Chlorophyll,anthocyanin, and gas exchange changes assessed by spectroradiometry in Fragaria chiloensis under salt stress

Chlorophyll and anthocyanin contents provide a valuable indicator of the status of a plant’s physiology, but to be more widely utilized it needs to be assessed easily and non‐destructively. This is particularly evident in terms of assessing and exploiting germplasm for plant‐breeding programs. We report, for the first time, experiments with Fragaria chiloensis（L.）Duch. and the estimation of the effects of response to salinity stress（0, 30, and 60 mmol NaCl/L） in terms of these pigments content and gas exchange. It is shown that both pigments（which interestingly, themselves show a high correlation） give a good indication of stress response. Both pigments can be accurately predicted using spectral reflectance indices（SRI）;however, the accuracy of the predictions was slightly improved using multilinear regression analysis models and genetic algorithm analysis. Specifically for chlorophyll content, unlike other species, the use of published SRI gave better indications ofstress response than Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.The effect of salt on gas exchange is only evident at the highest concentration and some SRI gave better prediction performance than the known Photochemical Reflectance Index. This information will therefore be useful for identifying tolerant genotypes to salt stress for incorporation in breeding programs.     

Spectral reflectance indices and pigment functions during leaf ontogenesis in six subtropical landscape plants

Pigment combinations are regulated during leaf ontogenesis. To better understand pigment function, alterations in chlorophyll, carotenoid and anthocyanin concentrations were investigated during different leaf development stages in six subtropical landscape plants, namely Ixora chinensis Lam, Camellia japonica Linn, Eugenia oleina Wight, Mangifera indica L., Osmanthus fragrans Lowr and Saraca dives Pierre. High concentrations of anthocyanin were associated with reduced chlorophyll in juvenile leaves. As leaves developed, the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) of all six species increased while anthocyanin concentration declined. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging of Φ_PSII (effective quantum yield of PSII) and of NPQ (non-photochemical fluorescence quenching) and determination of electron transport rate-rapid light curve (RLC) showed that maximum ETR (leaf electron transport rate), Φ_PSII and the saturation point in RLC increased during leaf development but declined as they aged. Juvenile leaves displayed higher values of NPQ and Car/Chl ratios than leaves at other developmental stages. Leaf reflectance spectra (400–800 nm) were measured to provide an in vivo non-destructive assessment of pigments in leaves during ontogenesis. Four reflectance indices, related to pigment characters, were compared with data obtained quantitatively from biochemical analysis. The results showed that the ARI (anthocyanin reflectance index) was linearly correlated to anthocyanin concentration in juvenile leaves, while a positive correlation of Chl NDI (chlorophyll normalized difference vegetation index) to chlorophyll a concentration was species dependent. Photosynthetic reflectance index was not closely related to Car/Chl ratio, while a structural-independent pigment index was not greatly altered by leaf development or species. Accordingly, it is suggested that the high concentration of anthocyanin, higher NPQ and Car/Chl ratio in juvenile leaves are important functional responses to cope with high radiation when the photosynthetic apparatus is not fully developed. Another two leaf reflectance indices, ARI and Chl NDI, are valuable for in vivo pigment evaluation during leaf development.     

二乔玉兰开花过程中花色变化的生理生化机制

以4年生二乔玉兰不同花期外层花瓣为试材,测定其在开花过程中花瓣色度值、花色苷、类黄酮、可溶性糖含量、细胞pH值以及相关酶活性的变化,以探讨二乔玉兰花色呈色机理。结果显示:(1)随着花期的推移,苯丙氨酸解胺酶(PAL)和查尔酮异构酶(CHI)活性逐渐减弱,细胞pH值逐渐变大,可溶性糖、花色苷、类黄酮含量不断降低,而花瓣明亮度增强,红色度以及彩色度减弱,且不同花期各参数值之间差异显著。(2)花瓣可溶性糖含量、PAL和CHI的活性与其花色素苷、类黄酮含量变化之间呈显著正相关关系,花瓣pH值的变化、明亮度L*值与花色素苷、类黄酮含量之间呈显著负相关,色相值a*与花色苷含量的变化呈显著正相关。研究表明,二乔玉兰花瓣花色苷和类黄酮含量的高低可以影响其花色的深浅,可溶性糖含量、PAL和CHI活性、细胞pH通过参与一定的生理代谢来调节花色素的形成,进而引起二乔玉兰花色色调的改变。     

