Host introductions and the geography of parasite taxonomic diversity

Aim Geographical variation in parasite diversity is examined among populations of fish in their original heartland and in areas where they have been introduced. The diversity in heartland and introduced populations is contrasted, and also compared with the expectations of a null model. Location Data on the parasite communities of two salmonid fish species were obtained: the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in its British Columbia heartland and in introduced populations in North America, Great Britain, South America and New Zealand; and the brown trout Salmo trutta in heartland populations from Great Britain, and in introduced populations in North America, South America and New Zealand. Methods The average taxonomic distinctness and its variance were computed for each parasite community, and used as measures of the taxonomic diversity of parasite species in each fish population. Observed values of taxonomic distinctness were also compared with those expected if each community was a random selection from the world list of parasite species known for each of the two host species. Results Few parasite communities departed from the expectations of the null model, i.e. few had a taxonomic diversity of parasites greater or lower than that expected from a random selection of parasite species. However, these departures were not more or less likely among heartland fish populations than among introduced ones. In both fish species, parasite communities in introduced populations tended to be a little more taxonomically diverse than in the heartland populations. Main conclusions Overall, the results suggest that the accumulation of parasite species in introduced hosts over short (ecological) periods of time can result in parasite assemblages that are just as, or even more, taxonomically diverse than those developed over much longer (evolutionary) time frames in the host species geographical heartland. This finding highlights the importance of ecological factors in parasite biodiversity in addition to coevolutionary processes.     

Abundance,diversity and temporal activity of adult Culicoides spp. associated with cattle in West Bengal,India

Relative abundance, species composition and temporal activity of Culicoides midges were studied for a period of 2 years (2012–2014) using suction ultra violet light traps at two sites located in the agriculture heartland of West Bengal, India. Surveillance in close proximity to cattle recorded predominance of five species with C oxystoma and C. peregrinus as the most dominant species followed by C. fulvus, C. innoxius and C. anophelis. The temporal activity of midges was investigated for seven consecutive nights at one site in August-September, 2012 and the predominant species was Culicoides oxystoma followed by Culicoides peregrinus. All of the species exhibited crepuscular activity with their flight activity increasing from dusk to dawn. Engorged adults constituted dominant age group in collections. Studies on population ecology of the adults midges are of considerable importance predicting for the epidemicity of midge-borne diseases in cattle.     

Woodlands at the edge: A European perspective on the Atlantic Oakwood Plant Communities

Summary

The Atlantic Oakwoods can be seen as ‘at the edge’ in two ways. First, they lie at the extreme oceanic end of a series of Quercus robur and Q. petraea woodlands which stretches eastwards from the North Atlantic coast to the continental heartland of Europe. Second, they are at the northern limit of a range of oceanic oakwoods which extends southwards to Iberia where Q. pyrenaica is an important canopy companion. This paper outlines the main variations in trees, shrubs, herbs and cryptogams that can be seen along these two climatic gradients, so as to highlight what is truly distinctive about the Atlantic Oakwoods and how we might rightly value them.     

Genetic continuity after the collapse of the Wari empire: Mitochondrial DNA profiles from Wari and post‐Wari populations in the ancient Andes

The Wari empire flourished in the central, highland Peruvian Andes from AD 600–1000, and although the events that led to its demise are unknown, archaeological evidence indicates that Wari control waned at the end of the first millennium. Here, we test the hypothesis that, despite the major shift in social and political organization at the fall of the Wari empire, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) composition of populations from the Ayacucho Basin, the former imperial heartland of the empire, remained essentially unchanged. Results show that mtDNA haplogroup frequencies among the Wari and post‐Wari groups differ, but the difference is not statistically significant (χ² = 5.886, df = 3, P = 0.1172). This is the first study in the Andes to use haplotypic data to evaluate the observed genetic distance between two temporally distinct prehispanic populations (F_ST = 0.029) against modeled expectations of four possible evolutionary scenarios. None of these simulations allowed the rejection of continuity. In total, at both the haplogroup and haplotype levels these data do not allow us to reject the hypothesis that post‐Wari individuals sampled in this study are the maternal descendants of those sampled from the Wari era site of Conchopata. However, genetic homogeneity in the mitochondrial gene pool, as seen in the late prehispanic southern Andes, may also characterize our study region. But, prior to this research, this was unknown. If our new data show mtDNA homogeneity, then this could limit the detection of female migration if, in fact, it occurred. Nonetheless, the novel mtDNA data presented here currently do not support the hypothesis that there was an influx of genetically distinct females into the former Wari heartland after the Wari collapse. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Reconstructing range dynamics and range fragmentation of European bison for the last 8000 years

