The Egyptian so-called Barmakids and Medieval gypsy migration--chronologic research

In the 2nd half of the 8th century A.D., the Barmakids, descendants of an Iranian princely house of Central Asia, succeeded for 3 generations as viziers and governors of the caliphs to be very popular with the common people and, at the same time, to achieve considerable influence, wealth and power at the court of the reigning Abbasids. However, in the course of time, this astounding rise filled the caliph H?r?n al Rash?d with growing distrust and later on with indomitable hatred. Finally, all these events induced him to bring about an unexpected cruel end to the rule of the constantly growing power of this court dynasty, an actual state in the state. The fact that a group of the later Egyptian gipsies, who were also called Ghaw?z?, still bear the name Bar?mika can perhaps be better understood on the following grounds. It might have happened that, owing to Oriental exceeding recklessness, the gypsies who at that time inhabited the present Iraq were given this denomination as a particularly oppurtune degrading and insulting name by the residential Arabian population which because of the gloomy events must have been extremely upset and alarmed. On the other hand, it might have also been that the gypsies who at that time were expelled from Mesopotamia because of the existing hatred against foreigners have, in order to disguise themselves, adopted the name of this noble house which in the Islamic world continued to be highly esteemed. Finally, both might have happened in close historical succession. All that allows to draw the cautious conclusion that a small split off migrating group of gypsies, who in the 6th century A.D. on their move in flight before the rage of the Huns had immigrated to Iran, halted during their migration in Mesopotamia at the latest in about the 8th century. A survey of the recorded denominations of the gypsies in the 19th to 20th century and the denominations of romoid ethnic groups in Egypt are presented.     

Origin of the Romany gypsies--genetic evidence.

Genetic heterogeneity and affinity was examined between nine Romany speaking gypsy populations and two of their possible ancestral populations from India. For AB0, Rhesus (D), MN and HP systems there exists a conclusive heterogeneity among these populations. Three gypsy populations from Western Europe (English, Welsh and Swedish) are genetically distinct from the rest of the East European gypsies and the populations of India analysed in this investigation. Overall the genetic differentiation among these populations is moderately high (RST = 0.029). The results also indicate the relative close relationship among the East gypsies and the two selected nomadic populations of India. The factors responsible for the moderate diversification of the East European gypsies may be high rate of migration, isolation and random drift, while among the Western gypsy populations admixture seems to be an important differentiation factor.     

A new species of Hedysarum (Fabaceae) in Iran and other new Hedysarum records

Hedysarum al-shehbazii , a new species endemic to Iran, is described and illustrated. This species belongs to Hedysarum section Multicaulia . It is confined to the western part of Iran (Kermanshah Province), and is known from a single population close to the Iraq frontier, although possibly also growing in the adjoining eastern part of Iraq. The conservation status of this species is 'vulnerable' according to World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria. In addition, H. varium and H. syricum are reported as new records from a single gathering close to the Turkish frontier. Moreover, H. kotschyi and H. pogonocarpum are transferred from Hedysarum section Crinifera to Hedysarum section Multicaulia .  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 505–512.     

Mesozoic brachiopod migrations and the opening of the North Atlantic

The distribution of a number of Mesozoic brachiopods indicates a migration up the eastern side of the North Atlantic starting in the early Jurassic and reaching as far north as Greenland by the beginning of Cretaceous times. The brachiopods evidently reached the new Atlantic via the Rif mountains of northern Morocco and migrated both north and south from there. Some of them came from the central High Atlas which represents a gulf open to the east but closed to the west. The western High Atlas, on the other hand, was populated by successive waves of forms from the west. Brachiopods and other distinctive forms of “Tethyan” origin clearly extended considerably farther north on the eastern side of the Atlantic than they did on the west. This probably implies an early establishment of the Gulf Stream. Some Tethyan brachiopods which did not extend to the western end of the Mediterranean are found instead to have spread via northeast Siberia to cordilleran North America.     

First evidence of east–west migration across the North Pacific in a marine bird

Many marine birds undertake long migrations between breeding and wintering areas, including some species that undertake long‐distance east–west or west–east movements across many degrees of longitude. To date, however, no east–west migrations have been described across the North Pacific. Geolocators were deployed on Ancient Murrelets Synthliboramphus antiquus breeding in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, in 2013 and four were retrieved the following year. Longitude positions showed that all four moved rapidly westwards after breeding, three of them reaching waters between Japan and China by November and this location was also supported by ringing data. Return migration was rapid, beginning in February and reaching Haida Gwaii in March, providing the first evidence for bird migration spanning the entire width of the North Pacific. This is the longest migration recorded in any of the Alcidae.     