Effects of iron on growth and reflectance spectrum of the bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis viridis

Iron is an important factor in algal blooms because it is involved in cyanobacterial pigment biosynthesis and therefore has the ability to influence the pigment status of algal cells. This role in pigment biosynthesis offers the opportunity for rapid monitoring of iron availability to cyanobacteria through spectral reflectance characterization. In the present study, the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis viridis was cultured with different levels of iron. Cell density, cellular content of iron and photosynthetic pigments, and spectral reflectivity of M. viridis were determined daily during the course of the culture experiment. The results showed that at the lowest iron concentration (0.01 μM) the growth of M. viridis was seriously limited, and the maximal cell density was only approximately 6.4% of the density observed with an iron concentration of 18 μM. Iron availability dramatically affected chlorophyll a, carotenoid and phycocyanin content, with the greatest impact on chlorophyll a. The iron‐induced changes in content and ratios of pigments were detectable through spectral reflectance. Eleven spectral indices previously developed for the estimation of concentrations and/or ratios of pigments and a newly proposed chlorophyll a/phycocyanin index were found to be suitable for generating sensitive regression models between cellular iron content and spectral parameters. The comprehensive application of key sensitive spectral indices and regression equations should help to support monitoring and diagnosis of iron availability to cyanobacteria via remote sensing.     

Assessing leaf pigment content and activity with a reflectometer

This study explored reflectance indices sampled with a 'leaf reflectometer' as measures of pigment content for leaves of contrasting light history, developmental stage and functional type (herbaceous annual versus sclerophyllous evergreen). We employed three reflectance indices: a modified normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), an index of chlorophyll content; the red/green reflectance ratio ( R _RED: R _GREEN), an index of anthocyanin content; and the change in photochemical reflectance index upon dark–light conversions (ΔPRI), an index of xanthophyll cycle pigment activity. In Helianthus annuus (sunflower), xanthophyll cycle pigment amounts were linearly related to growth light environment; leaves in full sun contained approximately twice the amount of xanthophyll cycle pigments as leaves in deep shade, and at midday a larger proportion of these pigments were in the photoprotective, de-epoxidized forms relative to shade leaves. Reflectance indices also revealed contrasting patterns of pigment development in leaves of contrasting structural types (annual versus evergreen). In H. annuus sun leaves, there was a remarkably rapid increase in amounts of both chlorophyll and xanthophyll cycle pigments along a leaf developmental sequence. This pattern contrasted with that of Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak, a sclerophyllous evergreen), which exhibited a gradual development of both chlorophyll and xanthophyll cycle pigments along with a pronounced peak of anthocyanin pigment content in newly expanding leaves. These temporal patterns of pigment development in Q. agrifolia leaves suggest that anthocyanins and xanthophyll cycle pigments serve complementary photoprotective roles during early leaf development. The results illustrate the use of reflectance indices for distinguishing divergent patterns of pigment activity in leaves of contrasting light history and functional type.     

