A review of the Gymnostomum calcareum Nees & Hornsch. complex (Bryopsida: Pottiaceae) in southern Europe and the Macaronesian Islands,including G. calcareum var. atlanticum var. nov.

Abstract

New taxonomic observations, based on rhizoidal and protonemal gemmae of material from southern Europe and the Macaronesian Islands, are given in this work for sibling taxa of the Gymnostomum calcareum Nees & Hornsch. complex. Gymnostomum calcareum var. atlanticum Sérgio from the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira and Azores is described as a new variety, and its diagnostic characters are described and illustrated. This moss has a bistratose margin in the upper parts of the perichaetial and vegetative leaves, and the perichaetial leaves are markedly acute. It is closely related to Gymnostomum lanceolatum Cano, Ros & J. Guerra, here reduced to a variety of G. calcareum. The occurrence of fusiform or claviform protonemal gemmae provides a diagnostic feature for the different taxa.     

On the migration of the Whimbrel,Numenius phaeopus,in Turkey

Abstract

The Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a scarce but regular passage visitor in Turkey. Spring migration has its peak in April, autumn migration in August/September (medians are April 23th and August 29th). Detailed information on flock size, wintering, main resting sites etc. is given and compared with other Middle East countries.     

Garra tibanica ghorensis subsp.nov. (Pisces: Cyprinidae), an African element in the cyprinid fauna of the Levant

Garra tibanica ghorensis subsp. nov. is described from the southern Dead Sea Valley. In the Levant it represents the only cyprinid fish with African affinities known to date. It is suggested that G. t. ghorensis reached the area of its present distribution from the south and is not to be regarded as a relict of an earlier migration of the species to Africa via the Levant.Results of the travels of R. Kinzelbach to the countries of the Middle East, No. 18.Results of the travels of R. Kinzelbach to the countries of the Middle East, No. 18.     

White folks: race and identity in rural America

Abstract

Since the breakdown of the Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David in 2000 and the start of the second Palestinian Intifada there has been a voluminous literature that asserts that hostility to Israel and Zionism is a new form of anti-Semitism. This essay critiques the ‘new anti-Semitism’ view. Reversing the method that Plato uses in the Republic, the analysis moves from microcosm (an imaginary ride on a London bus) to macrocosm (the Middle East). In the process, the author argues that anti-Semitism is best defined not by an attitude to Jews but by the figure of ‘the Jew’. In the light of the analysis, and bearing in mind the variety of possible reasons for hostility to Israel or Zionism, it is difficult to see how the ‘new anti-Semitism’ view can be sustained.     

Patterns of spatial genetic structure and diversity at the onset of a rapid range expansion: colonisation of the UK by the small red-eyed damselfly <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erythromma viridulum</Emphasis>

Species’ geographic ranges may vary in size in response to a change in environmental conditions. The specific genetic consequences of range expansions are context dependent, largely depending upon the rate of colonisation as well as the origins and numbers of founders, and the time since colonisation. Like other “charismatic” taxa, such as birds and lepidopterans, the distributions of odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are well-known through substantial monitoring programmes co-ordinated by various societies. The small red-eyed damselfly Erythromma viridulum (Odonata: Zygoptera) has undergone a substantial, northward range expansion in Europe in the last 30 years and has recently-colonised two distinct areas in the UK. We quantify the immediate genetic consequences of this rapid colonisation by genotyping more than 1,400 E. viridulum from 39 sites across the northwest margin of this species’ geographic range. Levels of genetic diversity and spatial structure are impacted by this species recent range expansion and non-equilibrium conditions that drive weak genetic divergence, even at regional spatial scales. Populations of E. viridulum become less diverse towards the edge of this species’ distribution, presumably as a consequence of colonisation through a series of founder events. Specifically, there is a significant reduction in genetic diversity in the smallest, most recent focus of colonisation in the UK; however, there are generally low levels of genetic diversity across this E. viridulum’s northern range margin. While most populations are generally poorly differentiated, E. viridulum nonetheless consists of two distinct lineages that broadly differentiate between eastern and western Europe. Genetic divergence between the two UK colonisation foci are indicative of distinct immigration events from separate sources; however a general lack of spatial structure prevents us from pinpointing the specific origins of these migrant damselflies.     

