First Jurassic occurence of Enoploclytia M’Coy, 1849 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Erymidae)

Among the Erymidae Van Straelen, 1925, known as early as the Late Permian (Changhsingian) and widespread in the Jurassic, the genus Enoploclytia M’Coy, 1849 seems to have a late appearance because of its lack before the Cretaceous. Until now, the oldest representative was E. augustobonae Devillez, Charbonnier, Hy?ný and Leroy, 2016 from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) of the eastern Paris basin (France). However, a new fossil collected in Normandy (France), showing the typical carapace groove pattern of Enoploclytia, attests the presence of the genus in the Late Jurassic (Oxfordian).     

Chronic low-dose exposure in the Techa River Cohort: risk of mortality from circulatory diseases

The aim of the present study was to analyze the mortality from circulatory diseases for about 30,000 members of the Techa River cohort over the period 1950–2003, and to investigate how these rates depend on radiation doses. This population received both external and internal exposures from ⁹⁰Sr, ⁸⁹Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, and other uranium fission products as a result of waterborne releases from the Mayak nuclear facility in the Southern Urals region of the Russian Federation. The analysis included individualized estimates of the total (external plus internal) absorbed dose in muscle calculated based on the Techa River Dosimetry System 2009. The cohort-average dose to muscle tissue was 35 mGy, and the maximum dose was 510 mGy. Between 1950 and 2003, 7,595 deaths from circulatory diseases were registered among cohort members with 901,563 person years at risk. Mortality rates in the cohort were analyzed using a simple parametric excess relative risk (ERR) model. For all circulatory diseases, the estimated excess relative risk per 100 mGy with a 15-year lag period was 3.6 % with a 95 % confidence interval of 0.2–7.5 %, and for ischemic heart disease it was 5.6 % with a 95 % confidence interval of 0.1–11.9 %. A linear ERR model provided the best fit. Analyses with a lag period shorter than 15 years from the beginning of exposure did not reveal any significant risk of mortality from either all circulatory diseases or ischemic heart disease. There was no evidence of an increased mortality risk from cerebrovascular disease (p > 0.5). These results should be regarded as preliminary, since they will be updated after adjustment for smoking and alcohol consumption.     

Goals for California Against Cancer

Assuming that present trends continue, about 30,000 persons in California will be dying from cancer each year by the early 1970''s. This expectation takes into account both changes in the size and other characteristics of the population, and changes in cancer mortality rate—increases in some sites and decreases in others, according to the 1950-1960 trends.On the other hand, if everything now known to avoid cancer deaths were actually done, conservative estimation indicates that each year at least 7,500 of the 30,000 expected cancer deaths (based on the trends of 1950-1960 and taking into account present accomplishment as well as failure) would not occur. Possibly many more deaths could be avoided.     

Age-structure and longevity of Common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) populations

Survivorship of L. vivipara in the field was estimated from visual census of the age-composition of two populations. There was approximately 90% mortality in the first year of life; but the mean expectation of life of an individual which survived to its first birthday was then between four and five years.     

A review of biology,fisheries and population structure of Dentex dentex (Sparidae)

The common dentex Dentex dentex (Linnaeus, 1758) is an iconic marine coastal fish in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a demersal sparid fish (0–200 m), that grows to a maximum length of 100 cm and a weight of 13 kg, with a relatively long life span (more than 20 years). As a high trophic level predator, it holds a key position in coastal marine food webs. The common dentex is of great economic importance for both artisanal (small-scale coastal fisheries) and recreational fishing. Despite its economic and ecological importance, scientific data on this species in its natural environment are still very scant. The global commercial catch of common dentex has fluctuated over the last 60 years on an interannual time scale, and has declined significantly since the 1990s. There are few data regarding fishing effort and total catch from recreational fishing for common dentex, but it appears that this species is particularly targeted by this activity. The common dentex is now classified as “vulnerable” in the Red List of Threatened Species in the Mediterranean Sea. This review summarizes the current literature on D. dentex in regard to biology, ecology, parasitology, population structure, commercial and recreational fishing, and management regulations. Future research directions to fill gaps in current knowledge are suggested.     