矮牵牛新种质的花色表型及花色素分析

以27个上海交通大学自育矮牵牛新种质为研究材料,对花色这一重要观赏性状及其花色素进行了系统研究。用RHSCC比色和色差仪测色方法描述了矮牵牛的花色表型,通过特征显色反应初步判断了矮牵牛的花色素类型,以标准曲线法和pH示差法等方法测定了矮牵牛3类花色素的含量。研究表明：这27个矮牵牛种质的花色可归于5个色系,以紫红色和红色为主;矮牵牛花色在CIELab表色系统中分布较广,而且不同色系花色参数的区分度较大。矮牵牛花瓣中含有类黄酮和花色苷,不含或含少量类胡萝卜素。13个被测种质的花瓣类黄酮含量在2.5～12.2 mg·/g–1 ·FW之间,花色苷含量在0.08～3.88 mg·g–1 FWmg/g·FW之间,而类胡萝卜素在矮牵牛花瓣中含量很低,远远低于类黄酮含量,在7个被测种质中,最高仅为0.216 mg·g–1 FWmg/g·FW,最低为0.004 mg·g–1 FWmg/g·FW。以上结果显示,5个色系矮牵牛所含花色素种类不尽相同,含量也有明显差异,其中紫红色系和红色系花瓣大多不含或含极少量类胡萝卜素,黄色系、白色系和紫色系花瓣的类黄酮含量较高,紫色系和紫红色系花瓣花色苷含量较高。     

丽格海棠花青素苷成分及分布对花色的影响

以红色、红心白边、粉红、玫红、黄色、黄心红边、浅粉和白色8种花色丽的格海棠花瓣为试验材料,采用目视测色法、RHSCC比色法和色差仪测定花瓣表型,通过组织切片法观察花瓣色素细胞的显微结构和分布特点,采用双光束紫外-可见光分光光度计和高效液相色谱-电喷雾离子化-质谱连用技术(HPLC-ESI-MS)测定分析花瓣中花青素苷的成分和含量,为探讨丽格海棠花色的呈色机理和花色育种提供参考。结果显示:(1)丽格海棠的明度L*随花瓣颜色变深而降低,红度a*则表现出相反趋势,红度(a*)和彩度(C*)值与明度(L*)呈显著负相关关系,且a*和C*是影响L*的主要因素。(2)红花品种花瓣色素主要分布于上表皮细胞和海绵组织中;红白花品种花瓣色素主要分布于上下表皮中,且下表皮积累量更多;粉色花和玫红花品种花瓣色素主要分布于上下表皮细胞;黄红花和粉白色花品种花瓣上表皮中含有少量色素,而黄花和白花品种花瓣几乎没有色素积累。各花色丽格海棠花瓣上表皮细胞均为圆锥形,且红花和红白花品种锥形化程度最高,它们花瓣下表皮细胞均呈扁平的长方形。(3)8个丽格海棠品种花瓣中共检测出15种花青素苷,其中10种为芍药素苷,3种为矢车菊素苷,1种为锦葵素苷,1种为飞燕草素苷,酰化花青素苷占多数;红花品种花瓣中总花青素苷含量最高,玫红花品种次之,黄花和白花品种中未检出;除粉红花品种外,其余含花青素苷的品种中芍药素苷含量最高,均占总花青素苷含量的50%以上,是花瓣的主要呈色物质。(4)丽格海棠花瓣中总花青素苷含量与其红度(a*)、彩度(C*)值呈正相关关系、与其L*值呈负相关关系。研究表明,花青素苷的积累有利于丽格海棠花瓣红色化,并影响其花瓣彩度(C*)及明度(L*);色素分布细胞数量和上表皮细胞锥形化明显影响花瓣呈色,且花瓣主要的呈色物质为芍药素苷,酰基化修饰可能影响其明度。     

Avian eggshell pigments are not consistently correlated with colour measurements or egg constituents in two Turdus thrushes

The colourful appearance of avian eggshells is a prominent aspect of maternal reproductive effort in birds. Some differences in eggshell coloration have been reported to co‐vary with various measures of maternal condition and these patterns support the hypothesis that, in some bird species, several aspects of eggshell colour (i.e. primary chroma and brightness) function as a signal of maternal and offspring quality to induce greater paternal investment. We directly quantified eggshell pigment concentrations of blackbird Turdus merula and song thrush T. philomelos eggshells and tested how the two key pigments (protoporphyrin IX and biliverdin) co‐varied with other eggshell traits and egg constituents as measures of maternal reproductive investment, including total yolk carotenoid concentration, total lipid concentration, yolk mass, and shell thickness. Contrary to predictions, we detected few statistical patterns overall. We found that protoporphyrin IX concentration was negatively associated with blue‐green chroma in blackbirds but not in song thrush. The concentration of protoporphyrin IX was significantly greater in blackbirds and also showed different patterns of association with total yolk lipids and yolk carotenoid concentrations between these two species (significant species interaction terms). Our results reveal that it is not appropriate to simply assume in these two avian species that reflectance‐based eggshell colour measures are a suitable proxy for eggshell pigment concentrations or can be used as consistent predictors of maternal reproductive investment. These results highlight the need to assess and validate the strength and direction of the statistical relationships between eggshell colour measures, pigment concentrations, and maternal resource deposition in the egg for other species of birds.     

