Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese Chen canagica: large-scale effects of interspecific densities and food availability

We studied body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese Chen canagica at three locations across the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, during 1990–2004 to investigate whether large-scale variation in body mass was related to interspecific competition for food. From 1990 to 2004, densities of Cackling Geese Branta hutchinsii minima more than doubled and were c . 2–5× greater than densities of Emperor Geese, which were relatively constant over time. Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese was strongly related (negatively) to interspecific densities of geese (combined density of Cackling and Emperor Geese) and positively related to measures of food availability (grazing lawn extent and net above-ground primary productivity (NAPP)). Grazing by geese resulted in consumption of ≥ 90% of the NAPP that occurred in grazing lawns during the brood-rearing period, suggesting that density-dependent interspecific competition was from exploitation of common food resources. Efforts to increase the population size of Emperor Geese would benefit from considering competitive interactions among goose species and with forage plants.     

Coordinated movements prevent jamming in an Emperor penguin huddle

For Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), huddling is the key to survival during the Antarctic winter. Penguins in a huddle are packed so tightly that individual movements become impossible, reminiscent of a jamming transition in compacted colloids. It is crucial, however, that the huddle structure is continuously reorganized to give each penguin a chance to spend sufficient time inside the huddle, compared with time spent on the periphery. Here we show that Emperor penguins move collectively in a highly coordinated manner to ensure mobility while at the same time keeping the huddle packed. Every 30-60 seconds, all penguins make small steps that travel as a wave through the entire huddle. Over time, these small movements lead to large-scale reorganization of the huddle. Our data show that the dynamics of penguin huddling is governed by intermittency and approach to kinetic arrest in striking analogy with inert non-equilibrium systems, including soft glasses and colloids.     

Multi Year Observations Reveal Variability in Residence of a Tropical Demersal Fish,Lethrinus nebulosus: Implications for Spatial Management

Off the Ningaloo coast of North West Western Australia, Spangled Emperor Lethrinus nebulosus are among the most highly targeted recreational fish species. The Ningaloo Reef Marine Park comprises an area of 4,566 km² of which 34% is protected from fishing by 18 no-take sanctuary zones ranging in size from 0.08–44.8 km². To better understand Spangled Emperor movements and the adequacy of sanctuary zones within the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park for this species, 84 Spangled Emperor of a broad spectrum of maturity and sex were tagged using internal acoustic tags in a range of lagoon and reef slope habitats both inside and adjacent to the Mangrove Bay Sanctuary zone. Kernel Utilisation Distribution (KUD) was calculated for 39 resident individuals that were detected for more than 30 days. There was no relationship with fish size and movement or site fidelity. Average home range (95% KUD) for residents was 8.5±0.5 km² compared to average sanctuary zone size of 30 km². Calculated home range was stable over time resulting in resident animals tagged inside the sanctuary zone spending ∼80% of time within the sanctuary boundaries. The number of fish remaining within the array of receivers declined steadily over time and after one year more than 60% of tagged fish had moved outside the sanctuary zone and also beyond the 28 km² array of receivers. Long term monitoring identified the importance of shifting home range and was essential for understanding overall residency within protected areas and also for identifying spawning related movements. This study indicates that despite exhibiting stable and small home ranges over periods of one to two years, more than half the population of spangled emperor move at scales greater than average sanctuary size within the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park.     

明万历帝及其两后的口腔情况

本文对明神宗万历帝及其两后的口腔情况进行了观察,尤其对龋齿、牙周病、氟牙症及磨耗等方面,作了分析和讨论。     

舜花和舜草的溯源

探索与舜帝有关的2种植物,舜花和舜草的溯源,2种植物的经济和文化价值。     

First Data on The age and Growth in Pacific Flatnose Antimora microlepis (Moridae) from the Waters of the Underwater Emperor Mountain Range (Northwestern Pacific)

Journal of Ichthyology - The results on the studies on age and growth in Pacific flatnose (fine-scale antimora) Antimora microlepis from the waters of underwater Emperor mounting range (open water...     

Der Kaiserpinguin – ein Vogel der Superlative

Emperor Pinguin – a bird of superlative The antarctic ecosystem is home of 200 million seabirds. 26 million of them belong to the penguins and only 600.000 are Emperor Penguins. They breed along the remote coasts of Antarctica. Their first colony was discovered in 1902. In the course of the 1950ies more colonies were detected and today with the help of satellite technique we know more than 54 in total. The breeding cycle starts during winter, when a 1.000 kilometer sea ice belt surrounds the continent. Emperor Penguins use Polynjas during this time to get access to the food sources in the sea. During incubation and breeding they are very hard to study due to stormy weather and temperatures of sometimes below minus 30° Celsius. From October onwards the first big icebreakers are capable to reach some of these places and biologists can start to study breeding success by counting chicks and adults. The few best monitored colonies are in the reach of Antarctic winter stations. Remote sensing of faeces stain on the ice give an introspection of the spacing of colonies all over the coasts. Counts in the colonies give figures of population sizes in relation to faeces covered areas. So we got a rough idea about the number of individuals. Satellite imaging over the last 40 years has provided data on the sea and glacier ice loss: Most loss is to be found in western Antarctica, but also in eastern Antarctica we can find more and more melting due to raising temperatures.     

