A reappraisal of the dinoflagellate cyst genus Montanarocysta

The dinocyst genus Montanarocysta Corradini is emended, based on re-examination of the holotype, the paratype and well-preserved specimens of the type species, Montanarocysta aemiliana Corradini. This re-examination shows that M. aemiliana has a sexiform gonyaulacacean tabulation incompletely delineated by processes and septa, a large untabulated ventral area, an apical archeopyle type (tA)a with well-developed precingular accessory sutures, and a simple adnate operculum attached to the sulcal as and precingular plates 1? and 6?. Maghrebinia chleuh Below and Maghrebinia mirabilis (Below) Masure are here transferred to Montanarocysta, since they have closely similar morphology to M. aemiliana. Previously Atopodinium Drugg has been considered as taxonomic senior synonym of Maghrebinia Below and Bejuia Stover Williams, and the species in these two genera have been transferred to Atopodinium. From the present analyses, Atopodinium is separated from Montanarocysta on the ornamentation: Atopodinium has a more subdued ornamentation, consisting of ridges, folds, grana and gemmae; whereas Montanarocysta is characterised by processes and septa. Maghrebinia is herein retained as separate genus, which has a ceratocoryacean tabulation and contains the single species Maghrebinia perforata Below.     

Scanning electron microscope images of basidiospores of Xerula (Physalacriaceae, Agaricales)

Structure and ornamentation of basidiospore walls in Xerula (inclusive of Dactylosporina) are illustrated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Oudemansiella spores are not depicted, but all sections of Xerula are represented by 17 taxa. Spore wall sculpturing cannot be used as an infrageneric diagnostic character, nor to separate Oudemansiella and Rhizomarasmius from Xerula. Xerula caulovillosa is proposed as a new species, and Xerula radicata f. marginata as a new combination.     

Pollen morphology of the genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Pollen grains of 30 taxa of the genus Salvia, belonging to sections Salvia, Horminum, Drymosphace, Plethiosphace and Hemisphace from Turkey were examined by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Detailed pollen morphological characteristics are provided for these taxa. Among the studied taxa, S. verticillata subsp. verticillata from sect. Hemisphace has the smallest pollen grains, and S. pachystachys from sect. Salvia possesses the largest ones. The basic shape of the pollen grains in most taxa is suboblate, oblate-spheroidal or prolate-spheroidal. However subprolate pollen grains are recorded for S. macrochlamys from sect. Salvia. The grains are hexacolpate in all taxa, but in S. recognita from sect. Salvia also octacolpate pollen was found. Three distinct exine sculpturing types exist, reticulate-perforate (the common type), reticulate-granulate and bireticulate. The reticulate-perforate and bireticulate sculpturing patterns can be divided into subtypes based on the number of perforations and the number of secondary lumina in each primary lumen. Pollen morphological characteristics of the taxa studied are compared and discussed on the basis of taxonomical concepts. In some cases, these characters are useful in distinguishing the sections. For instance, the presence of 1-2 large central secondary lumina per primary lumen is a significant character of sect. Horminum separating it from the other sections. As well, the presence of holes on colpus membrane ornamentation can be used as a diagnostic taxonomic character for sectional division between sect. Hemisphace and others. S. ballsiana from sect. Salvia is clearly distinct from the other taxa examined by its unique pollen morphology. Further, for several macromorphologically similar taxa pollen structures provide additional evidence to delimite them from each other.     

Female butterflies prefer males bearing bright iridescent ornamentation

Butterflies are among nature's most colorful animals, and provide a living showcase for how extremely bright, chromatic and iridescent coloration can be generated by complex optical mechanisms. The gross characteristics of male butterfly colour patterns are understood to function for species and/or sex recognition, but it is not known whether female mate choice promotes visual exaggeration of this coloration. Here I show that females of the sexually dichromatic species Hypolimnas bolina prefer conspecific males that possess bright iridescent blue/ultraviolet dorsal ornamentation. In separate field and enclosure experiments, using both dramatic and graded wing colour manipulations, I demonstrate that a moderate qualitative reduction in signal brightness and chromaticity has the same consequences as removing the signal entirely. These findings validate a long-held hypothesis, and argue for the importance of intra- versus interspecific selection as the driving force behind the exaggeration of bright, iridescent butterfly colour patterns.     