Local dynamics of a fast‐evolving sex‐ratio system in Drosophila simulans

By distorting Mendelian transmission to their own advantage, X‐linked meiotic drive elements can rapidly spread in natural populations, generating a sex‐ratio bias. One expected consequence is the triggering of a co‐evolutionary arms race between the sex chromosome that carries the distorter and suppressors counteracting its effect. Such an arms race has been theoretically and experimentally established and can have many evolutionary consequences. However, its dynamics in contemporary populations is still poorly documented. Here, we investigate the fate of the young X‐linked Paris driver in Drosophila simulans from sub‐Saharan Africa to the Middle East. We provide the first example of the early dynamics of distorters and suppressors: we find consistent evidence that the driving chromosomes have been rising in the Middle East during the last decade. In addition, identical haplotypes are at high frequencies around the two co‐evolving drive loci in remote populations, implying that the driving X chromosomes share a recent common ancestor and suggesting that East Africa could be the cradle of the Paris driver. The segmental duplication associated with drive presents an unusual structure in West Africa, which could reflect a secondary state of the driver. Together with our previous demonstration of driver decline in the Indian Ocean where suppression is complete, these data provide a unique picture of the complex dynamics of a co‐evolutionary arms race currently taking place in natural populations of D. simulans.     

The larva of Gomphus davidi Selys, 1887

The female exuvia and last larval stage of Gomphus davidi Selys, 1887, a dragonfly endemic in the Middle East are described and figured. Distinctive characters of two sympatric Gomphus-species are provided.Results of the travels of R. Kinzelbach to the countries of the Middle East, No. 50.     

三倍体观赏百合与二倍体食用龙牙百合的杂交分析

为探讨异源三倍体百合与龙牙百合(BB)的杂交亲和性,实现观赏百合与食用百合的种质融合与创新,该研究以三倍体百合Triumphator(LLO)作母本,龙牙百合为父本,采用常规授粉与切柱头授粉,利用基因组荧光原位杂交(GISH)技术分析母本及子代的基因组成。结果显示:(1)通过常规授粉和切柱头授粉共获得17个发育良好的果实,通过胚抢救共获得了40株幼苗,且常规授粉的出苗率明显比切柱头授粉的高。(2)对随机选取的8个子代进行GISH分析,所鉴定的后代均为非整倍体,染色体数目为26～32条,其中东方百合基因组(O)染色体数目为2～8条,铁炮百合(L)与龙牙百合(B)基因组染色体始终为24条。(3)通过GISH技术无法区分铁炮百合与龙牙百合的染色体,亲本与子代均无重组现象。研究表明,龙牙百合与铁炮百合亲缘关系较近,龙牙百合作父本与三倍体百合Triumphator杂交可获得非整倍体,实现了观赏百合与食用百合的种质融合,为培育赏食兼用百合奠定了基础。     

Index

Abstract

Two new species of Fissidens from Queensland, Australia, both in subgenus Fissidens Section Semilimbidium, are described and illustrated. Fissidens oblatus I. G. Stone &; D. G. Catcheside is characterised by a mixture of bipapillose and unipapillose lamina cells, a broad limbidium and a wide zone of oblate cells in the vaginant laminae. Fissidens badyinbarus I. G. Stone has unipapillose lamina cells and although elimbate appears to be closely related to some of the semilimbate unipapillose species.     

Phylogeography of Agathistoma (Turbinidae,Tegulinae) snails in tropical and southwestern Atlantic

The rocky intertidal gastropods Agathistoma viridulum and A. hotessierianum occur from the Caribbean to southern Brazil, with a gap in the equatorial region, giving them an anti-tropical distribution. We used sequences from mitochondrial genes to elucidate the phylogeography of A. viridulum and A. hotessierianum and to infer their relationships to other species of Agathistoma. For A. hotessierianum, haplotype networks and phylogenetic analyses split samples into two distinct groups: one (A. hotessierianum) in the Caribbean region (Greater and Lesser Antilles; Venezuela: Sucre and Isla Margarita) and a new species that we describe from northeastern Brazil. For A. viridulum, genetic analyses split the samples into three groups (Caribbean, northeastern Brazil and southeastern Brazil), but genetic divergence among these was too low for them to be considered species, and morphological differences were not significant. The mtDNA tree identified two clades of eastern Pacific Agathistoma, but many lower-level relationships within Agathistoma were not well resolved, suggesting that more complete taxon sampling and additional genetic data will be needed to establish more robust relationships among Tegulinae.     

chromosome studies on some British and Irish mosses. II

Abstract

Diphyscium mucronifolium Mitt., D. involutum Mitt. and D. malayense M. G. Manuel sp. nov. are reported from Malaya. The Malayan record of D. rupestre Dozy &; Molk. is shown to be incorrect.     