New data on the range,biology, and abundance of skilfish Erilepis zonifer (Anoplopomatidae)

Data on the occurrence, spatial-bathymetric distribution, and size composition of skilfish Erilepis zonifer are given on the basis of the materials collected at the long-line catches on the Emperor Ridge seamounts. This fish is a large representative of fam. Anoplopomatidae (maximal length 188 cm; weight 88.5 kg). From June to July 2009, the species was found on all five sampled underwater mountains (Nintoku, Jingu, Ojin, Koko, Northern Koko). The fish was found within the depth range 370–1040 m. The initial biomass of skilfish at the studied seamounts calculated by the Leslie method is approximately 203.5 tons. The structure of the range and possible ways of the dispersion of this species in the waters of the continental slope of the North-Pacific rim are discussed.     

New data on biology of the pearlfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Maurolicus imperatorius</Emphasis> (Sternopthychidae) from the Emperor Seamount Chain

The pearlfish Maurolicus imperatorius occurs above seamounts of the Emperor Seamount Chain between 30°–40° N and 168°–176° E. It forms dense aggregations at the daytime in the upper mesopelagial above the ground and disperses in the dark period of the day in the surficial layer. Judged by maturation dynamics of gonads, the spawning of this species occurs from January until April with the maximum in March. Catches of this species are characterized by expressed seasonal dynamics of size composition. Juveniles appear in catches in the end of spring-the beginning of summer. The maximum recorded SL is 68 mm. Among large fish, females dominate. The part of females is maximum in winter and minimum in spring. The age of fish with AC 46–63 mm is 265–420 days. The growth rate is abruptly retarded at the fourth month of life when the length 40–45 mm is attained. Life duration of most fish does not exceed 1.5 years, though some specimens may attain the age of two years. It is supposed that the presence of another species—M. japonicus—on the Emperor Seamount Chain may result from passive transfer in the Kuroshio waters.     

The galenic plague: a breakdown of the imperial pathocoenosis. Pathocoenosis and longue durée

Is 'pathocoenosis', a notion conceived and a word coined by Mirko Grmek (1969), useful as far as ancient history is concerned? The author is interested in Galenic pathocoenosis, that of doctor Galen and his Emperor Marcus Aurelius (IInd cent. A.D.), when a new 'pestilence' or 'plague' (smallpox?) devastated the whole empire, from Mesopotamia to the Danube at least.     

First recorded loss of an emperor penguin colony in the recent period of Antarctic regional warming: implications for other colonies

In 1948, a small colony of emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri was discovered breeding on Emperor Island (67° 51' 52″ S, 68° 42' 20″ W), in the Dion Islands, close to the West Antarctic Peninsula (Stonehouse 1952). When discovered, the colony comprised approximately 150 breeding pairs; these numbers were maintained until 1970, after which time the colony showed a continuous decline. By 1999 there were fewer than 20 pairs, and in 2009 high-resolution aerial photography revealed no remaining trace of the colony. Here we relate the decline and loss of the Emperor Island colony to a well-documented rise in local mean annual air temperature and coincident decline in seasonal sea ice duration. The loss of this colony provides empirical support for recent studies (Barbraud & Weimerskirch 2001; Jenouvrier et al 2005, 2009; Ainley et al 2010; Barber-Meyer et al 2005) that have highlighted the vulnerability of emperor penguins to changes in sea ice duration and distribution. These studies suggest that continued climate change is likely to impact upon future breeding success and colony viability for this species. Furthermore, a recent circumpolar study by Fretwell & Trathan (2009) highlighted those Antarctic coastal regions where colonies appear most vulnerable to such changes. Here we examine which other colonies might be at risk, discussing various ecological factors, some previously unexplored, that may also contribute to future declines. The implications of this are important for future modelling work and for understanding which colonies actually are most vulnerable.     

千年笛鲷早期发育及视蛋白基因表达规律分析

初步观察千年笛鲷早期发育各个时期的形态特征, 同时使用实时荧光定量PCR方法对4种视蛋白基因在早期发育中的表达规律进行分析。研究观察到千年笛鲷卵为圆球形, 属浮性卵, 中心有一明显的油球。在水温(24.50.5)℃的条件下, 千年笛鲷胚胎发育共经历6个发育阶段18个时期, 从受精卵到孵化一共经历24h。仔鱼经历1215d发育为稚鱼, 30d35d发育为幼鱼。同时对7个胚胎发育时期和2个仔鱼发育时期4种视蛋白(LWS、SWS1、SWS2、RH)基因的表达情况进行检测, 在下包1/2、胚孔封闭、视囊这3个时期有显著性表达(P0.05), 尤其在胚孔封闭时期, 表达量达到最高。其余时期4种基因的表达水平显著下降, 但在2个仔鱼时期表达量比孵化期略有增加。结果表明千年笛鲷4种视蛋白基因在早期表达过程中与神经胚的形成有密切的联系。       

Autopsing history: The mummy of Charlemagne (c. 747 – 814 AD), father of Europe

In this article, a complete history of Charlemagne’s mortal remains is outlined, including the first publication reporting on the most recent tomb opening in 1988. Besides exclusive bioarchaeological details – namely that his body was indeed mummified - a full clinical interpretation of the Emperor’s final illnesses and death is given: a likely combination of osteoarthritis, gout and a recurrent fever caused by an infectious disease.     