Sexual dimorphism,phenotypic integration,and the evolution of head structure in casque‐headed lizards

Sexes can differ in features associated with differential reproduction, which can be used during courtship or aggressive encounters. Some traits tend to evolve independently between sexes and emerge as sexually dimorphic within the organismal phenotype. We characterize such a relationship by estimating the phenotypic integration of the head morphology and modularity of the crest in the casque‐headed lizards (Corytophanidae). In this clade, some species show extreme sexual dimorphism (e.g., head crests in the genus Basiliscus) while in others, both sexes are monomorphic. To characterize these patterns, we define phenotypic integration at the interspecific level as a pattern or network of traits evidenced by phylogenetically adjusted correlations that persist among species. At this level, modularity is an increased connectedness (e.g., higher correlation) among sections of these networks that persist in a lineage during the evolution of complex phenotypes. To test both concepts, we used phylogenetic geomorphometrics to characterize the head structure of corytophanid lizards, based on a time‐calibrated phylogeny that includes candidate fossil ancestors. We found evidence of an older diversification of corytophanids than previously reported (~67 vs. ~23.5 MYA) and show that this clade includes two morphological head architectures: (1) Sexually dimorphic crests present in males that are evolving independently from the rest of the head structure, and (2) full integration of the head morphology in monomorphic species. We propose that both architectures are optimal evolutionary trajectories of the parietal crest bones in the head of these lizards. In sexually dimorphic species, these bones are elongated and thinner, and gave rise to the extended crest used in male courtship displays. In monomorphic species, the parietal crest grew thicker in both sexes to allow for a better insertion of muscles associated with a stronger bite.     

Early–Mid Ordovician Yangtzeella (Syntrophiidina, Brachiopoda) and its evolutionary significance

Abstract:  Re-examination of newly collected topotype material confirms that the type species of Yangtzeella , Y .  poloi , a widespread Early and Mid Ordovician syntrophiidine brachiopod in South China, has a finely costellate shell rather than being smooth as previously thought. Thus, the subgenus Yangtzeella ( Vadimella ) Nikitina et   al ., established on the basis of fine costellae, is invalidated. Among 15 species of Yangtzeella , five species are recognized as valid based on multivariate analyses: Y .  poloi , Y .  unsulcata , Y .  songziensis , Y .  kueiyangensis and Y .  igori , among which the type species was the oldest known. Six are synonymized: Y .  septata , Y .  reticulata , Y .  lensiformis , Y .  depressa , Y .  yichangensis and Y .  minuta . Four are rejected from Yangtzeella : Y .  extensa , Y .  similior , Y .  yohi and Y .  poloi var. minor . Regional biostratigraphy indicates that Yangtzeella first appeared in a relatively deep-water setting on the Lower Yangtze Platform (South China palaeoplate) during late Tremadoc time ( Scolopodus warendensis conodont biozone) and then expanded to the deeper Jiangnan Slope as well as to the shallower Upper Yangtze Platform. The genus experienced two episodes of heightened abundance and diversity on the Upper Yangtze Platform during late Dapingian and mid Darriwilian times, respectively. Outside South China, Yangtzeella occurs sporadically in a few microplates or terranes, such as Tarim, Chu-Ili (southern Kazakhstan) and Taurides (southern Turkey) during the Dapingian and Darriwilian. Worldwide, Yangtzeella became extinct by the end of the Darriwilian.     

Male mate choice,male quality,and the potential for sexual selection on female traits under polygyny

Observations of male mate choice are increasingly common, even in species with traditional sex roles. In addition, female traits that bear the hallmarks of secondary sexual characters are increasingly reported. These concurrent empirical trends have led to the repeated inference that, even under polygyny, male mate choice is a mechanism of sexual selection on female traits. It is often either assumed or argued that in these cases females are competing for males of superior “quality”; females might experience sexual selection under polygyny if they compete for mates that provide either direct or indirect benefits. However, the theoretical foundation of this testable hypothesis remains largely uninvestigated. We develop a population genetic model to probe the logic of this hypothesis and demonstrate that, contrary to common inferences, male mate choice, variation in male quality (in the form of a direct fecundity benefit to females), and female ornamentation can coexist in a population without any sexual selection on female ornamentation taking place at all. Furthermore, even in a “best case scenario” where high quality males with a preference for ornamented females are able to mate disproportionately more often with them, the evolution of female traits by sexual selection may be relatively weak. We discuss the implication of these findings for ongoing empirical and theoretical research on the evolution of sexual‐signaling in females.     

新疆裂叶苔科11种植物孢子、弹丝和油体的形态观察

为了完善有关裂叶苔科植物孢子、弹丝和油体的研究,为该科植物的分类提供详细的资料,利用光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察裂叶苔科（Lophoziaceae）11种植物的孢子、弹丝和油体的形态特征,其中有6种具备了孢子和弹丝的形态特征,9种具备了油体的形态特征。结果表明：(1)裂叶苔科的6种植物的孢子为球形、近球形和椭圆形;颜色为褐色、红褐色和黄褐色;直径在10～16μm,属于小型孢子（MI）;近极面向内凹,纹饰为疣状、棍棒状、刺状、颗粒状和短棒状。(2)弹丝均为紧密双螺旋状,两端圆钝,表面平滑或具稀的颗粒2种。(3)裂叶苔科的9种植物的油体形状为球形、椭圆形、球形或卵形,直径在3～10μm。本研究对这11种植物的孢子、弹丝和油体进行了详细的描述并附图示,为裂叶苔科植物的系统分类、演化研究提供基础资料。     