Aim Understanding what constituted species’ ranges prior to large‐scale human influence, and how past climate and land use change have affected range dynamics, provides conservation planners with important insights into how species may respond to future environmental change. Our aim here was to reconstruct the Holocene range of European bison (Bison bonasus) by combining a time‐calibrated species distribution models (SDM) with a dynamic vegetation model. Location Europe. Method We used European bison occurrences from the Holocene in a maximum entropy model to assess bison range dynamics during the last 8000 years. As predictors, we used bioclimatic variables and vegetation reconstructions from the generalized dynamic vegetation model LPJ‐GUESS. We compared our range maps with maps of farmland and human population expansion to identify the main species range constraints. Results The Holocene distribution of European bison was mainly determined by vegetation patterns, with bison thriving in both broadleaved and coniferous forests, as well as by mean winter temperature. The heartland of European bison was in Central and Eastern Europe, whereas suitable habitat in Western Europe was scarce. While environmentally suitable regions were overall stable, the expansion of settlements and farming severely diminished available habitat. Main conclusions European bison habitat preferences may be wider than previously assumed, and our results suggest that the species had a more eastern and northern distribution than previously reported. Vegetation and climate transformation during the Holocene did not affect the bison’s range substantially. Conversely, human population growth and the spread of farming resulted in drastic bison habitat loss and fragmentation, likely reaching a tipping point during the last 1000 years. Combining SDM and dynamic vegetation models can improve range reconstructions and projections, and thus help to identify resilient conservation strategies for endangered species.     

Diversity of intestinal helminth communities of carp from six lakes in the flood plain of the Yangtze River, China

The infra- and component communities of intestinal helminths of carp Cyprinus carpio were investigated in six lakes in the flood plain of the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Eight species of helminth parasites were recorded. The intestinal helminth communities were species rich in Niushan and Tonghu lakes where the digenean Asymphylodora japonica was the dominant species, whereas in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes a species-poor helminth community had only one species, Khawia sinensis . The degree of similarity within localities was highest in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes, and was high between communities where K. sinensis was the dominant species. The rich composition of these helminth communities may be because China is the heartland for carp while the poor helminth composition of those in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes may reflect the poor fauna there. It is suggested that species compositions of intestinal helminth communities of carp may be diversified in lakes in the flood plain of the Yangtze River.     

Distinguishing rice (Oryza sativa Poaceae) from wild Oryza species through Phytolith analysis: Results of preliminary research

Asian rice is an important grain, not only in its homeland but in many areas of the world. Identifying rice in the archaeological record is a challenge, especially in the moist tropics, where organic materials preserve only when charred. Phytolith analysis, the identification of opaline silica bodies, provides an alternative method for identifying this important crop. Results of our research suggest thatOryza contributes phytoliths that are genus-specific, that bulliform characteristics alone do not permit separation of wild and domesticatedOryza in regions where species overlap, and that a number of phytolith types, especially silicified glumes, show promise for separating wild from domesticated forms. With further research it should be possible to identify rice through its phytolith assemblage in archaeological soils in the heartland of its domestication and use.     

Melanic moth frequencies in Yorkshire, an old English industrial hot spot

A survey has been carried out in Leeds, England, in the west Yorkshire industrial heartland, and in neighboring York, surrounded by agriculture, of melanic frequency in the moth species Biston betularia, Odontoptera bidentata, and Apamea crenata. All show a decline in melanics in the postindustrial environment, the first over almost the full range from nearly 100% to less that 10%, the others to smaller extents. Changes in several species over as great a magnitude and as wide an area must result from selection. The results are compared with others along a transect through northern England. The onset of response is progressively later from west to east. The rate of decline is lower at the extremes of the transect to west and east than it is in the center. We still do not have a clear picture of the causes of the changes. One major factor is likely to be selective predation, which is shown to be critically dependent on predation rate. As a consequence, differences in settling behavior between the species could account for different responses even if the species are attacked by the same predators.     

