Geographic pattern of cranial differentiation in the Asian Midday Jird Meriones meridianus (Rodentia: Muridae: Gerbillinae) and its taxonomic implications

The existence of cryptic species in the midday jird (Meriones meridianus) has been suggested in literature, although based on little empirical data to support this hypothesis. In this study, a two‐dimensional landmark‐based geometric morphometric approach was used to investigate whether patterns in intraspecific variation in skull shape and size exist, using 110 skull specimens from more than 20 different localities along the distribution range of M. meridianus. This is the first study of morphological differences on such a big sample size and geographical range, and it tries to find whether skull shape variation in this species is best described as being clinal or rather reflecting cryptic diversity. The latter seems to be the case, as a dimorphic skull phenotype was found, reflecting a geographic disparity between the Middle East and the Far East specimens both in shape and in size. Distinct cranial differences were found in the overall cranial size and, also at the level of the inflation of the bulla, the elongation of the nasal, the length of the teeth row and the incisive foramen, as well as the distance in between the latter two. It thus seems that M. meridianus from Middle East is morphologically distinct from that of the Far East. Furthermore, our results also demonstrate that clinal variation could explain variation within Middle East populations, whereas a more heterogenous pattern is found for those of the Far East. The hypothesis that the observed phenotypic variation may reflect cryptic species is discussed, with the recommendation for a thorough taxonomical revision of the genus in the region.     

四川成都发现布氏苇莺和中国鸟类新纪录栗尾姬鹟

2016年4月20日和2017年2月15日先后在成都市区分别记录到了栗尾姬鹟(Ficedula ruficauda)和布氏苇莺(Acrocephalus dumetorum)两种鸟类。经查阅相关文献,确定上述两种鸟类均为四川省鸟类新纪录,其中栗尾姬鹟还是中国鸟类新纪录。     

Notes on the genus Apteroloma of China with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Agyrtidae)

A new cicadellid tribe, Tungurahualini, is recognized to include Tungurahuala Kramer, and a related new genus, Ilyapagen. n., based on six new species. The tribe is included in subfamily Mileewinae, the concept of which is further expanded to include tribes Makilingiini Baker, and Tinteromini Godoy and Webb, taxa previously treated as separate subfamilies. Keys to tribes of Mileewinae (sensu lato) and genera of Tungurahualini are provided. A new species of Tungurahuala, Tungurahuala acuminatasp. n., is also described and keys to species of Tungurahuala and Ilyapa are provided. The new tribe is presently recorded only from cloud forests in the northern Andes Mountains of South America.     

DNA barcoding Central Asian butterflies: increasing geographical dimension does not significantly reduce the success of species identification

DNA barcoding employs short, standardized gene regions (5' segment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I for animals) as an internal tag to enable species identification. Prior studies have indicated that it performs this task well, because interspecific variation at cytochrome oxidase subunit I is typically much greater than intraspecific variation. However, most previous studies have focused on local faunas only, and critics have suggested two reasons why barcoding should be less effective in species identification when the geographical coverage is expanded. They suggested that many recently diverged taxa will be excluded from local analyses because they are allopatric. Second, intraspecific variation may be seriously underestimated by local studies, because geographical variation in the barcode region is not considered. In this paper, we analyse how adding a geographical dimension affects barcode resolution, examining 353 butterfly species from Central Asia. Despite predictions, we found that geographically separated and recently diverged allopatric species did not show, on average, less sequence differentiation than recently diverged sympatric taxa. Although expanded geographical coverage did substantially increase intraspecific variation reducing the barcoding gap between species, this did not decrease species identification using neighbour-joining clustering. The inclusion of additional populations increased the number of paraphyletic entities, but did not impede species-level identification, because paraphyletic species were separated from their monophyletic relatives by substantial sequence divergence. Thus, this study demonstrates that DNA barcoding remains an effective identification tool even when taxa are sampled from a large geographical area.     

The Traffic in Brides

Petr Lom's film, Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan , offers viewers a striking visual narration of the deeply routinized practices of bride capture in contemporary Central Asia. In this review, I offer historical context eschewed by the film, observing how, contrary to popular belief, bride kidnapping increased under Russian imperial supervision. It later dwindled in the activist Soviet period, but rose again in the relative anarchy of the postsocialist landscape. What the film invites but does not explicitly entertain is a complex arithmetic of culturally coded understandings of volition, personal property, and alliance.     

Les premiers villages agricoles de l’est du plateau Iranien à la vallée de l’Indus : état de la question

The birth of agriculture east of the Fertile Crescent, between the Iranian plateau, Central Asia and South Asia, is poorly known. This area is vast and the archaeological data relating to this period, the Neolithic, is extremely limited. Most researchers agree that plants and animals’ domestication was introduced in this area from south-west Asia, similarly to what happened in Europe. In this scenario, agriculture emerged in the Fertile Crescent, between the Levant, Anatolia and the Zagros, 12.000 to 11.000 years ago, and then spread to other regions further east, across the Iranian plateau to Central Asia and the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, beginning between the 8th and 7th millennia BCE. This article summarizes the main available data relating to this topic with a focus on the Indo-Iranian Borderlands, between southeastern Iran and Pakistan. Currently available paleoclimatic, paleogenetic and archaeological records are presented. A synthesis and discussion is then provided in the conclusion as well as reconstructions based on these records. Issues or challenges relating to the research on the earliest farming villages are mentioned while directions for future research are evoked.     