Influence of valve geometry, ornamentation, and microstructure on fractures in Late Ordovician brachiopods

Among Late Ordovician brachiopods from southeastern Indiana. strophomenids display a ratio of 4:1 parabolic to linear repaired fractures in contrast to the 1:2 ratio found for orthids and rhynchonellids. Additionally, only strophomenids display repaired elliptical fractures. The weakest parts of strophomenid and orthid-rhynchonellid shells are the regions of the adductor muscle scars and the sulcus, respectively. Fractured biplanate shells of strophomenids are commonly cleaved anteriorly to posteriorly, whereas fractures are localized on the anterior of strongly curved to geniculate conspecific specimens. Rugae on leptaenids, thickened anterior margins of the brachial valve of rafinesquinids, and the dense distribution of pseudopunctate in all strophomenids, functioned to localize anteriorly the (un)repaired linear and parabolic fractures. No sublethal fracture occurs on any biconvex shell where the height is greater than 14 mm, despite the fact that numerous specimens of certain species attained shell heights of 20 mm or more, an observation suggesting the upper limit in the gape of the crushing elements of the predator. Crushing experiments on valve 'models' reveal that the inflated equibiconvex, plicate shape of the shells of Plarysfrophia is the strongest. However, the architecture of the concave strophomenid valves is relatively stronger than the corresponding valves of many orthids and rhynchonellids when normalized for valve thickness.     

樱属花粉形态研究

本文对樱属(Cerasus)9个种和变种的花粉形态进行光学显微镜观察,并结合电镜观察结果进行初步比较。结果表明,樱属花粉的极面观为圆形或近三裂圆形,赤道面观为椭圆形,三孔沟,外壁纹饰多为条纹状。属内特征基本一致,但种间存在着花粉大小、外壁纹饰的细微差别。     

Multiple ornamentation, female breeding synchrony, and extra-pair mating success of golden whistlers (Pachycephala pectoralis)

Considerable variation exists in rates of extra-pair paternity between species, and across and within populations of the same species. Explanations for this variation include ecological (e.g. breeding synchrony), morphological (e.g. ornamentation), and genetic (e.g. relatedness) factors, but it is rare for studies to simultaneously explore these factors within a single population. This is especially true for highly ornamented species, where mate choice based on ornamentation may be more complex than in less-adorned species. We conducted such a study in a migratory population of the highly ornamented golden whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). We quantified male genetic reproductive success and related it to a range of factors putatively involved in determining extra-pair mating success. We found no effects of genetic factors (male heterozygosity and relatedness) on extra-pair success, nor of territory size, male age, or incubation effort. Instead, males possessing yellower breast plumage and large song repertoires enjoyed higher reproductive success. Additionally, we found a negative relationship between local breeding synchrony and male extra-pair mating success. This may be a consequence of mate guarding during the female fertile period and an inability of males to simultaneously mate-guard and pursue extra-pair fertilisations. In this species, the opportunity for extra-pair matings appears to vary temporally with an ecological variable (local breeding synchrony), while fine-scale, inter-male differences in mating success may be influenced by individual attributes (male ornamentation). The migratory nature of the study population and its lack of natal philopatry may mean that relatedness and inbreeding avoidance are less important considerations in mate choice.     

A survey of osteoderm histology and ornamentation among Crocodylomorpha: A new proxy to infer lifestyle?

Osteoderms of eight extant and extinct species of crocodylomorphs are studied histologically and morphologically. Most osteoderms display the typical “crocodilian” structure with a woven-fibered matrix surrounded by an upper and a lower parallel fibered matrix. The dorsal ornamentation of those specimens consists of a pit-and-ridge structure, with corresponding remodeling mechanisms. However, an osteoderm of Iberosuchus, studied here for the first time, differs in being nearly devoid of ornamentation; moreover, it shows strong bundles of straight Sharpey's fibers perpendicular to the surface in its lateral and dorsal walls, along with a rough plywood-like structure in its basal plate. This suggests that this osteoderm was more deeply anchored within the dermis than the other osteoderms studied hitherto. This peculiar structure might have been linked to a terrestrial ecology and a specific thermoregulation strategy. Some other notosuchians in our sample do not exhibit ornamentation on their osteoderms, as opposed to neosuchians. Considering current interpretations of osteoderm function(s) in crocodilians, our observations are discussed in reference to possible ecophysiological peculiarities of Notosuchia in general, and Iberosuchus in particular.     