The Mississippian Heartland and Its Plains Relationship*

Abstract

The Cahokia site near East St. Louis, Illinois, was a gateway on the northwestern frontier of the Mississippian heartland. Its exact relationship to other Middle Mississippi cultures and to cultures of the Plains and Upper Great Lakes ar ea is still not fully under stood. It is clear, nonetheless, that these relationships, when more completely known, will prove to be :inuch more complicated than any suggested in current literature.     

The genus Cervus in eastern Eurasia

In 2004, Christian Pitra and co-workers published the first molecular phylogeny of Old World deer which advanced our understanding of the Cervinae immeasurably by demonstrating the non-monophyletic status of the red deer/wapiti group, the chital/hog deer group and the swamp deer/Eld's deer group. Therefore, many conspicuous external features—antler complexity, mane and rump-patch development—turned out to be related not to phylogeny as much as to climatic-related lifestyle factors. At a lower level, molecular genetics has reinforced some conclusions drawn on the basis of morphology or behaviour. Striking examples are the divisions between mainland and Japanese sika and between northern and southern forms of Japanese sika. In this paper, I will look at the species living in what Pitra et al. (Evolution and phylogeny of old world deer. Mol Phylogenet Evol 33:880–895, 2004) identified as the heartland of cervine evolution: eastern Eurasia. I will consider the two species groups in this region that seem to crystallize both the problems of cervine classification and the ways in which the new sources of evidence have opened up new avenues of inquiry.     

Trauma and violence in the Wari empire of the Peruvian Andes: warfare, raids, and ritual fights

This study examines bioarchaeological evidence for violence during the period of Wari imperialism in the Peruvian Andes through analysis of skeletal trauma from three populations dating to AD 650-800. The samples are from contemporaneous archaeological sites: Conchopata, a Wari heartland site in central highland Peru; Beringa, a community of commoners in the Majes valley of the southern Wari hinterland; and La Real, a high status mortuary site, also in the Majes valley. Given the expansionist nature of Wari and its military-related iconography and weaponry, it is hypothesized that Wari imperialism was concomitant with greater levels of violence relative to other prehispanic groups in the Andes. It is also hypothesized that differential articulation with the Wari empire (e.g., heartland vs. hinterland groups) affected the frequency and patterning of trauma. Results show that cranial trauma frequency of the three Wari era samples is significantly greater than several other Andean skeletal populations. This suggests that Wari rule was associated with high levels of violence, though it may not have always been related to militarism. The three adult samples show similar frequencies of cranial trauma (Conchopata = 26%; Beringa = 33%; La Real = 31%). This may suggest that differential positioning in the Wari empire had little effect on exposure to violence. Sex-based differences in cranial trauma frequencies are present only at La Real, but wound patterning differs between the sexes: females display more wounds on the posterior of the cranium, while males show more on the anterior. These data suggest that Wari rule may have contributed to violence.     

长白山原始林红松径向生长及林分碳汇潜力

长白山地处温带针阔混交林的中心地带,其植物生长对气候变化反映较为敏感。运用树木年代学的基本原理与方法,以该区保存完好的地带性顶级群落阔叶红松林为研究对象,探讨了红松(Pinus koraiensis)径向生长对气候变化的响应,以期揭示全球气候变化对阔叶红松林及红松树木生长的影响。以长白山自然保护区北坡为研究地点,建立红松树轮年表,计算年均生物量生长量,与逐月各气候因子进行相关和响应函数分析,以期揭示红松径向生长与气候变化的关系。同时利用多元逐步回归分析方法分别建立了红松树轮指数、年均生物量生长量与主要气候因子的模拟回归方程。主要结论如下:(1)长白山红松年表特征分析表明其生长对气候变化敏感,适用于进行树轮气候学分析;(2)红松径向生长受当年生长季前期温度影响较大;(3)温度是限制红松径向生长的主要因子,气候变暖将促进红松的径向生长;(4)目前林分单位面积地上生物量为310.88t/hm~2,单位面积林分生物量生长量约为5.077t hm~(-2)a~(-1),即每公顷每年固碳约2.539t,表明该地区老龄阔叶红松林仍具有较强的固碳能力。     