Redescription of Heterodera fici (Nematoda: Heteroderidae) with SEM Observations

Heterodera fici is redescribed and illustrated with comparative details and revised measurements and diagnostic characters of the females, males, cysts, and juveniles from Maryland and Pakistan. This species is in the "schachtii group" (cysts lemon shaped, with bullae, and ambifenestrate) but the fenestrae in some cysts, presumab!y young ones, are small and widely spaced, appearing bifenestrate. It is most closely related to H. schachtii, H. glycines, and H. cajani but differs from these species especially in having cysts with small, scattered bullae and weakly developed underbridge; and males with four small nipples on tail tip. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the specimens are also presented. The relationship of this species to closely related forms is discussed.     

The mycoflora and incidence of aflatoxin,zearalenone and sterigmatocystin in dairy feed and forage samples from Eastern India and Bangladesh

The mycoflora of a range of mixed ruminant feed and forage samples collected in Eastern India and Bangladesh were determined. Most fungi isolated from the samples were those associated with low moisture contents. Several potentially mycotoxigenic fungi and thermotolerant species were present particularly in the rice straw. The most frequently isolated fungi were: Aspergillus versicolor (Vuill.) Tiraboschi, Penicillium citrinum Thorn, Eurotium species, Wallemia sebi (Fr.) v. Arx, Aspergillus penicilloides Speg. and yeasts. Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon and Cladosporium species were prevalent in straw but not other feeds. Levels of certain individual fungi, particularly thermotolerant types, were higher in Bangladesh rice straw although overall counts were similar to those of the Indian samples. Mycotoxin analyses for aflatoxins, zearalenone and sterigmatocystin were carried out. Aflatoxins were detected in significant amounts in some feed samples from Eastern India but not in rice straw from India and Bangladesh. Zearalenone occurred in a Paspalum straw sample and three other feed samples from India and sterigmatocystin was detected in three rice straw samples from Bangladesh.     

One new species of the genus Savarna Huber, 2005 (Araneae,Pholcidae) from southern Thailand

One new species Savarna kraburiensis sp. n. (♂♀) is reported from southern Thailand.     

Pollen Morphology of Eight Genera of the Subtribe Mutisiinae Less. sensu Bremer (Compositae) from Asia

The pollen morphology of 28 species and one variety representing eight genera of the subtribe Mutisiinae Less. sensu Bremer (Compositae) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy. The pollen grains are usually radically symmetrical, isopolar, and tricolporate. The shape varies from spheroidal to subprolate in equatorial view and is three-lobed circular in polar view. Based on exine sculpturing observed under SEM, the pollen grains can be divided into three types: (i) type Ⅰ, with macrogranulate sculpture; (ii) type Ⅱ, with a finely granulate sculpture; and (iii) type Ⅲ, with spiny sculpture.The palynological data showed that the Macroclinidium Maxim. was remarkably distinguished from those of the other seven genera. The variation of pollen characteristics within the Mutisiinae in Asia is little at species level, but it proves some useful information for studying the relationships among genera and it has an important significance in further understanding the evolutionary history of Mutisiinae.     

Habitat does not influence breeding performance in a long‐term Barn Owl Tyto alba study

Capsule This study examines the relationship between habitat variables and various aspects of breeding and foraging performance for 257 Barn Owl breeding attempts involving both released and wild birds, at 86 different nest‐sites over a 14‐year period.

Aims The study aimed to: (1) provide evidence for or against the importance of foraging habitat in Barn Owl breeding performance; (2) enable identification of areas which can, and those which cannot, be expected to sustain Barn Owl populations; (3) inform the compilation of any future guidelines such that Barn Owl release schemes are more likely to succeed; and (4) allow the revision of untested concerns in terms of the likely survival or otherwise of Barn Owls in a given area.

Methods Three data sources are used to assess the proportions of various habitat types and lengths of linear features in the vicinity of each nest: (1) The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Land Cover Map; (2) Ordnance Survey Strategi dataset; and (3) Agricultural Census data. These are linked to various aspects of breeding performance.

Results Despite the size of the dataset, the number of significant correlations between habitat type and aspects of Barn Owl breeding success was similar to that expected by chance. Sites with more unimproved grassland within 1 km of the nest did not differ from those with less, except by a significant advancement of first‐egg date.

Conclusion The paucity of significant results may be evidence that Barn Owls are in fact rather catholic and adaptable in their habitat requirements, and not as dependent upon large areas of Field Vole (or other) habitat as has often been stated.