A new squalid species of the genusCentroscyllium from the emperor seamount chain

A new etmopterine species,Centroscyllium excelsum, is described from 21 adult specimens captured in the Emperor Seamount Chain, central North Pacific. The present species is distinguished from its congeners in having a very high and semicircular-shaped 1st dorsal fin with a developed spine, dermal denticles only on dorsal side of head and trunk, the 2nd dorsal spine arising behind pelvic fin base, a short caudal peduncle, and prefrontal wall and chondrified eye stalk on neurocranium. Ten embryos were collected from one of the female specimens, and some embryonic features are also noted.     

The cause of death of Emperor Charles V

Abstract. Plasmodium falciparum malaria was the cause of death of Emperor Charles V. This confirmation was achieved by microscopy analysis of the Emperor's remnants.     

Food and feeding ecology of emperor penguins in the eastern Weddell Sea

Summary The diet of the emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri in the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica was studied during October and November 1986 by stomach content analysis. Emperor penguins fed mainly on Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum and squid Psychroteuthis glacialis. Benthic prey was not found. The prey composition suggests two different feeding strategies, shallow dives exploring the rugged underside of sea ice where krill is taken, and deep dives when mesopelagic fish and squid are consumed. Chicks were fed on average every 1.44 days.     

Kinematics of swimming of penguins at the Detroit Zoo

Kinematic parameters were examined in a study of the swimming abilities of seven species of penguins housed at the Detroit Zoo. Penguins produce thrust over both halves of the wing stroke cycle, as observed in fishes using the caudal or pectoral fins for locomotion, but not in other birds in level forward flight. Unpowered gliding phases between wing strokes were observed in all species at swimming speeds less than 1.25 m/sec, while Emperor, King and Adelie penguins interpose gliding phases over a broad range of speeds. Videotape records reveal that length-specific speed is correlated with increases in wingbeat frequency and, for most of the species examined, stride length. These findings are in contrast to those reported for other, flying birds, which maintain a relatively constant wingbeat frequency but vary stride length with forward speed, and for most fishes, which vary speed with tailbeat frequency but maintain a constant stride length. The results are somewhat comparable to those reported for Cymatogaster , a fish which uses the pectoral fins for locomotion. Drag coefficients of three gliding Emperor penguins were 2.1, 3.0 and 3.0 × 10-⁻³ at Reynolds numbers of 1.25, 1.62 and 1.76 × 10⁶, respectively.     

Feeding ecology and daily ration of the pelagic armorhead,Pseudopentaceros wheeleri,at Southeast Hancock Seamount

Synopsis The unusual life history of pelagic armorhead, Pseudopentaceros wheeleri, includes occupation of epipelagic subarctic and transitional waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska as subadults and subsequent recruitment to the southern Emperor and northern Hawaiian Ridge (SE-NHR) seamounts in the central North Pacific Ocean where they assume a demersal existence and begin maturation as adults. Feeding ecology and daily ration were examined in pelagic armorhead during field studies conducted at Southeast Hancock Seamont (29°48′ N,179°04′ E) in the SE-NHR seamounts. A total of 1133 stomachs collected during June-July 1985, January 1988, and July 1988 were examined for contents; only 19.7% contained food items. The diet consisted of pelagic tunicates and other micronektonic animals that are associated with the vertically migrating sonic scattering layer that is advected over the seamount from the adjacent oceanic environment. Peak feeding occurred in the early morning on migrating organisms likely trapped by the expanse of the seamount summit during the morning descent. Newly recruited armorhead had lower feeding rates than older, previously recruited fish. Estimates of daily ration for previously recruited armorhead were 1.17 g (0.26% of body weight) in the summer of 1985 and 12.87 g (2.86% of body weight) in the summer of 1988. Since estimated values for the evacuation coefficient and the duration of the daily feeding period did not differ between sampling periods, the increase in daily ration was due to an increase in feeding rate. The proportion of the diet composed of pelagic tunicates was also higher in 1988.     

Pinguine – Überlebenskünstler in der Antarktis. Klimawandel

The future of penguin population development in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (= WAP) is largely depending on ecological factors like food availability (mostly krill) due to primary production of algae which itself depends on sea ice conditions, water‐ and air temperature and salinity. The extraordinary rise in temperature in the WAP area seems to cause a change in population numbers of Adelie and Gentoo Penguins: Adelies are declining in the north and Gentoos were occupying these sites instead. Gentoos have already reached the southern polar circle. These trends occurred in parallel with regional long‐term warming and significant reduction in sea ice extent. There is a lack of available information for penguin populations breeding possibly more south in the WAP area. We still have large gaps in our present knowledge in Adelies and Emperor Penguins southernmost breeding distribution.