Life and chirality beyond the earth

An attempt is made to show that the phenomenon of chirality—of which optical activity is but one consequence—is by no means restricted to life on Earth, but is common throughout the universe. Several independent sources have been investigated including: statistical fluctuations; stereoselective physical factors; and energetic differences between enantiomeric molecules. It is emphasised that a search for chirality as an indicator for life elsewhere in space provides an excellent tool for the fascinating question of exobiology. Still one must be aware of the limitations of the experimental methods and their interpretations.     

Gimme shelter – the relative sensitivity of parasitic nematodes with direct and indirect life cycles to climate change

Climate change is expected to alter the dynamics of host–parasite systems globally. One key element in developing predictive models for these impacts is the life cycle of the parasite. It is, for example, commonly assumed that parasites with an indirect life cycle would be more sensitive to changing environmental conditions than parasites with a direct life cycle due to the greater chance that at least one of their obligate host species will go extinct. Here, we challenge this notion by contrasting parasitic nematodes with a direct life cycle against those with an indirect life cycle. Specifically, we suggest that behavioral thermoregulation by the intermediate host may buffer the larvae of indirectly transmitted parasites against temperature extremes, and hence climate warming. We term this the ‘shelter effect’. Formalizing each life cycle in a comprehensive model reveals a fitness advantage for the direct life cycle over the indirect life cycle at low temperatures, but the shelter effect reverses this advantage at high temperatures. When examined for seasonal environments, the models suggest that climate warming may in some regions create a temporal niche in mid‐summer that excludes parasites with a direct life cycle, but allows parasites with an indirect life cycle to persist. These patterns are amplified if parasite larvae are able to manipulate their intermediate host to increase ingestion probability by definite hosts. Furthermore, our results suggest that exploiting the benefits of host sheltering may have aided the evolution of indirect life cycles. Our modeling framework utilizes the Metabolic Theory of Ecology to synthesize the complexities of host behavioral thermoregulation and its impacts on various temperature‐dependent parasite life history components in a single measure of fitness, R₀. It allows quantitative predictions of climate change impacts, and is easily generalized to many host–parasite systems.     

A trait‐based approach for predicting species responses to environmental change from sparse data: how well might terrestrial mammals track climate change?

Estimating population spread rates across multiple species is vital for projecting biodiversity responses to climate change. A major challenge is to parameterise spread models for many species. We introduce an approach that addresses this challenge, coupling a trait‐based analysis with spatial population modelling to project spread rates for 15 000 virtual mammals with life histories that reflect those seen in the real world. Covariances among life‐history traits are estimated from an extensive terrestrial mammal data set using Bayesian inference. We elucidate the relative roles of different life‐history traits in driving modelled spread rates, demonstrating that any one alone will be a poor predictor. We also estimate that around 30% of mammal species have potential spread rates slower than the global mean velocity of climate change. This novel trait‐space‐demographic modelling approach has broad applicability for tackling many key ecological questions for which we have the models but are hindered by data availability.     

Pma1, a P-type Proton ATPase,Is a Determinant of Chronological Life Span in Fission Yeast

Chronological life span is defined by how long a cell can survive in a non-dividing state. In yeast, it is measured by viability after entry into stationary phase. To date, some factors affecting chronological life span have been identified; however, the molecular details of how these factors regulate chronological life span have not yet been elucidated clearly. Because life span is a complicated phenomenon and is supposedly regulated by many factors, it is necessary to identify new factors affecting chronological life span to understand life span regulation. To this end, we have screened for long-lived mutants and identified Pma1, an essential P-type proton ATPase, as one of the determinants of chronological life span. We show that partial loss of Pma1 activity not only by mutations but also by treatment with the Pma1 inhibitory chemical vanadate resulted in the long-lived phenotype in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. These findings suggest a novel way to manipulate chronological life span by modulating Pma1 as a molecular target.     