Migration of the Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius breeding in South Sweden tracked by geolocators

Capsule Little Ringed Plovers breeding in South Sweden migrate towards the southeast in the autumn, via the Middle East, to winter in Saharan and sub-Saharan locations or in India, while the spring migration is more directly towards the north.

Aims To study the migration routes and wintering area of Little Ringed Plovers (Charadrius dubius) breeding in South Sweden, and to investigate the migration strategy and speed for this little studied shorebird.

Methods We use light-level geolocators to track the year-round movements of Little Ringed Plovers breeding in South Sweden.

Results Autumn migration proceeded towards the southeast, in three birds via lengthy stopovers in the Middle East, followed by movements towards the west and southwest to final winter destinations in Africa, while one male made a long stopover in northwestern Iran before migrating to India. The birds wintering in Africa probably stayed at freshwater locations in the Sahara or just south or north of the Sahara. Spring migration was more directly back to the breeding area. Overall migration speeds were similar during autumn and spring migration at about 189 and 209?km/day, respectively. The migration was carried out mainly as many short flights between stopovers. In particular, autumn migration was longer than the direct distance between breeding and wintering sites.

Conclusions This study shows that the geolocator method can successfully be used with relatively small (40?g) shorebirds. We found that a local population of Little Ringed Plover may have widely differing wintering sites (low connectivity), from sub-Saharan Africa to the Indian subcontinent. The migration strategy of the Little Ringed Plover, with multiple short flights, deviates from that of many other long-distance migrating shorebirds that, instead, make one or a few long flights.     

Molecular identification of Greek olive (Olea europaea) cultivars based on microsatellite loci

Olea europaea is one of the oldest species of domesticated trees. We used microsatellite markers for fingerprinting and for evaluation of genetic similarity and structure of 26 Greek olive cultivars, which cover most of the olive cultivation regions of Greece, including previously undescribed denominations from northern Greece. Eighty-one alleles were revealed with six SSR loci that were selected as most informative of 10 SSR primers that were initially investigated. The number of alleles per locus varied from 7 to 20 (mean, 13.5). Heterozygosity ranged from 0.240 at locus DCA-3 to 0.826 at locus UDO99-9, with a mean value of 0.600. Analysis of 104 trees representing 26 denominations (four trees per denomination) revealed 26 distinct SSR profiles, indicating 26 olive cultivars; no intracultivar variability was observed. Genetic and geographic distances were not significantly correlated, based on the Mantel test. These SSR loci allowed unequivocal identification of all the cultivars and will be useful for future breeding and olive germplasm management efforts.     

Broad wintering range and intercontinental migratory divide within a core population of the near‐threatened pallid harrier

Aim To identify the migration routes and wintering grounds of the core populations of the near‐threatened pallid harrier, Circus macrourus, and highlight conservation needs associated with these phases of the annual cycle. Location Breeding area: north‐central Kazakhstan; Wintering areas: Sahel belt (Burkina Faso to Ethiopia) and north‐west India. Methods We used ring recovery data from Kazakhstan and satellite tracking data from 2007 to 2008 on six adults breeding in north‐central Kazakhstan to determine migration routes and locate wintering areas. In addition, one first‐year male was tagged in winter 2007–2008 in India. Results Data evidenced an intercontinental migratory divide within the core pallid harrier population, with birds wintering in either Africa or India. The six individuals tagged in north‐central Kazakhstan followed a similar route (west of the Caspian Sea and Middle East) towards east Africa, before spreading along the Sahel belt to winter either in Sudan, Ethiopia, Niger or Burkina Faso. Spring migration followed a shorter, more direct route, with marked interindividual variation. The bird tagged in India spent the summer in central Kazakhstan. Half of the signal losses (either because of failure or bird mortality) occurred on the wintering areas and during migration. Main conclusions Our study shows that birds from one breeding area may winter over a strikingly broad range within and across continents. The intercontinental migratory divide of pallid harriers suggests the coexistence of distinct migratory strategies within the core breeding population, a characteristic most likely shared by a number of threatened species in central Asia. Conservation strategies for species like the pallid harrier, therefore, require considering very large spatial scales with possibly area‐specific conservation issues. We highlight urgent research priorities to effectively inform the conservation of these species.     

