The Watson–Forbes Biogeographical Controversy Untangled 170 Years Later

Hewett Cottrell Watson and Edward Forbes were two naturalists of the Victorian age. They were protagonists on a dispute that generated comment and serves as an illuminating case study of misunderstanding in priority issues. Watson accused Forbes of having plagiarized his original classification of the British plants into groups on the basis of their geographical distribution. This controversy originated mostly from a so-far-ignored basic difference in Watson’s and Forbes’ ideas about biogeographical regionalization. Watson’s classification of the British flora into groups of species with similar distribution was probably the first application of the concept of “regional chorotype.” By contrast, the biogeographical classification of the British flora proposed by Forbes belongs to the concept of “element,” because it was based on assumed species history (i.e. colonization routes). The two approaches may produce similar outcomes, but remain conceptually different. Although personal reasons may have contributed to exacerbate the Watson–Forbes controversy, failure in recognizing this distinction by its actors and their contemporaries, such as Hooker and Darwin, was the most important cause.     

A lake as a microcosm: reflections on developments in aquatic ecology

In the present study, we aim at relating Forbes’ remarkable paper on “The lake as a microcosm”, published 125 years ago, to the present status of knowledge in our own research group. Hence, we relate the observations Forbes made to our own microcosm, Lake Krankesjön in southern Sweden, that has been intensively studied by several research groups for more than three decades. Specifically, we focus on the question: Have we made any significant progress or did Forbes and colleagues blaze the trail through the unknown wilderness and we are mainly paving that intellectual road? We conclude that lakes are more isolated than many other biomes, but have, indeed, many extensions, for example, input from the catchment, fishing and fish migration. We also conclude that irrespective of whether lakes should be viewed as microcosms or not, the paper by Forbes has been exceptionally influential and still is, especially since it touches upon almost all aspects of the lake ecosystem, from individual behaviour to food web interactions and environmental issues. Therefore, there is no doubt that even if 125 years have passed, Forbes’ paper still is a source of inspiration and deserves to be read. Hence, although aquatic ecology has made considerable progress over the latest century, Forbes might be viewed as one of the major pioneers and visionary scientists of limnology.     

Measuring growth of a phenanthrene-degrading bacterial inoculum in soil with a quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction method

We measured growth of a phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Arthrobacter, strain RP17, in Forbes soil, amended with 500 μg g(-1) phenanthrene using a quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction method. The inoculum, which was not indigenous to Forbes soil, grew from 5.55x10(5) colony forming units (cfu) g(-1) to 1.97x10(7) cfu g(-1) within 100 h after the cells were added to the soil. Maximum population density was reached before the highest degradation rate was observed 150 h after the cells were added to soil. Population density remained stable even after 56% of the phenanthrene had mineralized. This study is one of the few documented examples of growth by a non-indigenous bacterium in a non-sterile soil amended with a pollutant.     

The Columbian exchange: American physiologists and neuroscience techniques

Neurophysiological techniques, far from being mere manual or instrumental procedures, are intimately bound up with the concepts and social processes of experimental physiology. This proposition is argued by examining the prepublication history of four important technical innovations in 20th-century neurophysiology, and their associated innovators: the vacuum-tube amplifier (Lucas, Williams, and Forbes, 1912-1922); the cathode-ray oscillograph (Gasser, Newcomer, and Erlanger, 1919-1923); single-fiber recording (Adrian, Zotterman, Forbes, Davis, and Gasser, 1912-1926); and the intracellular microelectrode (Graham, Gerard, Ling, Hodgkin, and Nastuk, 1940-1950). From these episodes I conclude that: each technique has its own set of conceptual presuppositions, limitations, and biases--in a word, techniques are idea-laden; techniques have an inertia of use that is overcome often only in unusual circumstances of crisis or opportunity; techniques, in their origin, evaluation, demonstration, and diffusion, are embedded in a network of social contacts among researchers; and 4) techniques evolve with favorite biological materials that, by fitting the apparatus and the questions asked, also impose limits on the concepts educed from that preparation.     

中国昧潜叶蜂属研究(膜翅目:叶蜂科)(英文)

本文记述中国昧潜叶蜂属6种,包括4新种：黑附昧潜叶蜂Metallusnigritarsussp．nov．（模式产地：福建、浙江）,须瓣昧潜叶蜂Metallusminutussp．nov．（浙江）,卜氏味潜叶蜂Metallusbui：sp．nov．（贵州、云南）,角突味潜叶蜂Metallusjingfanussp．nov．（贵州）。同时还首次记述了马氏昧潜叶蜂MetallusmaiWei的雄性和王氏昧潜叶蜂MetalluswangiWei的雌性。     

First Host Plant Record for Teriocolias zelia andina Forbes (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and Evidence for Local Specialization

The shrub Senna birostris var. arequipensis (Fabaceae) is recorded as the first host plant for the little known butterfly Teriocolias zelia andina Forbes (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in the occidental slopes of the Andes, northernmost Chile. Observations on egg-laying and larva-feeding behavior suggest that this butterfly is host specific.     