Convergent evolution of the tradeoff between egg size and tail fork depth in swallows and swifts

Convergent evolution provides strong evidence of the power of natural selection, particularly for distantly related taxa. Swallows and swifts are such distantly related taxa; both are specialised to feed on flying insects and have similar morphological features, such as long wings. These birds also exhibit deeply forked tails in some species, but their function remains unclear; some have argued that fork tails have evolved due to sexual selection to attract mates, while others claim that viability selection for efficient foraging favours fork tails. A recent phylogenetic analysis found the negative relationship between female tail fork depth and egg size in swallows perhaps due to foraging costs of fork tails during egg formation, but its generality remains unclear. Here, using swifts, which differ from swallows by foraging on weak‐flying insects, we found that egg size significantly decreased with increasing female fork depth. Because female fork depth was not significantly related to clutch size, clutch size would not compensate for the relationship between egg size and fork depth. The current finding using swifts, together with the previous finding in swallows, provide strong support for an evolutionary tradeoff between the female plumage ornament and reproductive investment, as predicted by sexual selection theory.     

鳞毛蕨科的孢子形态研究

对鳞毛蕨科及其相近类群的19属65种的孢子形态进行了光学显微镜观察,并对其中12属30种进行了扫描电镜观察。鳞毛蕨科的孢子左右对称,极面观为椭圆形、近球形,赤道观为肾形,极轴/赤道轴的比值为0.60～0.86;单缝孢,裂缝长度约为孢子全长的1/2～3/4,属中至大型孢子。鳞毛蕨科具有多样性的外壁纹饰:不仅包括刺状、瘤状、颗粒状、脊状、窗孔状、耳状、片状及翅状等几种基本类型,而且还存在一些中间过渡类型。根据孢子形态特征,对本科的属间关系进行了探讨。孢子形态特征的相似性支持假复叶耳蕨属、肉刺蕨属、球盖蕨科与鳞毛蕨属的近缘关系,黔蕨属与复叶耳蕨属间的近缘关系。玉龙蕨属的两个种的孢子纹饰与耳蕨属的部分种一致,支持将玉龙蕨属作为耳蕨属的异名处理。拟贯众属独特的翅状纹饰支持将其从鳞毛蕨科中分离出去。     

In love and war: The morphometric and phylogenetic basis of ornamentation,and the evolution of male display behavior,in the livebearer genus Poecilia

Exaggerated male traits under sexual selection are often used for both competition and courtship, raising the question of whether ornaments evolved simultaneously for both functions, or if use in one context preceded use in another. Here, we apply a phylogenetic approach to study the evolution of ornamental dorsal fins in male poeciliid fish of the subgenera Mollienesia and Limia, which exhibit convergent development of an enlarged dorsal fin, and often direct erect‐fin displays to male and female conspecifics. Unlike prior categorical assessments of poeciliid adornments, we measure dorsal fin exaggeration with a continuous index of ornamentation. Phylogenetic logistic and generalized least squares regression analyses indicate that high index values are significantly associated with the use of two component postures of courtship and aggressive displays, dorsal fin erection and body curvature, but not with the presence of sexual dichromatism. Male displays initially evolved for male–male aggression in the common ancestor of Mollienesia and Limia, suggesting that this signal originated for competition, then became co‐opted for courtship. These results support the armament‐ornament hypothesis for evolution of exaggerated male traits, and are consistent with an evolutionary shift in the predominant mechanisms of sexual selection from intra‐ to intersexual.     

Morphological study of eggs from five Mexican species and two morphotypes in the genus Triatoma (Laporte, 1832)

We describe and compare the morphology and morphometry of the egg exochorion for five species and two morphotypes of Mexican triatomines with scanning electron microscopy. The results show differences in egg ornamentation for each species, including between morphotypes. Polygonal ornamentation was observed in each species, including pentagons, octagons and, in certain cases, a majority of hexagons. We observed small perforations in T. protracta protracta, small spheres on the T. lecticularia polygons, a crown with festoons in T. barberi, and less complex ornamentation in T. mexicana. Through morphometric analysis, significant differences in egg dimensions were determined for the studied species.     

A glance into the vegetation and settlement of the fortress islands of Suomenlinna,Helsinki.: Pollen analytical study

Pollen studies were carried out of the sediments from a small pond on Susisaari, the largest island of the fortress of Suomenlinna, Helsinki. Three cores with altogether 80 samples were analysed, but only one core being reported here and additional comments are given on the results from two other cores. As it is most probable that the material has been mixed in several constructional phases during the last 100-200 years, the results were interpreted as one unit representing aerial and local vegetation during approximately that period. The results were compared with the recent vegetation, with the history of imported species, and with three botanical inventories made on the islands during the 20th century. Differences in pollen production and in pollen dispersal properties of different species strongly affect the results.