福建漳浦中中新世几种藓类植物研究*

亚洲新生代藓类植物化石非常稀少,漳浦琥珀是目前已知的我国低纬度地区唯一含苔藓植物化石的新生代琥珀矿床。漳浦琥珀源自中中新世气候适宜期(~14-17 Ma)的龙脑香树脂,温暖潮湿的热带季雨林气候和广泛分布的龙脑香科植物,为藓类植物的生长、多样性演化和三维立体保存提供了条件。本研究共报道了漳浦县中中新世藓类植物化石3个属种,包括:白发藓属Leucobryum Hampe、牛舌藓属Anomodon Hook.et Taylor和扁枝藓属Homalia(Brid.)B.S.G.。首次利用三维X射线断层扫描技术(Micro-CT)研究了白发藓属化石,发现其与现生种短枝白发藓Leucobryum humillimum Cardot非常相似,因此将其命名为短枝白发藓(相似种)Leucobryum cf.humillimum。此外,当前牛舌藓属Anomodon和扁枝藓属Homalia化石是东亚地区的首例记录。漳浦琥珀中的藓类植物化石揭示了中中新世时期苔藓植物的多样性,丰富了东亚低纬度地区新生代苔藓植物的化石记录。     

The genus Gottschelia Grolle (Jungermanniopsida,Lophoziaceae) in China,with a description of G. grollei,sp. nov.

Abstract

The genus Gottschelia Grolle is reported as new to mainland China, from Yunnan Province. Previously G. schizopleura (Spruce) Grolle was the only known Chinese species, reported from Taiwan. However, two further species have recently been found in the Gaoligong Shan range, Yunnan Province, G. patoniae Grolle, Schill & D.G. Long, previously known from the East Himalaya of Nepal and India (Sikkim) and G. grollei D.G. Long & Váňa, described here as a new species endemic to China, the fourth known species in the genus. The differences between the three Chinese species are enumerated with notes on distribution and ecology.     

Geranium thunbergii extract-induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells

ABSTRACT

Geranium thunbergii is a traditional East Asian medicine for stomach diseases including dysentery and stomach ulcers in East Asia and has been reported to possess biological activity. The benefits of G. thunbergii in gastric cancer are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that G. thunbergii extract suppresses proliferation and induces death and G1/S cell cycle arrest of gastric cancer cells. Proliferation was significantly inhibited in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle arrest was associated with significant decreases in CDK4/cyclinD1 complex and CDK2/cyclinE complex genes expression. In addition, the protein expression of caspase-3 was decreased and that of activated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was increased, which indicated apoptosis. The expressions of the Bax and Bcl-2, which are apoptosis related proteins, were upregulated and down-regulated, respectively. The results indicate that G. thunbergii extract can inhibit proliferation and induce both G/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. Also, the induction of apoptosis involved the intrinsic pathways of the cells. Take the results, we suggest that G. thunbergii extract has anti-gastric cancer activity and may be a potential therapeutic candidate for gastric cancer.     

Mayflies of the Northern Levant (Insecta: Ephemeroptera)

Abstract

For 31 species of mayflies, new records on their distribution are presented. Most of them are new to the Middle East or to the northern Levant (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon). The fauna is composed for the most part of species widespread in Europe (63%), a relatively high number (26%) of endemic species, and a few Caucasian (8%) and South European (3%) species. Using the genus Prosopistoma as an example, it is shown that the mayfly fauna of the northern Levantine has been isolated from the faunas of Africa and Asia for a very long period.     