Wind drift,compensation, and the use of landmarks by nocturnal bird migrants

In this paper we describe fall nocturnal migration at three localities in eastern New York, one adjacent to the Hudson River, the other two 30 km to the west in a topographically more uniform area. Migrants at both study areas moved southwest in winds not out of the west and were, therefore, seemingly unaffected by the river. In west winds, however, birds away from the river moved south-southeast whereas those in the vicinity of the river flew a track west of south paralleling the river. In addition, a relative increase in the number of migrants along the river compared to away was observed in west winds as birds presumably became concentrated near the river. We conclude that on most autumn nights migrants passing through this area have a preferred track direction toward the southwest and in strong winds from the west and northwest they are drifted. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Hudson River, some birds alter their headings yielding a track direction that closely parallels the river resulting in at least a partial compensation for wind drift. No alternative hypothesis is consistent with all the data.     

Anomalous Westerlies, El Niño, and the Colonization of Polynesia

The west to east migration of the Polynesians and their Lapita predecessors was not accomplished by tacking against the prevailing southeast trade winds, but by using periodic westerly wind reversals to sail eastward. Data on equatorial westerlies and associated ocean current effects, including those gathered during recent El Niño events, are presented to indicate how these canoe voyagers were able to migrate so far into the Pacific.     

Analysis of the CFTR gene in Turkish cystic fibrosis patients: identification of three novel mutations (3172delAC, P1013L and M1028I)

In order to determine the spectrum of cystic fibrosis (CF) mutations in the Turkish population, a complete coding region of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene including exon-intron boundaries, on 122 unrelated CF chromosomes from 73 Turkish CF families was analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and multiplex heteroduplex analysis on MDE gel matrix. In addition to 15 previously reported mutations and 12 polymorphisms, three novel mutations, namely 3172delAC, P1013L and M1028I, were detected. ΔF508 was found to be present on 18.8% of CF chromosomes. The second most common mutation was 1677delTA, with a frequency of 7.3%, followed by G542X and 2183AA→G mutations, with frequencies of 4.9%. These four most common mutations in Turkish CF population account for approximately 36% of mutations. This study could only detect 52.5% of disease-causing mutations in this population; 47.5% of CF alleles remain to be identified, reflecting the high molecular heterogeneity of the Turkish population. Received: 16 June 1997 / Accepted: 18 September 1997     

Past and present distribution of the North African–Asian lion subgroup: a review

• 1 The North African–Asian lion subgroup, which is composed of two subspecies, the Barbary lion, Panthera leo leo, and the Asian lion, P. l. persica, was nearly exterminated during the last centuries. The remaining free‐ranging population of Asian lions consists of c. 350 animals in India. The Barbary lion subsists as captive animals in zoos or circuses, all of which originate from the Moroccan Royal Collection. There have been multiple genetic hybridizations with sub‐Saharan lions.
• 2 Several incomplete distribution maps of the past occupation of lions were proposed in the literature. I examine the distribution of these lions with the help of a larger database, extracted from zoological, archaeological and historical reports. Some records are however not completely reliable. Data were collected over a long period of time (from the Epipaleolithic to the modern times) in Eurasia, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
• 3 Dispersal took place in latitudes as far south as 15°N (Yemen) to 18°N (Mali; Chad) and as far north as 45–48°N (Bulgaria); and to longitudes as far west as 5.57°W (Morocco) and as far east as 84°E (India). Expansion was probably constrained by natural ecological factors northwards (higher seasonality, harsher winters) and southwards (extension of aridity after 3000 BP). At latitudes between 40 and 43°N, lions seem to have become a permanent part of the fauna during 6–8 millennia.
• 4 Lions were brought to extinction by humans through hunting, captures for exhibition in zoos and by the associated natural fragmentation of wild populations. The dates at which extinction took place varied greatly according to the geographical sites: 3000 BC for temperate Europe; 1000 BC in the south of Greece; 12–13th century in the Near East, Arabian Peninsula, Trans‐Caucasia or north of Afghanistan; and 19–20th century for North Africa, the Middle East and India.

     

Modeling the spread of invasive nutrias (Myocastor coypus) over Iran

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a native aquatic rodent to South America, and was introduced to Europe, Asia, Africa and North America for fur farming. The South American nutria or coypu is now considered a pest in the area of introduction, because of its negative impact on biological diversity and ecological relationships. Having information on the invasion range of exotic species is crucial for understanding the ecology of invasive spread and for making good conservation and management planning to address this problem. At the beginning of the 20th century, nutria was introduced into Asia. Nutria was recorded for the first time in Iran in 1995. In the present study we proposed a multiple spatial scale approach to predict the invasion trends of the nutria in Iran, and to define up the “suitable scale” for predicting the invasion trends of this species. Our results highlighted the importance of environmental variables including vegetation density (for food and nesting) and water resource (streams, rivers, and lakes) in distribution of the nutria. Potential areas for the presence of the nutria are located near the Caspian Sea, west and central Iran which receive more precipitation than other parts of the country. Therefore, these parts of Iran may face a much greater risk of invasion risk in the future. Moreover, these results can show the possible risk of nutria invasion to the northern and western neighbors of Iran.     