Arctic mustard flower color polymorphism controlled by petal-specific downregulation at the threshold of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway

Intra- and interspecific variation in flower color is a hallmark of angiosperm diversity. The evolutionary forces underlying the variety of flower colors can be nearly as diverse as the colors themselves. In addition to pollinator preferences, non-pollinator agents of selection can have a major influence on the evolution of flower color polymorphisms, especially when the pigments in question are also expressed in vegetative tissues. In such cases, identifying the target(s) of selection starts with determining the biochemical and molecular basis for the flower color variation and examining any pleiotropic effects manifested in vegetative tissues. Herein, we describe a widespread purple-white flower color polymorphism in the mustard Parrya nudicaulis spanning Alaska. The frequency of white-flowered individuals increases with increasing growing-season temperature, consistent with the role of anthocyanin pigments in stress tolerance. White petals fail to produce the stress responsive flavonoid intermediates in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (ABP), suggesting an early pathway blockage. Petal cDNA sequences did not reveal blockages in any of the eight enzyme-coding genes in white-flowered individuals, nor any color differentiating SNPs. A qRT-PCR analysis of white petals identified a 24-fold reduction in chalcone synthase (CHS) at the threshold of the ABP, but no change in CHS expression in leaves and sepals. This arctic species has avoided the deleterious effects associated with the loss of flavonoid intermediates in vegetative tissues by decoupling CHS expression in petals and leaves, yet the correlation of flower color and climate suggests that the loss of flavonoids in the petals alone may affect the tolerance of white-flowered individuals to colder environments.     

基于Hyperion影像植被光谱的土壤重金属含量空间分布反演——以青海省玉树县为例

本研究主要探讨了利用Hyperion影像植被光谱估算土壤重金属含量的可行性.以野外采集的三江源区玉树县48个表层土壤样品As、Pb、Zn、Cd实验室测定含量值,以及从两景Hyperion影像提取的48个土壤样本点相应的176个植被光谱反射率波段及构建的5种植被指数为数据源,利用偏最小二乘回归方法(PLSR)建立土壤各重金属含量与上述两套Hyperion影像上提取的变量之间的估算模型.模型分别为176个植被光谱反射率波段与土壤各重金属含量间的估算模型(植被光谱反射率模型),和以5种植被指数作为自变量,与土壤各重金属含量建立的估算模型(综合植被指数模型).运用验证样本的4种重金属元素实测含量值的标准差与均方根误差的比值(RPD)作为检验标准,As、Pb两种模型RPD均小于1.4,不具备粗略估算能力;Zn、Cd两种模型RPD分别为1.53、1.46与1.46、1.42,均具备粗略估算能力.根据上述结果将Zn的光谱反射率估算模型与Hyperion影像相结合反演得到土壤重金属Zn含量的空间分布,Zn含量在214国道、308省道和乡镇附近偏高,主要受到较强的人类活动影响.表明运用Hyperion高光谱影像植被光谱反射率可以间接估算土壤Zn、Cd元素含量.     