Biogeography and chronology of the Eurasian extinct rhinoceros Stephanorhinus etruscus (Mammalia,Rhinocerotidae)

Stephanorhinus etruscus is one of the most abundantly recorded and better known Eurasian Early Pleistocene rhinoceroses. Nevertheless, the first and last appearances of this species, as well as its paleogeographic distribution, are controversial and debated in literature. S. etruscus is documented since the latest Pliocene in Spain (Las Higueruelas), Italy (Montopoli and Castelnuovo di Barardenga), France (Perrier–Les Étouaires) and Romania (Iar??–Cariera Veche). During the Early Pleistocene, S. etruscus occurred in several Spanish, French and Italian localities, as well as in The Netherlands (e.g., Tegelen), Germany (e.g., Thiede), Greece (e.g., Aivaliki) and Israel (e.g., Ubeidiya). The last appearance of S. etruscus in Eurasia is debatable. Etruscan rhino populations survived till the Jaramillo subchrone (around 1.1 Ma) in France (Bois-de-Riquet), Romania (Betfia XII) and Hungary (Osztramos 2 and 8), and close to the early–middle Pleistocene transition in Spain (Cueva Victoria, Huéscar 1, Atapuerca TD4, TD6 and TD8), and Italy (Monte delle Piche).     

Genetic determinants of mortality. Can findings from genome-wide association studies explain variation in human mortality?

Twin studies have estimated the heritability of longevity to be approximately 20–30 %. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed a large number of determinants of morbidity, but so far, no new polymorphisms have been discovered to be associated with longevity per se in GWAS. We aim to determine whether the genetic architecture of mortality can be explained by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with common traits and diseases related to mortality. By extensive quality control of published GWAS we created a genetic score from 707 common SNPs associated with 125 diseases or risk factors related with overall mortality. We prospectively studied the association of the genetic score with: (1) time-to-death; (2) incidence of the first of nine major diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, diabetes, dementia, lung, breast, colon and prostate cancers) in two population-based cohorts of Dutch and Swedish individuals (N = 15,039; age range 47–99 years). During a median follow-up of 6.3 years (max 22.2 years), we observed 4,318 deaths and 2,132 incident disease events. The genetic score was significantly associated with time-to-death [hazard ratio (HR) per added risk allele = 1.003, P value = 0.006; HR 4th vs. 1st quartile = 1.103]. The association between the genetic score and incidence of major diseases was stronger (HR per added risk allele = 1.004, P value = 0.002; HR 4th vs. 1st quartile = 1.160). Associations were stronger for individuals dying at older ages. Our findings are compatible with the view of mortality as a complex and highly polygenetic trait, not easily explainable by common genetic variants related to diseases and physiological traits.     

Techno-économie et signification culturelle de l’occupation moustérienne supérieure de Baume-Vallée (Haute-Loire)

The archaeological units of the Baume-Vallée rock shelter (Haute-Loire) in the South-East of the Massif Central, excavated by A. Laborde (from 1966 to 1973) then by J.-P. Raynal (from 1974 to 1996), have yielded abundant lithic assemblages attributed to the late Middle Paleolithic, characterized by a remarkable diversity of the raw materials used. The lithic industry of the upper units had previously been described as belonging to the Charentian facies lato sensu, then was attributed to the Ferrassie-type Mousterian. The technology and the techno-economic revision of its upper assemblage bring new information on the flaking mechanisms and the steps of the chaînes opératoires. These data tend to include this assemblage in the Levallois techno-complexes with scrappers often observed in late Middle Paleolithic of southeastern France.     