Family-friendly HIV and AIDS care the goal at Vancouver's Oak Tree Clinic.

A clinic at Vancouver''s old Shaughnessy Hospital offers specialized care for women and children infected with HIV. Drs. David Burdge and Jack Forbes, the codirectors, believe the "one-stop-shopping" for services offered by physicians, social workers, nurses, dietitians and pharmacists helps improve quality of life for families living with the consequences of HIV and AIDS. BC has the highest cumulative incidence of AIDS in the country, and demand for the clinic''s services has far exceeded expectations.     

Desmethylcephalotaxinone and its correlation with cephalotaxine

A new alkaloid, desmethylcephalotaxinone (IIIa) has been isolated from Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Forbes) K. Koch var. harringtonia cv. Fastigiata. Its structure has been established by spectral methods and by a partial synthesis from cephalotaxine (Ia) via cephalotaxinone (II). Methylation of IIIa with dimethoxypropane yields II along with some isocephalotaxinone (IIIb). Compound II was confirmed as a naturally occurring minor Cephalotaxus constituent. Reduction of II with sodium borohydride proceeds stereospecifically to give Ia.     

Influence of cluster-period cells in stepped wedge cluster randomized trials

Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials (SWCRT) are increasingly used for the evaluation of complex interventions in health services research. They randomly allocate treatments to clusters that switch to intervention under investigation at variable time points without returning to control condition. The resulting unbalanced allocation over time periods and the uncertainty about the underlying correlation structures at cluster-level renders designing and analyzing SWCRTs a challenge. Adjusting for time trends is recommended, appropriate parameterizations depend on the particular context. For sample size calculation, the covariance structure and covariance parameters are usually assumed to be known. These assumptions greatly affect the influence single cluster-period cells have on the effect estimate. Thus, it is important to understand how cluster-period cells contribute to the treatment effect estimate. We therefore discuss two measures of cell influence. These are functions of the design characteristics and covariance structure only and can thus be calculated at the planning stage: the coefficient matrix as discussed by Matthews and Forbes and information content (IC) as introduced by Kasza and Forbes. The main result is a new formula for IC that is more general and computationally more efficient. The formula applies to any generalized least squares estimator, especially for any type of time trend adjustment or nonblock diagonal matrices. We further show a functional relationship between IC and the coefficient matrix. We give two examples that tie in with current literature. All discussed tools and methods are implemented in the R package SteppedPower .     

Seasonal variation and ecology of gametogenesis in the genus Ophiura (Ophiuroidea: Echinodermata) from the bristol channel

The reproductive periodicity of Ophiura albida Forbes and Ophiura texturata Lamarck was examined over a 24-month period. Ophiura albida had a simple 12-month periodicity whereas that of the closely related Ophiura texturata was more complex. The ecological relevance of this difference in two apparently closely related species is discussed.     

Impact of fishery management on Cladoceran populations

Zooplankton of the fish pond reveals a two-year periodicity, which is induced by the two-year cycle of fishery management. In the first year of each cycle, the biomass of large cladocerans prevailed — mainly adult specimens of the species Daphnia pulicaria Forbes, which were absent in the second year. The species Daphnia galeata Sars was present in both years, however, it is more numerous in the second year. The fraction of small zooplankton (rotifers, nauplii, Bosmina, newborn Daphnia) was abundant in the second years, but scarce in the first years, respectively.     

Anaerobic induced ethanol synthesis in the stems of greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings

Ethanol synthesis was induced in stem segments from greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings by placing them in a N₂ atmosphere at 30 °C for 24 h. Stems from ponderosa pine,Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., sugar pine,Pinus lambertiana Dougl., Pacific silver fir,Abies amabalis Dougl. ex Forbes, and lodgepole pine,Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, produced the highest quantities of ethanol. This group also had the smallest and slowest growing stems. Within each of these species the amount of ethanol produced was inversely related to the stem volume. Stems from western hemlock,Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., grand fir, Abies grandis Dougl. ex Forbes, Douglas-fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, and western redcedar,Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don, all produced equivalent but low ethanol concentrations. These species had the largest and fastest growing stems. In this group only grand fir exhibited an inverse relationship between ethanol concentrations and stem volume. The relative amounts of ethanol synthesized by stems from Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western redcedar seedlings were not the same as subsequently observed in logs from mature trees of the same species under field conditions. Differences in the anaerobic environments for the two stem types could have affected the quantities of ethanol produced. The observed high amounts of ethanol produced by the stems from pine species were discussed in terms of their ability to handle periods of anaerobic stress or hypoxia.     