Invasion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhynchosporium commune</Emphasis> onto wild barley in the Middle East

Rhynchosporium commune was recently introduced into the Middle East, presumably with the cultivated host barley (Hordeum vulgare). Middle Eastern populations of R. commune on cultivated barley and wild barley (H. spontaneum) were genetically undifferentiated and shared a high proportion of multilocus haplotypes. This suggests that there has been little selection for host specialization on H. spontaneum, a host population often used as a source of resistance genes introduced into its domesticated counterpart, H. vulgare. Low levels of pathogen genetic diversity on H. vulgare as well as on H. spontaneum, indicate that the pathogen was introduced recently into the Middle East, perhaps through immigration on infected cultivated barley seeds, and then invaded the wild barley population. Although it has not been documented, the introduction of the pathogen into the Middle East may have a negative influence on the biodiversity of native Hordeum species.     

Can invasions occur without change? A comparison of G-matrices and selection in the peach-potato aphid,Myzus persicae

Most evolutionary research on biological invasions has focused on changes seen between the native and invaded range for a particular species. However, it is likely that species that live in human‐modified habitats in their native range might have evolved specific adaptations to those environments, which increase the likelihood of establishment and spread in similar human‐altered environments. From a quantitative genetic perspective, this hypothesis suggests that both native and introduced populations should reside at or near the same adaptive peak. Therefore, we should observe no overall changes in the G (genetic variance–covariance) matrices between native and introduced ranges, and stabilizing selection on fitness‐related traits in all populations. We tested these predictions comparing three populations of the worldwide pest Myzus persicae from the Middle East (native range) and the UK and Chile (separately introduced ranges). In general, our results provide mixed support for this idea, but further comparisons of other species are needed. In particular, we found that there has been some limited evolution in the studied traits, with the Middle East population differing from the UK and Chilean populations. This was reflected in the structure of the G ‐matrices, in which Chile differed from both UK and Middle East populations. Furthermore, the amount of genetic variation was massively reduced in Chile in comparison with UK and Middle East populations. Finally, we found no detectable selection on any trait in the three populations, but clones from the introduced ranges started to reproduce later, were smaller, had smaller offspring, and had lower reproductive fitness than clones from the native range.     

Diversification and subspecies patterning of the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in Iran

Goitered gazelles, Gazella subgutturosa, exist in arid and semiarid regions of Asia from the Middle to the Far East. Although large populations were present over a vast area until recently, a decline of the population as a result of hunting, poaching, and habitat loss led to the IUCN classification of G. subgutturosa as “vulnerable." We examined genetic diversity, structure, and phylogeny of G. subgutturosa using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences from 18 geographically distant populations in Iran. The median‐joining network of cyt b haplotypes indicated that three clades of goitered gazelles can be distinguished: a Middle Eastern clade west of the Zagros Mountains (and connected to populations in Turkey and Iraq), a Central Iranian clade (with connection to Azerbaijan), and an Asiatic clade in northeastern Iran (with connection to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and other Asian countries as far as northeastern China and Mongolia). Based on our results, we argue that Iran is the center of diversification of goitered gazelles, due to the presence of large mountain ranges and deserts that lead to the separation of populations. In accordance with previous morphological studies, we identified the Asiatic clade as the subspecies G. s. yarkandensis, and the other two clades as the nominate form G. s. subgutturosa. The new genetic information for goitered gazelles in Iran provides the basis for future national conservation programs of this species.     

Recent Bryological Literature, 60

Abstract

Brachythecium dieckii Roell and B. salteri Card. &; Dix. are removed from the synonymy of B. velutinum (Hedw.) B., S. &; G. The two first names belong to the same species, B. dieckii having priority. Brachythecium dieckii has more strongly prorate upper abaxial nerve cells than B. velutinum, it has scattered prorate upper lamina cells, more broadly recurved and more coarsely denticulate leaf margins, and it has more regular, more incrassate alar cells in larger groups that extend further up along the leaf margin than in B. velutinum. B. dieckii is known from central Spain and from the Canary Islands     

Biological data from a data‐deficient shark: the Arabian smoothhound Mustelus mosis (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae)

The present study provides information on length distribution, reproductive biology and diet of Mustelus mosis based on individuals caught in waters off the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Although ageing of vertebral centra was attempted, band pairs were of low clarity and counts could not be confidently assigned.