Molecular variation, systematics and distribution of the Anopheles fluviatilis complex in southern Asia

Species of the Anopheles fluviatilis James and Anopheles minimus complexes (Diptera: Culicidae) are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Members of the two complexes have been confused and, consequently, their distributions and roles in malaria transmission are uncertain. We identified numerous mosquitoes from China, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and/or sequencing, and analysed the variation in the 28S D3 region of ribosomal DNA for members of the Minimus Subgroup and also the internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) for members of the An. fluviatilis complex. The D3 region is highly conserved between taxa and therefore could serve as a standard for molecular diagnosis of the subgroup members. D3 sequence, bionomics and malaria transmission data provide further evidence that An. fluviatilis S in India is conspecific with An. minimus C in South-east Asia. An. fluviatilis T has three ITS2 haplotypes (designated T1, T2 and Y) and its distribution in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran is confirmed. An. fluviatilis U is well defined on cytogenetic grounds in Uttar Pradesh, India, but is very close to An. fluviatilis T and the two species may hybridize in some regions. Variant ITS2 sequences suggest the possible existence of two additional taxa within the An. fluviatilis complex, one in Iran and another in India, provisionally designated An. fluviatilis forms V and X, respectively. The distributions of members of the An. fluviatilis and An. minimus complexes in south-central Asia are summarized.     

Thanetian–Ilerdian coralline algae and benthic foraminifera from northeast India: microfacies analysis and new insights into the Tethyan perspective

Thanetian–Ilerdian carbonate deposits from the Lakadong Limestone in Assam Shelf, Meghalaya, northeast India, are studied with respect to microfacies distributions and controlling ecological factors on dominant biogenic components. Palaeoenvironmental implications are inferred following the detailed analysis of microfacies characterized by rich assemblages of coralline red algae and benthic foraminifera. The carbonate sediments have been interpreted as lagoonal to outer shelf facies. It is envisaged that the analysed benthic communities thrived in a meso‐oligotrophic regime above the fair‐weather wave base. The Lakadong Limestone constitutes a well‐preserved record of Late Palaeocene–earliest Eocene shallow marine carbonate ecosystem and has high potential to decipher its response to an interval of distinct changes in climate and tectonic settings. The abundance of oligotrophic larger benthic foraminifera in the Lakadong Limestone is comparable to the foraminiferal assemblages of west Tethys. The phylogenetic changes (‘Larger Foraminiferal Turnover’, LFT) and subsequent rapid radiation of typical Eocene larger benthic foraminifera (Alveolina, Nummulites) usually observed in the west Tethys have also been observed in the upper part of the Lakadong Limestone. The eastward migration of Eocene foraminifera from the west coincided with the India‐Asia collision and global warming events at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary that may have produced a wide array of modifications in biogeography, seasonal run‐offs and ocean circulation pathways. The data indicate that rapid rate of migration from west before the onset of geographic barriers and/or timely restoration of pan‐Tethyan environmental conditions ensured the incidence of these forms in the earliest Eocene sediments.     

Phytogeography of Genu and Homag,two mountains with an Irano–Turanian flora in the Saharo–Sindian regional zone,south Iran

The Saharo–Sindian regional zone encompasses the flat and arid areas of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, southern Iran and the deserts of Pakistan and west India. There are some scattered mountains situated within this area, like Hoggar in Sahara, Saint Catherine in Sinai and Genu and Homag in southern Iran. These highlands serve as interglacial refugia for cold adapted plant species. In the present study, phytogeographical patterns and relationships of the flora of Genu and Homag mountains are described and discussed in relation to the phytogeography of the flora of low‐lying Hormoz Island. According to a chorological assesment of the flora, Genu and Homag mountains belong to the Irano–Turanian region with 59% of the species restricted to this area. In contrast, the surrounding lowland plains are part of the Saharo–Sindian area with a rather high proportion of widespread species (17%) and Somalia–Masai‐linking elements (20%). It is noteworthy that several Turanian enclaves also occur in the lowland zone. Furthermore, the distributional patterns imply that the mountainous Irano–Turkestanian region is an integrated area which is supposedly distinct from the Turanian lowland areas in the north and from the Saharo–Sindian lowland areas in the south. On the other hand, the expansive floras of Turanian and Saharo–Sindian regions are linked to each other. Endemic species in lowland areas in south Iran are mostly either frost sensitive vicariants of cold adapted Turanian species or of Saharo–Sindian origin, while the highland endemics in the area trace their origins to the Irano–Turkestanian region.     