The presence of transverse and axial tubules in the ventricular myocardium of embryonic and neonatal guinea pigs

Summary Developing transverse (T) tubules are found in embryonic guinea pig ventricular myocardium after approximately eight weeks of gestation. By the time of birth (nine weeks total gestation), longitudinally-oriented axial tubules connected to the T tubules also have formed, and the majority of cells closely resemble those of the adult. The form taken by the developing T and axial tubules suggests that they are generated in a manner similar to that for T tubules in chick and rat skeletal muscle, namely by repeated formation of caveolae.Supported by Public Health Service grant HL-11155. Dr. Forbes was a postdoctoral fellow (1-FO2-HL-51147-01) of the PHS during part of this study.     

Achiasmatic meiosis and complex heterozygosity in female cyclopoid copepods (Copepoda,Crustacea)

In Mesocyclops edax S.A. Forbes, 2n=14, a North American copepod, the females are heterozygous for several interchanges leading to the formation of large rings of chromosomes (rings of 14, or of 12 plus 1 bivalent) at meiotic metaphase, comparable to those of the plant Oenothera, although no chiasmata are present. The chromosomes are more or less metacentric and have large terminal H-segments. In the rings homologous arms are held together by connecting fibers which insert close to the euchromatin-heterochromatin junctions. Coordinated orientation of the zigzag type seems to be the role.     

The estimation of crop evacuation rates in Chaoborus larvae (Diptera: Chaoboridae) using natural prey

SUMMARY. 1. Crop evacuation rates were estimated for the first time in Chaoborus larvae, using natural prey.
2. Fourth instar C. americanus Matheson digested copepods (Diaptomus leptopus S.A. Forbes) 48.7% faster than daphnids (Daphnia rosea Leydig) of similar size; meal size did not significantly affect the instantaneous rate of digestion (IRD) within each prey type. Prey specific IRD has not been reported before for zooplankton.
3. Prey specific differences in IRD require the use of natural prey when digestion experiments are to be used to estimate natural rates of food consumption of animals.     

STUDIES ON THE GENUS METALLUS FORBES OF CHINA (HYMENOPTERA:TENTHREDINIDAE)*

Abstract The genus Metallus Forbes from China is revised. Four new species are described in this paper: Metallus nigritarsus sp. nov., M. minutus sp. nov., M. bui sp. nov. and M. jingfanus sp. nov. The male of Metallus mai Wei and the female of Metallus wangi Wei are described for the first time.     

Possible Ascidian Counterpart to the Vertebrate Saccus Vasculosus with Reference to Pyura tessellata (Forbes) and Boltenia echinata (L.)

The morphology of the hitherto unknown larva of Pyura tessellata (Forbes) is described and the discovery of an auxiliary brain vesicle is presented. The vesicle was also found in another pyurid species Boltenia echinata (L.). The auxiliary vesicle communicates with the sensory vesicle at the level of the statocyte and is lined with cubodial epithelial cells carrying a 2 μm globular structure projecting into the lumen. These cells very closely resemble primitive tunicate coronet cells previously reported and coronet cells typical for the saccus vasculosus found in elasmobranchs and many ganoids and teleosts.     

ICZN News

The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has given these opinions which could be of interest to palaeontologists (originally published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 46:3 ).
From March 29th. 1989:
Opinion 1519 Ammonites neubergicus Hauer, 1858 (Cephalopoda, Ammonoidea): to be given precedence over Ammonites chrishna Forbes, 1846
Opinion 1520 Chagrinichniles brooksi Feldmann, Osgood, Szmuc & Meinke, 1978 and Chagrinichniles osgoodi Hannibal & Feldmann, 1983 (Trace fossil; arthropod): conserved
Opinion 1535 Halianassa studeri von Meyer, 1838 (Mammalia, Sirenia): neotype designated; and Halitherium Kaup, 1838 (Mammalia, Sirenia): Pugmeodon schinzii Kaup, 1838 designated as the type species     

A Quadruple Tissue Stain for Strong Color Contrasts

With the increasing use of Kodachrome photomicrographs for revealing the finer structure of organs, it seemed useful to develop a staining method to bring out the tissue elements in strong contrasting colors. As four dyes are used, the method has come to be called the “Quad” stain, in the author's laboratory. The method has been used for two years on quite a variety of tissues, most of which have yielded excellent color films for teaching purposes. The slides have not faded. During this period two satisfactory new dyes have been obtained to supplant imported products originally used, namely, synthetic orcein of MacAndrews and Forbes and National Aniline acid alizarin blue 2B.