Surface reflectance properties of Antarctic moss and their relationship to plant species, pigment composition and photosynthetic function

In this study the variations in surface reflectance properties and pigment concentrations of Antarctic moss over species, sites, microtopography and with water content were investigated. It was found that species had significantly different surface reflectance properties, particularly in the region of the red edge (approximately 700 nm), but this did not correlate strongly with pigment concentrations. Surface reflectance of moss also varied in the visible region and in the characteristics of the red edge over different sites. Reflectance parameters, such as the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and cold hard band were useful discriminators of site, microtopographic position and water content. The PRI was correlated both with the concentrations of active xanthophyll‐cycle pigments and the photosynthetic light use efficiency, F_v/F_m, measured using chlorophyll fluorescence. Water content of moss strongly influenced the amplitude and position of the red‐edge as well as the PRI, and may be responsible for observed differences in reflectance properties for different species and sites. All moss showed sustained high levels of photoprotective xanthophyll pigments, especially at exposed sites, indicating moss is experiencing continual high levels of photochemical stress.     

Reduced sexual dichromatism,mutual ornamentation,and individual quality in the monogamous Zenaida dove Zenaida aurita

Although variation in plumage coloration is known to occur both between and within sexes, its study remains limited to a few bird families. The Zenaida dove Zenaida aurita is a socially monogamous tropical columbid bird species, characterized by an overall cinnamon‐brownish plumage and structural colorations on the head and neck. The species has been described as sexually dichromatic for plumage, although color differences between males and females are not obvious in the field. We investigated variation in the presumably melanin‐based color of the crown, mantle, breast, and belly, in the iridescent dark‐blue streaks on the head, and in the symmetric iridescent patches on the neck, over the whole spectrum visible to birds. Further, unlike most previous studies, we assessed covariation between plumage color and phenotypic traits in both males and females in relation to the putative signaling function of ornaments. Zenaida doves appeared to be slightly sexually dichromatic for the hue of pigment‐based colored areas, with males being on average more reddish than females. However, this difference was not discernible when considering the avian visual system. Conversely, although the reflectance spectra of iridescent plumage did not significantly differ between sexes in brightness, chroma or spectral position of the peaks, color discrimination analyses showed that individuals should be able to perceive between‐ or within‐sex differences in the color of the iridescent patch. In addition, several color parameters of brown and iridescent feathers were significantly related to territorial status, body condition, wing chord, and, albeit weakly, to individual multilocus heterozygosity. Overall, our results thus suggest that plumage color might be a reliable signal of quality in individuals of both sexes in this species. Further studies are needed to test the potential implication of plumage coloration in mate choice and mating patterns in the Zenaida dove.     

铁筷子花瓣中花青素苷成分及含量对其呈色的影响北大核心CSCD

该研究以7个品种铁筷子(Helleborus thibetanus Franch.)为试验材料,借助目视测色、RHSCC比色卡、色差仪进行花色表型的测定,采用高效液相色谱法-光电二极管阵列检测方法(HPLC-DAD)及高效液相色谱-电喷雾离子化-质谱联用技术(HPLC-ESI-MS)测定分析铁筷子花瓣中花青素苷成分及含量,以探究不同品种铁筷子的花色与花青素苷成分及含量之间的关系。结果显示:(1)紫色系品种花瓣的a*值最高b*值最低,黄色系品种花瓣的b*值最高a*值最低,不同品种的铁筷子花色越深L*值越低。(2)从5个有花青素苷积累的铁筷子品种中检测出11种花青素苷成分,分别为6种矢车菊素苷,4种飞燕草素苷,1种矮牵牛素苷;供试的铁筷子材料中红色系2个品种的花青素苷含量最高,紫色系品种次之;矢车菊素苷与飞燕草素苷为影响铁筷子花瓣呈色的主要色素物质。(3)不同种类的花青素和修饰基团的差异,导致铁筷子花瓣呈现不同的色彩,含有多种酰基化修饰的飞燕草素苷使铁筷子花色蓝移进而使花色加深。(4)相关分析表明,铁筷子花瓣的L*值与a*值呈显著负相关关系,与b*值呈显著的正相关关系;L*值与总花青素苷含量呈显著负相关关系,且随着花青素苷含量的累积a*值增加,花色红移。研究表明,花青素苷的成分及含量是导致铁筷子花瓣呈现不同颜色的主要原因,矢车菊素苷和飞燕草素苷的互作以及酰基化的修饰使铁筷子呈现不同程度的紫色,花青素苷的不同累积量影响了花瓣颜色的明暗变化,从而使铁筷子花瓣颜色丰富。     