Estimates of daily mortality from a neascus trematode in age-0 shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) and the potential impact of avian predation

Parasites may be an important component of early life mortality in fishes, but assigning part of total mortality to parasites is difficult. The Chapman-Robson mortality estimator is a robust and potentially valuable way to quantify the added mortality of parasites when age data are available. We used daily age data and the Chapman-Robson catch-curve procedure to estimate daily mortality for 15 years in juvenile age-0 shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris), and for 6 years, the daily mortality of fish with and without black spot infection, a trematode whose final host is a piscivorous bird. Infected fish always had higher mortality rates than uninfected fish, and for 3 years when those differences were significant, the added daily mortality for infected fish was 3.6–3.7 %. Based on the proportion infected each year, and for durations of 15–50 d, juvenile populations were 18.3–38.6 % lower than they would have been without black spot infections. There were no significant differences in growth between infected and uninfected fish in most years and little indication of a direct metabolic impact of infections. Thus, this added mortality, primarily in July and August, seemed unlikely to be an indirect result of infection and was most likely due to predation. The source of that predation is unknown but the parasite’s final hosts, piscivorous birds, seemed the most obvious candidate for this added mortality.     

Estimating the rate of increase for the finless porpoise with special attention to predictions for the Inland Sea population in Japan

The finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis inhabits coastal waters and rivers in East Asia and is exposed to various human activities. This species is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a reduction in abundance. Although human-induced mortality can be a threat to porpoise populations, future anthropogenic impacts have not been quantitatively evaluated due to lack of demographic information. Adequate future population projections are needed to form the basis for conservation measures before the population declines to critical levels. We conducted a population viability analysis for the population of finless porpoise in the Inland Sea, Japan using a Leslie matrix model composed of age-specific survival and fertility rates. We described the uncertainty in the annual rate of increase (λ) for the finless porpoise using randomly sampled estimates of survival rate for other cetaceans with similar life histories. Plausible median estimates of λ ranged from 1.041 (age at first reproduction [AFR] = 7) to 1.056 (AFR = 5). Future population changes and extinction probabilities were predicted after combining these estimates with a predicted human-induced mortality rate (M) and available abundance estimates. The extinction probability after 100 years was 0 %. However, the probability of the quasi-extinction (<100 individuals) was as high as 79.0 % after 100 years. The results also suggest that the persistence of the finless porpoise population could be achieved with a small effort to reduce anthropogenic mortality.     

Age structure, growth and mortality estimates of an endemic Ptychobarbus dipogon (Regan, 1905) (Cyprinidae: Schizothoracinae) in the Lhasa River, Tibet

Ptychobarbus dipogon is an endemic fish in the Yarlung Tsangpo River, but its biology is poorly known. We sampled 582 specimens (total length, TL, between 70.6 and 593.0 mm) from April 2004 to August 2006 in the Lhasa River, Tibet. We estimated ages based on the counts of alternating opaque and translucent zones (annuli) in thin transverse sections of lapilli otoliths. Ages ranged from 1⁺ to 23⁺ years for males and 1⁺ to 44⁺ for females. The observed 44⁺ years was the oldest reported for schizothoracine fishes. Females attained a larger size than males. The TL–weight relationship was W?=?7.12?×?10^?6 TL ^3.006 for combined sexes. The growth parameters fitted von Bertalanffy growth functions were $L_\infty = 598.66\,{\text{mm}}$ , k?=?0.0898 year^?1, t ₀?=??0.7261 year and $W_\infty = 1585.38\;{\text{g}}$ for females and $L_\infty = 494.23{\text{ mm}}$ , k?=?0.1197 year^?1, t ₀?=??0.7296 year and $W_\infty = 904.88{\text{ g}}$ for males. The longevities of 32.7 year for females and 24.3 year for males were similar to the observed ages. Using an empirical model we estimated the instantaneous rate of total mortality (Z) at 0.28 per year in the lower reaches. Z in the upper and middle stocks was close to the M because of unexploited or lightly exploited stock. Protracted longevity, slow growth, low natural mortality and large body size were typical characteristics of P. dipogon. The current declining trend of P. dipogon could be prevented by altering fishing regulations.     