Comparison of ESTs from juvenile and adult phases of the giant unicellular green alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acetabularia acetabulum</Emphasis>

Background  

Acetabularia acetabulum is a giant unicellular green alga whose size and complex life cycle make it an attractive model for understanding morphogenesis and subcellular compartmentalization. The life cycle of this marine unicell is composed of several developmental phases. Juvenile and adult phases are temporally sequential but physiologically and morphologically distinct. To identify genes specific to juvenile and adult phases, we created two subtracted cDNA libraries, one adult-specific and one juvenile-specific, and analyzed 941 randomly chosen ESTs from them.     

Life on Mars

Abstract

There is evidence that at one time Mars had liquid water habitats on its surface. Studies of microbial communities in cold and dry environments on the Earth provide a basis for discussion of the possible nature of any life that may have existed on Mars during that time. Of particular relevance are the cyanobacterial communities found in hypolithic and endolithic habitats in deserts. Microbial mats found under ice-covered lakes provide an additional possible Martian system. Results obtained from these field studies can be used to guide the search for fossil evidence of life on Mars. It is possible that in the future life will be reintroduced on Mars in an effort to restore that planet to habitable conditions. In this case the organisms under study as exemplars of past life may provide the hardy stock of pioneering Martian organisms. These first organisms must be followed by plants. The feasibility of reviving Mars will depend on the ability of plants to grow in an abundance of CO₂ but at extremely low pressures, temperatures, O₂, and N₂ levels. On Mars, biology was, and is, destiny.     

Organization of vertebrate annual cycles: implications for control mechanisms

The majority of vertebrates have a life span of greater than one year. Therefore individuals must be able to adapt to the annual cycle of changing conditions by adjusting morphology, physiology and behaviour. Phenotypic flexibility, in which an individual switches from one life history stage to another, is one way to maximize fitness in a changing environment. When environmental variation is low, few life history stages are needed. If environmental variation is large, there are more life history stages. Each life history stage has a characteristic set of sub-stages that can be expressed in various combinations and patterns to determine state at any point in the life of the individual. Thus individuals have a finite number of states that can be expressed over the spectrum of environmental conditions in their life spans. Life history stages have three phases-development, mature capability (when characteristic sub-stages can be expressed) and termination. Expression of a stage is time dependent (probably a minimum of one month), and termination of one stage overlaps development of the next stage. It follows that the more life history stages an individual expresses, the less flexibility it will have in timing those stages. Having fewer life history stages increases flexibility in timing, but less tolerance of variation in environmental conditions. To varying degrees it is possible to overlap mature capability of some life history stages to effectively reduce 'finite stage diversity' and maximize flexibility in timing. Theoretical ways by which this can be done, and the implications for neuroendocrine and endocrine control mechanisms are discussed. Twelve testable hypotheses are posed that relate directly to control mechanisms.     

Adaptation to developmental diet influences the response to selection on age at reproduction in the fruit fly

Experimental evolution (EE) is a powerful tool for addressing how environmental factors influence life‐history evolution. While in nature different selection pressures experienced across the lifespan shape life histories, EE studies typically apply selection pressures one at a time. Here, we assess the consequences of adaptation to three different developmental diets in combination with classical selection for early or late reproduction in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We find that the response to each selection pressure is similar to that observed when they are applied independently, but the overall magnitude of the response depends on the selection regime experienced in the other life stage. For example, adaptation to increased age at reproduction increased lifespan across all diets; however, the extent of the increase was dependent on the dietary selection regime. Similarly, adaptation to a lower calorie developmental diet led to faster development and decreased adult weight, but the magnitude of the response was dependent on the age‐at‐reproduction selection regime. Given that multiple selection pressures are prevalent in nature, our findings suggest that trade‐offs should be considered not only among traits within an organism, but also among adaptive responses to different—sometimes conflicting—selection pressures, including across life stages.     