The Ecology of Seasonal Stress and the Origins of Agriculture in the Near East

The time, place, and reasons for the first domestication of cereals and legumes in the Near East can now be securely identified using combined evidence from paleoenvironmental studies, models of ecosystem dynamics, and regional archeology. The heartland of domestication was the Jordan Valley and surrounding region in the Southern Levant. Approximately 10,000 years ago, people began planting crops where the wild ancestral species had proliferated over two millenia. Impetus for domestication came from the synergistic effects of climatic change, anthropogenic environmental change, technological change, and social innovation. At the end of the Pleistocene, after a long period of climatic instability, a mediterranean climate more strongly seasonal than any today emerged with hyper-arid summers that selected for annual species of cereals and legumes. This occurred long after people had invented tools suitable for grinding hard seeds, but the new, lengthy dry season and consequent need to use stored foods encouraged sedentism among human groups who subsequently depleted their immediate environments of wild resources. These preconditions facilitated the development of agriculture. The scenario developed here is specific to the Near East, for such case studies of specific factors in independent regions of domestication are essential before we attempt to explain cases all over the world with reference to global causes.     

广西木论国家级自然保护区植物物种多样性初步研究

广西木论国家级自然保护区位于我国滇黔桂植物区和华南植物区的交错地带，是古北极与古热带两大植物区系交接过渡的中心地带，在我国生物多样性保护区域中占据不可替代的地位。为摸清广西木论国家级自然保护区植物物种多样性，该文基于历史文献整理、野外调查、标本采集和鉴定以及数据统计分析，对该保护区维管束植物物种多样性组成及其特点进行了研究。结果表明：(1)该区共有维管束植物1 735种，包括石松类和蕨类植物218种、种子植物1 517种，具有较丰富的维管束植物多样性组成以及较复杂的植物区系成分。(2)该区共有中国特有植物486种、广西特有植物56种、岩溶特有植物262种，具有显著的植物特有性。(3)该区共有国家重点保护野生植物68种、广西重点保护野生植物153种、我国极小种群野生植物4种、受威胁植物108种、列入《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》(CITES)附录植物144种，具有较高程度的植物珍稀濒危性。综上表明，该区是我国重要的岩溶植物基因库，具有极其重要的保护价值。该研究结果为自然保护区的建设和管理、植物保护和利用以及其他科研工作的开展提供了重要依据。     

A new pelagic predatory pike cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae: Crenicichla) from the C. mandelburgeri species complex with parallel and reticulate evolution

The Crenicichla mandelburgeri species complex from the Middle Paraná shows parallel evolution of ecomorphs to the unrelated C. missioneira species complex from the Uruguay River. In this article, we describe a new species from the C. mandelburgeri species complex that has evolved a parallel morphology and ecology to an unrelated species from the C. missioneira species complex (C. celidochilus). The new species is a pelagic predator that feeds predominantly on fishes and together with C. celidochilus is the only known pelagic species in the large riverine genus Crenicichla. The new species is endemic solely to a small tributary (the Urugua-í) of the Middle Paraná River where it is sympatric and partly syntopic with two other closely related endemic species that, however, differ strongly in their ecomorphologies (one is a generalistic invertivore and the other a specialized molluscivore). Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny finds the new species nested within the widespread C. mandelburgeri. Reduced genome-representation ddRAD analyses, however, demonstrate that this new species is of a hybrid origin and shares ancestry with C. ypo, one of the two studied sympatric species.

     

A new measure of fidelity and its application to defining species groups

Abstract. The first objective of this paper is to define a new measure of fidelity of a species to a vegetation unit, called u. The value of u is derived from the approximation of the binomial or the hypergeometric distribution by the normal distribution. It is shown that the properties of u meet the requirements for a fidelity measure in vegetation science, i.e. (1) to reflect differences of a species’relative frequency inside a certain vegetation unit and its relative frequency in the remainder of the data set; (2) to increase with increasing size of the data set. Additionally (3), u has the property to be dependent on the proportion of the vegetation unit's size to the size of the whole data set. The second objective is to present a method of how to use the value of u for finding species groups in large data bases and for defining vegetation units. A species group is defined by possession of species that show the highest value of u among all species in the data set with regard to the vegetation unit defined by this species group. The vegetation unit is defined as comprising all relevés that include a minimum number of the species in the species group. This minimum number is derived statistically in such a way that fewer relevés always belong to a species group than would be expected if the differential species were distributed randomly among the relevés. An iterative algorithm is described for detecting species groups in data bases. Starting with an initial species group, species composition of this group and the vegetation unit defined by this group are mutually optimized. With this algorithm species groups are formed in a data set independently of each other. Subsequently, these species groups can be combined in such a way that they are suited to define commonly known syntaxa a posteriori.     

