Apparatus Composition, Growth, And Survivorship Of The Lower Ordovician Conodont paracordylodus Gracilis Lindström, 1955

Analysis of numerous conodont element clusters from the Lower Ordovician cherts of the Burubaital Formation in central Kazakhstan reveals that the apparatus of Paracordylodus gracilis Lindstro¨m, 1955 consisted of 15 elements: two M elements, nine S elements (including 1 S₀), and four P elements (2 P₁, 2 P₂). The clusters probably originated as faecal pellets, but the best preserved indicate that the architecture of the apparatus of P. gracilis was comparable to that of ozarkodinid conodonts, providing strong support for the hypothesis that the 15-element 2M-9S-4P apparatus plan was plesiomorphic for conodonts with morphologically complex elements. All the elements within the P. gracilis clusters appear to be at a similar stage of ontogeny, and there is no evidence for late addition or replacement of elements. Analysis of element growth suggests that the relative dimensions of some elements changed during ontogeny, but the available data support the hypothesis that the growth of the apparatus as a whole was isometric. The size distribution of P. gracilis in the Burubaital Formation suggests that individuals in a particular size range were preferentially selected for consumption by predators. The identity of these predators is unknown, but they may have included other P. gracilis .     

The West Gondwanan Occurrence Of The Hybodontid Shark Priohybodus, And The Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Age Of The Tacuarembó Formation, Uruguay

Priohybodus cf. P. arambourgi is reported for the first time from the Tacuarembó Formation of Uruguay. This species is a hybodontid shark known previously only from Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits of Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The material (22 isolated teeth and a dorsal fin spine) was found in a thin bone bed, associated with abundant bone fragments, scales and teeth of semionotiform fishes and theropod dinosaurs. Until now, the age of the Tacuarembó Formation has been difficult to determine because its fossil content lacked useful biostratigraphic indicators. The finding of Priohybodus cf. P. arambourgi in that unit greatly expands the palaeobiogeographic range of the species, and allows us to propose a Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous age for the Tacuarembó Formation.     

中国大头蛙属3个种线粒体ND1基因全序列分析与亲缘关系

测定了大头蛙和脆皮大头蛙线粒体ND1基因全序列长度分别为978 bp和958 bp,(对应编码325和319个氨基酸)。对所测基因序列组分进行了分析,并与福建大头蛙同源序列进行比较发现,978个核苷酸位点中,有664个保守位点和多变位点294个。同时发现福建大头蛙与大头蛙该基因序列的同源性最高(核苷酸序列同源性为78.77%,氨基酸序列为92.62%)。基于ND1基因全序列的氨基酸和核苷酸两种数据形式,选用M ega3.1软件中的NJ法对大头蛙属3个种、黑斑蛙、泽陆蛙及外群中国大鲵共6条基因序列进行系统树重建分析,结果表明:所得的2个NJ树均将大头蛙属3个种聚于一支,其中大头蛙与福建大头蛙为姐妹群关系(自检值均高度支持),从而证实了大头蛙与福建大头蛙亲缘关系较近的观点。     

云南白草岭鼠形小兽群落结构及垂直分布

对云南白草岭鼠形小兽群落结构,垂直分布及动物区系进行了调查,结果共捕获小兽21种1028只,隶属于啮齿目(Rodenria)鼠科（Muridae）10种,仓鼠科（Cricetidae)2种,松鼠科（Sciuridae)2种;食虫目（Insectivora）Juqin科（Soricdae)6种,鼹科（Talpidae)1种。其中东洋界15种,占71．43％,古北界4种,占19．04％,广布种2种,占9．53％,各个垂直带鼠形小兽群落物种多样性指数分别为,Ⅰ,云南松林及山坡耕作地带（2000－2650m)1.3814;Ⅱ。温凉性针阔叶混交林带（2650－3150m)1．6126;Ⅲ．苍山冷杉林带（3150－3500m)1．3488;Ⅳ。亚高山灌丛草甸带（3500－3657m）1．5085。云南白草岭优势种主要由齐氏姬鼠（Aopdemus chevieri)、中华姬鼠（A.draco)、大耳姬鼠（A.latronum)、大绒鼠（Eothenomys miletus)和昭通绒鼠（E.olitor)5种组成。     

The Effect of Potassium Nitrate on the Reduction of Phytophthora Stem Rot Disease of Soybeans, the Growth Rate and Zoospore Release of Phytophthora sojae

The effects of potassium nitrate (KNO₃) application on Phytophthora stem rot disease reduction of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cvs. Chusei-Hikarikuro and Sachiyutaka, and mycelium growth and zoospore release of a Phytophthora sojae isolate were investigated under laboratory conditions. The application of 4–30 m m KNO₃ prior to inoculation greatly reduced incidence of disease in the two soybean cultivars. Although a concentration of 20–30 m m KNO₃ led to a slight decrease in the growth rate of the PJ-H30 isolate on PDA medium, no significant relationship was observed between inhibition of the growth rate and disease reduction on application of 0.4–10 m m KNO₃. Disease suppression recorded in laboratory experiments using pathogen mycelium was due to the response of plant tissues rather than a direct inhibition of pathogen hyphal growth by the application of KNO₃. The extent of disease reduction was related to increased potassium concentration in plants of the two cultivars (except for some cases involving cv. Sachiyutaka), suggesting that differences existed between the two cultivars in terms of the effect of KNO₃ application on disease suppression. Scanning electron microscopic observation with fresh samples indicated marked accumulation of potassium at the penetration-stopping sites of P. sojae in the cortex layer of soybean plants treated with 30 m m KNO₃, compared with the non-treated control plants. The presence of 0.4–30 m m KNO₃ decreased the release of zoospores. These results suggest the possibility of applying a solution containing 20–30 m m of KNO₃ to decrease the incidence of disease in agricultural fields by the response of plant tissues to KNO₃.