The Biology of Vampyrophrya pelagica (Chatton & Lwoff, 1930), a Histophagous Apostome Ciliate Associated with Marine Calanoid Copepods

ABSTRACT. The histophagous apostome. l'ampyrophrya pelagica , occurs on calanoid copepods in North Carolina. Its life cycle has two pathways: one when the copepod host is injured; the other when the host is ingested by an invertebrate predator. The ciliate, immediately after encysting on a copepod. metamorphoses to a feeding stage. When its host is injured or ingested by a predator, it excysts enters the wound and ingests the host's cytoplasm. In the single-host life cycle, after feeding, the ciliate encysts within the cadaver; in the two-host life cycle, after feeding it encysts upon a substrate. Encysted cells divide into 2–32 migratory tomites. Freed tomites are motionless in the water column until the water is disturbed, at which time they spring in the direction of any vibration, which many times results from a feeding copepod. Tomites select specific hosts, since not all species of copepods are infested. We hypothesize that the single-host life cycle yields many tomites that heavily infest hosts at random, and passage through the predator (two-host life cycle) results in fewer, but more widely dispersed tomites that are released continuously. The two-host life cycle is facultative for the individual, but may be obligate for the continuation of the species.     

Patterns of physiological decline due to age and selection in Drosophila melanogaster

In outbred sexually reproducing populations, age‐specific mortality rates reach a plateau in late life following the exponential increase in mortality rates that marks aging. Little is known about what happens to physiology when cohorts transition from aging to late life. We measured age‐specific values for starvation resistance, desiccation resistance, time‐in‐motion, and geotaxis in ten Drosophila melanogaster populations: five populations selected for rapid development and five control populations. Adulthood was divided into two stages, the aging phase and the late‐life phase according to demographic data. Consistent with previous studies, we found that populations selected for rapid development entered the late‐life phase at an earlier age than the controls. Age‐specific rates of change for all physiological phenotypes showed differences between the aging phase and the late‐life phase. This result suggests that late life is physiologically distinct from aging. The ages of transitions in physiological characteristics from aging to late life statistically match the age at which the demographic transition from aging to late life occurs, in all cases but one. These experimental results support evolutionary theories of late life that depend on patterns of decline and stabilization in the forces of natural selection.     

Life habit,feeding mechanism and population structure of the Cretaceous brachiopod genus Aemula

Comparison with close Recent relatives, studies of functional morphology and the discovery of specimens preserved in life position indicate with a high degree of certainty the mode of life of the Cretaceous brachiopod genus Aemula. This genus is an important member of the brachiopod communities of the north European Maastrichtian.In resting position Aemula lived with its dorsal valve pressed against the substrate. When feeding the shell was somewhat elevated anteriorly and the two valves gaped at an angle of about 45°. Preserved calcitic mesodermal spicular skeletons show that the adult lophophore was a schizolophe. During the younger stages only one inhalant feeding current flowed into the bell-shaped trocholophe and early schizolophe, whereas the exhalant current flowed out in all directions between the filaments.In the later stages when the schizolophe was fully developed the current system was divided into two lateral inhalant and one median exhalant current. The species Aemula inusitata has been investigated with regard to size frequency and survivorship revealing an initially very high, but slightly decreasing mortality rate corresponding to the dangerous life on small substrates close to the sediment—water interface of the muddy-chalk sea bottom. The species of Aemula never dominate the brachiopod assemblages of the Maastrichtian chalk but is found in almost all samples in small but rather constant numbers.     

The microbiota influences the Drosophila melanogaster life history strategy

Organisms are locally adapted when members of a population have a fitness advantage in one location relative to conspecifics in other geographies. For example, across latitudinal gradients, some organisms may trade off between traits that maximize fitness components in one, but not both, of somatic maintenance or reproductive output. Latitudinal gradients in life history strategies are traditionally attributed to environmental selection on an animal's genotype, without any consideration of the possible impact of associated microorganisms (“microbiota”) on life history traits. Here, we show in Drosophila melanogaster, a key model for studying local adaptation and life history strategy, that excluding the microbiota from definitions of local adaptation is a major shortfall. First, we reveal that an isogenic fly line reared with different bacteria varies the investment in early reproduction versus somatic maintenance. Next, we show that in wild fruit flies, the abundance of these same bacteria was correlated with the latitude and life history strategy of the flies, suggesting geographic specificity of the microbiota composition. Variation in microbiota composition of locally adapted D. melanogaster could be attributed to both the wild environment and host genetic selection. Finally, by eliminating or manipulating the microbiota of fly lines collected across a latitudinal gradient, we reveal that host genotype contributes to latitude‐specific life history traits independent of the microbiota and that variation in the microbiota can suppress or reverse the differences between locally adapted fly lines. Together, these findings establish the microbiota composition of a model animal as an essential consideration in local adaptation.     

