda (P1, P2 and P3 song morphs). Analysis of five features of the songs for individuals collected from Connecticut, Idaho, Oregon and California showed few differences within song morphs, but sympatric song morphs differed significantly in temporal features of the songs and their mode of presentation. Playback experiments using recorded songs were performed on females with all possible sympatric and allopatric combinations of females and recorded songs. The results showed that females strongly prefer to duet with recordings of males of their own song type and usually showed no responses to songs of other types. Thus, song differences are effective barriers to reproduction between the sympatric morphs. Our results support the hypothesis that the three song morphs are true biological species.     

TESTING MODELS OF MIGRATION AND ISOLATION AMONG POPULATIONS OF CHINOOK SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS TSCHAWYTSCHA)

The chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) is a behaviorally, morphologically, and ecologically variable species distributed over a large geographic range. Although previous genetic surveys have revealed considerable genetic differences among populations with different life history types and from different major river drainages, it is not clear to what degree these genetically distinct populations are connected by low levels of gene flow. The work described in this paper addresses this question by surveying DNA restriction site variation at six nuclear genes from nine populations encompassing most of the species's North American range, and then attempting to fit the patterns of variation observed at these genes to five different evolutionary models using computer simulations of the coalescent process. Two commonly used constant population size models, one hypothesizing no migration among populations and one hypothesizing equal rates of migration among populations, were found to be statistically inconsistent with the observed patterns of variation. The other three models, which involved either recent divergence among populations coupled with large changes in populations size, unequal migration rates among populations, or selection, were all found to be consistent with the observed patterns of variation. Assuming selective neutrality, these results suggest that either the populations have all descended from a common ancestral population within the last ~50,000 years and have all suffered large declines in effective population size since that time, or that they have a more ancient divergence time but are connected by low levels of gene flow. These conclusions rest on the assumption of selective neutrality. With the methods employed, it was not possible to simultaneously test hypotheses of both selective neutrality and population structure.     

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE FISH POPULATIONS OF THE RECENTLY-IMPOUNDED KATSE RESERVOIR,LESOTHO

Summary

Katse is a new 35 km long impoundment on the Malibamatso River, a highland tributary of the Orange River in Lesotho. Two fishing surveys in 1996 yielded Barbus aeneus, Labeo capensis, Oncorhynchus mykiss and the occasional Austroglanis sclateri. Length frequency data for the first three species show modes which may represent year classes, although gillnet selectivity also plays a role. Barbus aeneus is abundant throughout the reservoir and could support a subsistence fishery. Labeo capensis is segregated by sex in the breeding season, with males remaining on the spawning grounds at the river mouths while females visit the spawning grounds for a short time to shed their eggs. The absence of small-sized Oncorhynchus mykiss in the catch may be due to pollution from mining and construction affecting the spawning grounds. The catches of larger trout and the outstanding scenery suggest that a tourist sport fishery could be developed on the reservoir based on natural recruitment supplemented, if necessary, by stocking hatchery-reared fish. As the three species are potamodromous, subsistence fishing zones will need to be clearly demarcated to prevent fishing in the vulnerable river mouth areas.     

SEXUAL SELECTION COUNTERACTS EXTINCTION OF SMALL POPULATIONS OF THE BULB MITES

Genetic drift in small populations can increase frequency of deleterious recessives and consequently lead to inbreeding depression and population extinction. On the other hand, as homozygosity at deleterious recessives increases, they should be purged from populations more effectively by selection. Sexual selection has been postulated to strengthen selection against deleterious mutations, and should thus decrease extinction rate and intensify purging of inbreeding depression. We tested these predictions in the bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini. We created 100 replicate lines of small populations (five males and five females) and in half of them experimentally removed sexual selection by enforcing monogamy. The lines were propagated for eight generations and then assayed for purging of inbreeding depression. We found that proportion of lines which went extinct was lower with sexual selection than without. We also found evidence for purging of inbreeding depression in the lines with sexual selection, but not in lines without sexual selection. Our results suggest that purging of inbreeding depression was more effective against mutations with relatively large deleterious effects. Thus, although our data clearly indicate a positive impact of sexual selection on short‐term survival of bottlenecked populations, long‐term consequences are less clear as they may be negatively impacted by accumulation of deleterious mutations of small effect.     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE ISOLATION OF SALMONELLAE FROM SELENITE BROTH

SUMMARY: Studies of growth curves of enterobacteria in selenite broth containing different carbohydrates showed that whereas mannitol and lactose brought about a steep fall in coli-aerogenes bacteria, mannitol improved the growth of Salm. typhi-murium . With mixed cultures of Cit. freundii I and Salm. typhi-murium the presence of lactose, utilizable by the former, adversely affected the viable count of the latter.
Comparative studies with routine faeces specimens showed that selenite broth was an efficient selective medium with MacConkey's agar; but much better results were obtained when it was combined with deoxycholate-citrate agar. Gentian violet introduced into selenite broth improved its selectivity for most Salmonella types when MacConkey's agar was used for final isolation.