Anthocyanin contribution to chlorophyll meter readings and its correction

Leaf chlorophyll content is an important physiological parameter which can serve as an indicator of nutritional status, plant stress or senescence. Signals proportional to the chlorophyll content can be measured non-destructively with instruments detecting leaf transmittance (e.g., SPAD-502) or reflectance (e.g., showing normalized differential vegetation index, NDVI) in red and near infrared spectral regions. The measurements are based on the assumption that only chlorophylls absorb in the examined red regions. However, there is a question whether accumulation of other pigments (e.g., anthocyanins) could in some cases affect the chlorophyll meter readings. To answer this question, we cultivated tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for a long time under low light conditions and then exposed them for several weeks (4 h a day) to high sunlight containing the UV-A spectral region. The senescent leaves of these plants evolved a high relative content of anthocyanins and visually revealed a distinct blue color. The SPAD and NDVI data were collected and the spectra of diffusive transmittance and reflectance of the leaves were measured using an integration sphere. The content of anthocyanins and chlorophylls was measured analytically. Our results show that SPAD and NDVI measurement can be significantly affected by the accumulated anthocyanins in the leaves with relatively high anthocyanin content. To describe theoretically this effect of anthocyanins, concepts of a specific absorbance and a leaf spectral polarity were developed. Corrective procedures of the chlorophyll meter readings for the anthocyanin contribution are suggested both for the transmittance and reflectance mode.     

Optimization, constraint, and history in the evolution of eyes

Several features of the evolution of eyes and photoreceptors are examined in an effort to explore the relative roles of adaptation and historical and developmental constraints. Optical design shows clear evidence of adaptation, which in some respects approaches optima predictable from physics. The primate fovea, on the other hand, illustrates how adaptation can be channeled by developmental heritage. The primary structures of opsins reveal multiple evolutionary lineages within both Drosophila and humans. The pigments of vertebrae rods comprise a subset of opsins whose evolutionary relationships map onto the phylogeny of the parent species. The evolutionary reasons for why most rod pigments absorb maximally at 500 +/- 10 nm are obscure, as there is no convincing explanation based on adaptation alone. Rods are appropriately distinguished from cones on the basis of which opsin gene is expressed. This criterion is likely to be in conflict with other definitions in phyletic lines (e.g., geckos, snakes) that have long diurnal or nocturnal histories accompanied by loss of one or more opsin genes, followed by a secondary adaptation to life in a different photic environment. Color vision--a generalizable perception associated with the spectral composition of light--is usefully distinguished from wavelength-specific behaviors. The latter are also based on multiple visual pigments and more than one spectral class of receptors but cannot be altered by learning. The distinction is particularly forceful in bees, which exhibit both kinds of behavior. The evolution of primate color vision has been shaped by historical factors involving an extensive period of early mammalian nocturnality. Birds, by contrast, have more elaborate cones and a richer set of visual pigments. Avian color space can be represented in a tetrahedron.     

Background matching,disruptive coloration,and differential use of microhabitats in two neotropical grasshoppers with sexual dichromatism

Cryptic coloration is an adaptative defensive mechanism against predators. Color patterns can become cryptic through background coloration‐matching and disruptive coloration. Disruptive coloration may evolve in visually heterogeneous microhabitats, whereas background matching could be favored in chromatically homogeneous microhabitats. In this work, we used digital photography to explore the potential use of disruptive coloration and background matching in males and females of two grasshopper species of the Sphenarium genus in different habitats. We found chromatic differences in the two grasshopper species that may be explained by local adaptation. We also found that the females and males of both species are dichromatic and seem to follow different color cryptic strategies, males are more disruptive than females, whereas females have a high background matching with less disruptive elements. The selective pressures of the predators in different microhabitats and the differences in mobility between sexes may explain the color pattern divergence between females and males. Nevertheless, more field experiments are needed in order to understand the relative importance of disruptive and background matching coloration in the evolution of sexual dichromatism in these grasshoppers.     