Looking for age-related growth decline in natural forests: unexpected biomass patterns from tree rings and simulated mortality

Forest biomass growth is almost universally assumed to peak early in stand development, near canopy closure, after which it will plateau or decline. The chronosequence and plot remeasurement approaches used to establish the decline pattern suffer from limitations and coarse temporal detail. We combined annual tree ring measurements and mortality models to address two questions: first, how do assumptions about tree growth and mortality influence reconstructions of biomass growth? Second, under what circumstances does biomass production follow the model that peaks early, then declines? We integrated three stochastic mortality models with a census tree-ring data set from eight temperate forest types to reconstruct stand-level biomass increments (in Minnesota, USA). We compared growth patterns among mortality models, forest types and stands. Timing of peak biomass growth varied significantly among mortality models, peaking 20–30 years earlier when mortality was random with respect to tree growth and size, than when mortality favored slow-growing individuals. Random or u-shaped mortality (highest in small or large trees) produced peak growth 25–30 % higher than the surviving tree sample alone. Growth trends for even-aged, monospecific Pinus banksiana or Acer saccharum forests were similar to the early peak and decline expectation. However, we observed continually increasing biomass growth in older, low-productivity forests of Quercus rubra, Fraxinus nigra, and Thuja occidentalis. Tree-ring reconstructions estimated annual changes in live biomass growth and identified more diverse development patterns than previous methods. These detailed, long-term patterns of biomass development are crucial for detecting recent growth responses to global change and modeling future forest dynamics.     

Life history of the orange-striped emperor <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lethrinus obsoletus</Emphasis> from the Mariana Islands

The present study investigated the age-based demography of the orange-striped emperor, Lethrinus obsoletus, from commercial samples in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), spanning a 24-month market sampling period. Information on growth, life span, mortality, and reproduction was derived through analysis of sectioned sagittal otoliths and gonad material. The species had a moderate longevity of 13 years while females and males reached 50% sexual maturity at 3.8 years (22.9 cm fork length) and 2.8 years (19.9 cm fork length), respectively. Histological examination of gonads and sex-specific age frequency distributions suggest the sexual ontogeny of the species conforms to juvenile hermaphroditism, whereby sexual transition from female to male occurred prior to maturation. No annual spawning periods were identified, but the ubiquitous presence of post-ovulatory follicles in females and spermatogenic material in males coupled with a consistent lunar trend in gonadosomatic index patterns suggests the species spawns every lunar cycle throughout the year with spawning activity potentially increasing around the new moon. Ratios of natural to fishing mortality indicate a moderate level of exploitation (0.37); however, a large portion of harvested females had not reached reproductive maturity, suggesting that formal assessments of stock status are warranted to ensure the sustainable harvest of the species in CNMI.     

The Iron Age in the Mrągowo Lake District,Masuria, NE Poland: the Salęt settlement microregion as an example of long-lasting human impact on vegetation

Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal and geochemical analyses of sediments from Lake Sal?t (NE Poland) were used to reconstruct vegetation changes related to the activity of the West Balt tribes during the Iron Age, in the period between the second half of the 7th century bc and the beginning of the 10th century ad. We distinguished five phases of human impact on environment. Woodland clearing around the studied lake started at the end of the 7th century bc. The most characteristic feature of this area during the whole Iron Age was a very high representation of semi-natural Betula woodlands, which was probably linked to a shifting agriculture. This type of land use lasted for over 1,500 years, until the second half of the 9th century ad. The greatest reduction in Betula woodlands took place between cal. years 650 and 450 bc. Its regeneration took place after ca. ad 830 when human activity decreased.     