Moral and religious influences on the amniocentesis decision

Abstract

As early as 1973 Fletcher documented moral problems families encountered as they struggled with the decision of whether or not to have amniocentesis. In this study we asked 202 women accepting and 50 women rejecting amniocentesis extensive questions about religious beliefs, behaviors, and beliefs about abortion. Members of small Protestant denominations were the most conservative. Catholics and other Protestants were intermediate with smaller differences between these middle groups. Those respondents claiming no religion or one of a non‐Christian denomination were the most liberal. Net predictors of acceptance of amniocentesis included respondents’ support for laws permitting abortion for medical reasons, negative responses about belief in the sanctity of life, having insurance, and the respondents’ political affiliation. Education and religious attendance were the most consistent net predictorsof moral attitudes. We concluded that the amniocentesis decision is influenced by many religious beliefs but is not completely determined by these.     

Genetic structure of the Ards Peninsula,Northern Ireland: evidence from civil registers of marriage 1840-1911

This paper uses marital migration data transcribed from the Civil Registers of Marriage 1840-1911 to estimate kinship from migration matrices and isonymy in the Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland. The distribution of religious denominations (Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Roman Catholic) varies systematically throughout the region, with up to 77% Roman Catholic in the south and 81% Presbyterian in the north. Portavogie, a fishing village on the east coast, is exclusively Protestant, with a population 93% Presbyterian. Comparison of migration and isonymy with geographical distance by multidimensional scaling and the MATFIT procedure show Portavogie to be an outlier, more distantly related to other areas than its geographical position would predict. We suggest that this discrepancy is due to settlement history and occupational and religious isolation. Mantel tests show that marital migration is significantly related to geographical distance (rMG = 0.4257), as is the distribution of religious denominations (rRG = 0.5548) through settlement history. Migration is dependent on religion (rMR = 0.3674), and isonymy is dependent on migration (rIM= 0.2531) but not on geography or religion. With Portavogie omitted from the analysis, the dependence of migration on geography and on religion increases (rMG = 0.5583, rMR = 0.5646), as does the correlation between religion and geography (rRG = 0.7213). The dependence of isonymy on migration increases (rIM = 0.5103), and significant correlations between isonymy and religion (rIR = 0.4135) and isonymy and geography (rIG = 0.4660) appear. We argue that a full explanation of population structure requires geographical distance, settlement history, and the influence of religion and occupation to be taken into account.     

Mitochondrial genome structure of rice suspension culture from cytoplasmic male-sterile line (A-58CMS): reappraisal of the master circle

Summary The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the cultured cells of a cytoplasmic male-sterile line (A-58CMS) of rice (Oryza sativa) was cloned and its physical map was constructed. There was structural alteration on the mitochondrial genome during the cell culture. Detailed restriction analysis of cosmid clones having mtDNA fragments suggested either that the master genome has a 100-kb duplication (the genome size becomes 450 kb) or that a master circle is not present in the genome (the net structural complexity becomes 350 kb). The physical map of plant mitochondrial genomes thus far reported is illustrated in a single circle, namely a master circle. However, no circular DNA molecule corresponding to a master circle has yet been proved. In the present report, representation of plant mitochondrial genomes and a possibility for mitochondrial genome without a master circle are discussed.     

伊朗旧石器考古简史及早期文化的发现与研究

伊朗作为亚洲大陆腹地沟通东西方的大国,对探究旧石器时代早期东亚和西方石器工业面貌的差异,是重要的地理节点。然而伊朗旧石器的材料相对匮乏,外人知之甚少。为方便理解,本文首先介绍了伊朗的自然与政区地理概况,梳理了伊朗一百多年旧石器考察、发掘和研究的时间脉络,在此基础上,对其旧石器时代早期文化的发现与研究现状予以整理。伊朗旧石器的研究程度目前尚低,不宜过早做出结论;从现有证据看,伊朗西部受一定程度的阿舍利传统影响,而东部几乎不见;最后从传播路径的角度,推测了伊朗及周边地区在旧石器时代早期可能的文化图景。