长白山红松臭冷杉光谱反射随海拔的变化

为了研究红松、臭冷杉光谱反射率随海拔梯度的变化,本研究使用光谱仪测量了长白山两种主要的针叶树种红松、臭冷杉不同海拔针叶的光谱反射率,分别对比了两个树种不同海拔间光谱反射率、光谱指数的差异,这些特征可以反映植物叶片色素组成和色素含量等信息。结果表明：两种针叶树在不同海拔的光谱反射率变化明显,光谱指数也有显著差异,证明相关生理状况发生明显变化。对比各海拔光谱反射率发现,1279m处红松、臭冷杉针叶的色素总含量较高,叶绿素指数反映出748m处红松、臭冷杉针叶叶绿素含量显著高于1040m和1279m处,Car：Chl指数的差异说明红松、臭冷杉均在748处受到较弱的胁迫,臭冷杉在1040m受到较强的胁迫,对比各波段反射率随海拔的变化,发现红松、臭冷杉针叶色素含量都随海拔变化有明显的变化,而且臭冷杉的叶片水分含量、叶片结构也可能容易受到海拔影响。     

Host‐specific parasitism in the Central American striped cuckoo,Tapera naevia

Coevolutionary theories of brood parasite strategy and host defense have been informed by research on egg mimicry and host recognition. However, there is no information on the strategies of New World parasitic cuckoos and their hosts. The striped cuckoo Tapera naevia is a New World cuckoo that uses multiple host species and maintains an egg color polymorphism. To investigate if color‐matching influenced rejection behavior in hosts, I conducted an egg rejection experiment on a host that lays blue‐green eggs, the rufous‐and‐white wren Thryophilus rufalbus and a host that lays white eggs, the plain wren Cantorchilus modestus. I used spectrophotometric analysis of egg color to determine the degree of egg color‐matching. I found that at the field site the striped cuckoo lays highly mimetic eggs for the rufous‐and‐white wren, in both color and brightness. The rufous‐and‐white wren was more likely to accept mimetic artificial eggs than non‐mimetic eggs. The plain wren exhibited low rejection rates for both mimetic and non‐mimetic artificial eggs. The evidence from this study indicates that the striped cuckoo lays eggs that are closely color‐matched to those of its preferred host, the rufous‐and‐white wren, and that this mimicry improves acceptance.     

不同叶色三叶海棠叶片成色色素分析

结合民族植物学和药理学的研究方法,对西双版纳地区傣族、哈尼族和基诺族等3个少数民族民间利用番石榴（Psidium guajava）、余甘子（Phyllanthus emblica）和水柳（Homonoia riparia）的传统知识进行调查研究及体外抗菌活性实验。结果表明：番石榴和余甘子在村寨中较为常见,当地少数民族将其种植于庭院中,常作为果蔬食用,食用番石榴嫩叶可缓解拉肚子的症状,治疗腹痛、腹泻。水柳生长在水边,傣族会将其叶作为腌酸鱼的配料之一。根据文献记载,番石榴、余甘子和水柳的叶部位作为药使用时,常煎水外洗,治疗皮肤瘙痒。对这3种药用植物叶部位采用80%乙醇浸泡制备的提取物进行体外抗菌实验,结果显示番石榴、余甘子和水柳3种药用植物对金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠埃希菌均有较好的抑菌和杀菌活性,其最小抑菌浓度MIC在98~390 μg·mL 1之间,最小杀菌浓度MBC在98~781 μg·mL 1之间。番石榴和水柳叶对铜绿假单胞菌有一定抑菌和杀菌活性,其MIC和MBC范围均为6 250~12 500 μg·mL 1。由此可见,这3种药用植物的民间利用具有一定的合理性和药用开发价值。