The fossil American lion (Panthera atrox) in South America: Palaeobiogeographical implications

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, authors described several specimens belonging to a very large felid, the size of a lion, from some Late Pleistocene localities at southern Chile and Argentina. These remains were considered as belonging to large and now extinct subspecies of jaguar. In the present contribution based on qualitative and quantitative postcranial and cranial characters, we conclude that that the “Patagonian Panthera” should be considered as representing remains of the American Cave Lion Panthera atrox. Evidence at hand indicates that Panthera atrox was a very large lion-like felid, with reddish skin, that inhabited dry open habitats. Furthermore, in contrast to living jaguars, transported and accumulated its preys in rocky dens. The presence of at least two pantherine lineages (i.e. P. onca and P. atrox) in the Pleistocene of South America indicates that the lineage has a long and complex history in the New World, and that the history of the clade in this landmass is still far from being well understood.     

Revision of the rhinoceros remains (Rhinocerotidae,Mammalia) from the late Pliocene of Etouaires (Auvergne,France) and the morphological distinction between the postcranial bones of Stephanorhinus elatus and S. etruscus

This work revises the rhinoceros remains from the well-known early Villafranchian locality of Étouaires (Auvergne, France), which have been collected on multiple occasions since the late 18th century. The species Stephanorhinus elatus and S. etruscus are present, both represented mainly by postcranial elements. To identify them, a detailed preliminary analysis of the morphological differences between the postcranial skeletons of the two species has been undertaken, using the material from Vialette (Haute-Loire, early Villafranchian) and Senèze (Haute-Loire, early late Villafranchian) as comparison for S. elatus and S. etruscus respectively, plus some specimens of S. etruscus from Upper Valdarno (Tuscany, middle Villafranchian). These localities have been chosen because they all yielded only one of the two species. The morphological distinction between the two species is not easy, since the interspecific variability often overlaps and includes polymorphic characters. However, a few diagnostic characters are described, and intra-specific variability has been investigated as much as possible with the fossil material under investigation.     

Increasing relevance of spring temperatures for Norway spruce trees in Davos,Switzerland, after the 1950s

Key message

Relevance of spring temperatures for tree-ring growth steadily increased since 1950s. Closely linked tree-ring growth and net CO ₂ exchange driven by spring temperatures.

Abstract

We investigated long-term (over 100 years) tree-ring width (TRW) variabilities as well as short-term (10 years) variations in net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in response to climate to assess the driving factors for stem growth of Norway spruce in a subalpine forest at Davos in Switzerland. A tree-ring width index (TRWi) chronology for the period from 1750 to 2006 was constructed and linked with climate data from 1876 to 2006, and with NEP available for the period from 1997 to 2006. Based on TRWi, we found that only two out of the 257 years exhibited extreme negative TRWi, compared to 29 years with extreme positive anomalies, observed mainly in recent decades. Annual temperature, annual precipitation, as well as autumn and winter temperature signals were well preserved in the TRWi chronology over the last 130 years. Spring temperatures became increasingly relevant for TRWi, explaining less than 1 % of the variation in TRWi for the period from 1876 to 2006, but 8 % for the period from 1950 to 2006 (p = 0.032), and even 47 % for 1997–2006 (p = 0.028). We also observed a strong positive relationship between annual TRWi and annual NEP (r = 0.661; p = 0.037), both strongly related to spring temperatures (r = 0.687 and r = 0.678 for TRWi and NEP, respectively; p = 0.028; p = 0.032). Moreover, we found strong links between monthly NEP of March and annual TRWi (r = 0.912; p = 0.0001), both related to March temperatures (r = 0.767, p = 0.010 and r = 0.724, p = 0.018, respectively). Thus, under future climate warming, we expect stem growth of these subalpine trees and also ecosystem carbon (C) sequestration to increase, as long as water does not become a limiting factor.     