Influences of multilocus heterozygosity on size during early life

Genetic diversity has been hypothesized to promote fitness of individuals and populations, but few studies have examined how genetic diversity varies with ontogeny. We examined patterns in population and individual genetic diversity and the effect of genetic diversity on individual fitness among life stages (adults and juveniles) and populations of captive yellow perch (Perca flavescens) stocked into two ponds and allowed to spawn naturally. Significant genetic structure developed between adults and offspring in a single generation, even as heterozygosity and allelic richness remained relatively constant. Heterozygosity had no effect on adult growth or survival, but was significantly and consistently positively related to offspring length throughout the first year of life in one pond but not the other. The largest individuals in the pond exhibiting this positive relationship were more outbred than averaged size individuals and also more closely related to one another than they were to average‐sized individuals, suggesting potential heritability of body size or spawn timing effects. These results indicate that the influence of heterozygosity may be mediated through an interaction, likely viability selection, between ontogeny and environment that is most important during early life. In addition, populations may experience significant genetic change within a single generation in captive environments, even when allowed to reproduce naturally. Accounting for the dynamic influences of genetic diversity on early life fitness could lead to improved understanding of recruitment and population dynamics in both wild and captive populations.     

Changes in the size,composition, and reproductive condition of wild marmoset groups (Callithrix jacchus jacchus) in north east Brazil

Five groups ofCallithrix jacchus jacchus were studied in the field in north east Brazil. Group size and composition were similar to that described for other callitrichids, but changes in group membership occurred much more frequently than previously reported. There was a 50% turnover in group membership in a six month period, and adult males changed groups particularly often. Most groups contained only one reproductively active female, but there was evidence that one group contained two females that were reproductively active simultaneously. Some groups had several adult females, and the role of reproductive female switched from one individual to another with time. Individual marmosets are faced with an unusually wide range of alternative life history strategies involving different combinations of location and reproductive condition. We argue that marmoset social organization is best studied at the level of the whole population within an area, rather than at the level of the individual group.     

Life-cycle and changes in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids of Pentapedilum uncinatum Goet. (Diptera; Chironomidae)

SUMMARY. The life cycle of Pentapedilum uncinatum in the Tjeukemeer is briefly described. There are two generations of larvae per year in the mud substrate but only one generation per year in the sand substrate. Changes in chemical composition during the life cycle of P. uncinatum are described, and the data indicate that such changes are not synchronized with particular larval instars but follow a predetermined development pattern for the production of an adult insect. Development appears to be the same in both male and female larvae which results in adult insects that have almost identical percentage composition of chemical substances, but proportionately greater growth in female larvae gives an adult insect that is almost twice as heavy as the male.     

Influence of the soil on certain dermatophytes and their evolutional trend

Conclusions From our experiments it could be seen that a quite definite relationship exists between various dermatophytes and the soil which is expressed on the one side by antagonistic action of the microflora in the soil inhibiting the growth of dermatophytes and on the other, by ability of some dermatophytes to persist in the soil or to use the soil as habitat in their saprophytic life. This condition appears to be the reflection of the evolutive tendency of dermatophytes to develop from its primary habitat, the soil, to the parasitic life on man and animal. It is persumed that this evolution of dermatophytes is based on mutations of gens as one of the fundamental phenomenons in nature. It is obvious that this evolution of dermatophytes is not completed. Our experiments regardingT. mentagrophytes indicate that this species is at present still to a certain extent in a transitional evolutive stage with retained but limited ability to the life in the soil and with an evident tendency for adaption on small rodents and human beings. In this course of development on a lower level isK. ajelloi andM. gypseum with full ability of saprophytic life in the soil and with slowly but increasing pathogenicity for men and animals. E. I. Grin, Prof. of Dermatology, Med. Faculty, Univ. Sarajevo, Director Institute of Dermatovenerology. L. Oegovi, Prof. of Intern. Dis., Veter. Faculty, Univ. Sarajevo, Chief of Dept. of Mycology Inst. of Dermatovenerology.     