Systematic revision of the yucca moths in the Tegeticula yuccasella complex (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) north of Mexico

The yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula) are of great importance in studies of coevolution because of their obligate mutualism with their yucca hosts. Historically, three species of Tegeticula have been recognized. One of them, T. yuccasella, has been regarded as the pollinator of all but two yucca species, but morphological, molecular and biological data show that this is a large complex of monophagous and oligophagous species that differ greatly in their biology. It also includes derived ‘cheater’ species that do not pollinate their hosts and oviposit into fruits rather than flowers. Here the yuccasella complex north of Mexico is revised. The nominotypic pollinator species yuccasella is redescribed, and ten new pollinator species described: altiplanella, baccatella, carnerosanella, cassandra, elatella, maderae, mojavella, rostratella, superficiella and treculeanella. Two non-pollinating cheater species are recognized. One such species originally misidentified as a Prodoxus species, then synonymised with yuccasella, is re-erected as the non-pollinating intermedia. In addition, the new non-pollinator species corruptrix is described.     

Amanita ibotengutake sp. nov., a poisonous fungus from Japan

On the basis of molecular phylogeny, it is clear that the fungi treated as Amanita pantherina in Japan are confused, i.e., A. pantherina and a misidentified species. As for morphology, the misidentified species differs from A. pantherina by having clamp connections on hyphae and basidia, a larger-sized fruitbody, ascending volval rings of stipe base and deciduous annulus. It is clear that the misidentified species is a poisonous fungus containing ibotenic acid and muscimol and causes the Pantherina syndrome. On these characters, it is concluded that the misidentified species is the unexplored Amanita species treated under the Japanese name ‘ibotengutake’ after which ibotenic acid was named. Here, we described it as a new species Amanita ibotengutake.     

Freakish patterns – species and species concepts in apomicts

Apomict groups keep challenging taxonomists, in classifications as well as in more fundamental question about the nature of apomictic species. The latter question is not just an academic one, because the outcome influences practical decisions on biodiversity and conservation. A historical overview over the species problem shows that a period of confusion and proliferation of species concepts between 1940 and 1990 was followed by an increasing consensus at the end of the 20th century that the species category is heterogeneous. Species come in kinds, which is understandable in light of their different evolutional histories. Recently, Wilkins stated that we do not need a generally applicable species concept, because species are not an a priori category into which all biological organisms must fit, but salient phenomena that are to be explained. Not only biparental, but also asexual organisms often form such species‐as‐phenomena, explained as some combination of adaptation to an ecological niche and reproductive compatibility. The above is illustrated by historical and current studies in three well‐studied apomict groups, viz. Ranunculus cassubicus agg., Rubus subgen. Rubus and Hieracium (subgen. Hieracium and Pilosella). Species in the Ranunculus cassubicus aggregate are the few existing sexuals, which are surrounded by a hybrid swarm of only partial apomictic forms, whereas in Rubus subgen. Rubus and Hieracium s.s. sexuals as well as numerous apomicts form well defined species. How species should be circumscribed in Pilosella is yet to be clarified. Largely, the differences between these groups can be contributed to their different modes of apomixis and the associated retained sexuality. From this review it is clear that the question is not so much ‘What is a species?‘, but ‘What is a species in this particular group?‘ To answer this question a thorough knowledge and understanding of the biology of the genus in question is required.     

Hoya amicabilis sp. nov. (Apocynaceae,Asclepiadoideae), from Java discovered on Facebook

A new species from Java, Hoya amicabilis S.Rahayu & Rodda is described and illustrated. It was first identified as a new species from pictures posted on social media in 2017. Hoya amicabilis is part of a small group of species that have an unusual shrubby habit, but it is the only one in that group with bright yellow campanulate flowers. Furthermore, Hoya amicabilis is a rather unusual species of Hoya since its staminal corona lobes are oblong, erect, while most species of Hoya have well‐developed generally spreading corona lobes, and its style head is umbonate, brightly coloured and extending above the anther appendages, while most species have a conical style head covered by anther appendages.