Population traits and colonization success of non-native Eurasian perch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Perca fluviatilis</Emphasis>) 35 years after its first appearance in the Mediterranean Lake Skadar

Abundance, spatial distribution, population structure and growth of non-native Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) were examined in the Lake Skadar, a large, unstratified lake in the Mediterranean region inhabited by several endemic, rare and threatened fish species. Fish were caught in the infra-littoral and littoral habitats of the northern and central parts of the lake using multi-mesh gill nets over three consecutive years. Eurasian perch was among the most dominant species in both habitats. The mean relative abundance is - NPUE (0.556 individuals m^?2) and relative biomass is - WPUE (23.56 g m^?2) (years and habitats combined). Its population consisted primarily of individuals in first, second and third year of life span (0+???2+ age classes). The youngest fish in first and second year showed low mortality rates, older fish in third, fourth, fifth and sixth year of life span (age classes 2+???5+) experienced great losses, with mortality rates ranging from 0.6–1.0. The von Bertalanffy growth curve formula, expressing the expected total length L _t ?=?36.98 (1-e^{-0.23 (t?+?1.018)}) with growth performance value Φ ^’ ?=?2.50, revealed fast growth-in-length. Length-to-weight relationship was W_t?=?6.2?×?10^?3 L _t ^3.27, indicating positive growth-in-weight. It has been concluded that 35 years after the first finding in the Lake Skadar, Eurasian perch adapted well to local conditions in this Mediterranean environment, with the life span changed in favor of fast growth and early maturation.     

18,000 years of grassland evolution in the summer rainfall region of South Africa: evidence from Mahwaqa Mountain,KwaZulu-Natal

A palynological and sedimentological record from the Mahwaqa Mountain in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, provides evidence of the vegetation dynamics in this part of the Grassland Biome during the last c. 18,000 years. The wetland is located at 1,850 m on an isolated outlier of the Ukhahlamba–Drakensberg Mountain range on an ecotone along a climatic gradient. The vegetation responded to humidity and temperature changes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. The period c. 18,000–13,500 cal. bp is characterized by high Ericaceae and Restionaceae percentages and decreasing values of charred particles, indicating cool conditions. Around 13,500–8,500 cal. bp, Ericaceae were gradually replaced by Poaceae, signaling climate warming. Growing environmental wetness during the same time period is inferred from Phragmites-type and Cliffortia pollen percentages. Since c. 8,500 cal. bp, Cliffortia, Restionaceae, and Phragmites-type percentages have maintained low levels. Ericaceae were almost completely replaced by grasses and Asteraceae by c. 7,500 cal. bp. All indications are that warm and fluctuating moisture conditions followed until 4,600 cal. bp but they became driest between c. 4,600 and 3,500 cal. bp, when high Asteraceae, Pentzia-type and Scabiosa percentages were prominent. From c. 3,500–800 cal. bp, the increase of sedges, Aponogeton and grass pollen (including Phragmites-type) at the expense of Asteraceae pollen suggests the return of slightly more humid conditions. Since c. 1,000 cal. bp an increase of water demanding Podocarpus and Cliffortia occurred. Pine pollen indicates the recent introduction of alien plants in the 19th and 20th centuries.     

Spatial and temporal variability in fire occurrence within the Las Bayas Forestry Reserve, Durango, Mexico

Patterns of fire occurrence within the Las Bayas Forestry Reserve, Mexico are analyzed in relation to variability in climate, topography, and human land-use. Significantly more fires with shorter fire return intervals occurred from 1900 to 1950 than from 1950 to 2001. However, the frequency of widespread fire years (25% filter) was unchanged over time, as widespread fires were synchronized by climatic extremes. Widespread fire years occurred during dry years that lagged wet years. Widespread fire years lagged the negative El Niño phase (wet winters) of the Southern Oscillation by 1 year, but were not synchronized by the positive, La Niña phase (dry winters) of the Southern Oscillation. The smaller, localized fires that occurred more frequently during the first half of the 20th century were attributed to changes in land tenure with the introduction of the ejido system in the early 1950s. Ejido management strategies lowered fire frequencies by suppressing fires and reducing anthropogenic fires. There were likely more ignitions prior to the arrival of the ejido system as fires were ignited by lightning and indigenous people. As the movement of indigenous peoples across the landscape has been restricted by changes in land tenure, numbers of human-ignited fires subsequently decreased post 1950. After 1950, fires occurred less frequently, were more synchronized, and more restricted to years of extreme climate.