The Life Cycle of Lestes viridis (Odonata: Lestidae) in Two Seasonal Streams of the Sierra Morena Mountains (Southern Spain)

The life cycle of the zygopteran odonate Lestes viridis in two seasonal streams in the Sierra Morena Mountains is inferred from size-frequency analyses of handnet samples of larvae and records of presence and reproductive activity of adults during three consecutive years. The egg stage (duration 5–6 months) overwinters, larval development is brief (6–8 weeks) and adults undergo a protracted, prereproductive, summer diapause (up to 3 months) before mating and ovipositing in late September, about one week after the first appreciable fall of rain, but before surface water reappears in the streams after having been absent for about four months during the hot, dry summer. Comparison between this life cycle and those of more northerly populations reveals a latitude-correlated cline in phenology resembling that found in some other northern hemisphere odonates that, like L. viridis, maintain an obligatorily univoltine life cycle at different latitudes.     

Separation of rabbit red cells by density in a bovine serum albumin gradient and correlation of red cell density with cell age after in vivo labeling with 59-Fe

Rabbit red cells are separated by centrifuging them for one hour at 33,000 G in density gradient tubes of bovine serum albumin. The separation represented an equilibrium situation since rebanding experiments showed that the cells from a layer would again seek that density layer when recentrifuged in a new gradient tube. When rabbits were injected with ⁵⁹Fe, the radioactive red cells at one day were nearly all light, but these labeled cells moved into the more dense layers over the next few days. This not only shows that the separation by density is discriminating but that some red cells became dense very quickly. Bearing in mind the problems of interpreting radioactive iron data because of the possibility of reutilization, it is tentatively concluded that dense red cells are not necessarily senescent red cells since these dense cells appear to persist for the normal life span of the rabbit red cell.     

REINFORCEMENT IN CHORUS FROGS: LIFETIME FITNESS ESTIMATES INCLUDING INTRINSIC NATURAL SELECTION AND SEXUAL SELECTION AGAINST HYBRIDS

Maladaptive hybridization is hypothesized to be an important force driving the evolution of reproductive isolation between closely related species. Because the magnitude and direction of selection can vary across a life cycle, an accurate understanding of the ubiquity of reinforcement requires fitness to be estimated across the life cycle, but the literature is surprisingly depauperate of such studies. We present fitness estimates of laboratory‐raised hybrids between the chorus frogs Pseudacris feriarum and Pseudacris nigrita—two species that have undergone reproductive character displacement where they come into secondary contact. By studying viability, mating success, and fertility across the life cycle, we find strong support for reinforcement as the force driving displacement in this system. Specifically, we find hybrid fitness is reduced by 44%. This reduction results from both sexual selection against hybrid males and natural selection on male fertility, but not viability selection. Sexual selection against hybrid males is four times stronger than natural selection. Hybrid female fitness is not reduced, however, suggesting that Haldane's rule may be operating in this system if males are heterogametic. We also found higher variation in hybrid male fertilization success relative to P. feriarum males, suggesting that the hybrid incompatibility genes are polymorphic within one or both of the parent species.     

Biodiversity and biogeography of the atmosphere

The variation of life has predominantly been studied on land and in water, but this focus is changing. There is a resurging interest in the distribution of life in the atmosphere and the processes that underlie patterns in this distribution. Here, we review our current state of knowledge about the biodiversity and biogeography of the atmosphere, with an emphasis on micro-organisms, the numerically dominant forms of aerial life. We present evidence to suggest that the atmosphere is a habitat for micro-organisms, and not purely a conduit for terrestrial and aquatic life. Building on a rich history of research in terrestrial and aquatic systems, we explore biodiversity patterns that are likely to play an important role in the emerging field of air biogeography. We discuss the possibility of a more unified understanding of the biosphere, one that links knowledge about biodiversity and biogeography in the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.