A New Lichen-Forming Fungus,Aspicilia humida,from a Forested Wetland in South Korea,with a Taxonomic Key for Aspicilioid Species of Korea

Aspicilia humida Lee is described as a new lichen-forming fungus from a wetland forest, South Korea. The new species is distinguishable from Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb., the most similar species, by the absence of prothallus, black disk without green color in water, olive-brown epihymenium, shorter hymenium, hymenium I + yellowish blue-green, wider paraphysial tips without a vivid pigment, smaller asci, smaller ascospores, and the presence of stictic acid. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support A. humida as a distinct species in the A. cinerea group. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 28 aspicilioid species of Korea.     

The behavior of the species of theRamalina siliquosa group in Portugal

Summary Four of the six European species of the maritime rock-inhabitingR. siliquosa group occur in Portugal.Ramalina siliquosa (producing protocetraric acid) andR. curnowii (stictic acid) are very common there;R. druidarum (hypoprotocetraric acid), although locally abundant, is less frequent; andR. crassa (salazinic acid) is extremely rare. As it does in northern Europe,R. curnowii inhabits the most exposed situations, those subjected to the harshest environmental conditions, whileR. siliquosa and especiallyR. druidarum completely dominate the more sheltered habitats and those at some distance from the sea altogether. The ecological sensitivity of the species of theR. siliquosa group is so great that it appears that surfaces of various exposures on boulders as small as three meters high may supportRamalina vegetations of substantially different composition.Dedicated to Professor L.Geitler on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Chemical Constituents of the Vietnamese Marine Sponge Gelliodes sp. and Their Cytotoxic Activities

A new decenoic acid derivative, gelliodesinic acid, and a naturally new alkaloid, together with three known furanoterpenoids and two known indole alkaloids, were isolated from the MeOH extract of the marine sponge Gelliodes sp. collected in Vietnam. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined by analyses of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR and MS data and by comparisons of the data with those reported in the literature. The cytotoxicity assay against HeLa, MCF‐7, and A549 cancer cell lines revealed that the three known furanoterpenes exhibited cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 23.6 to 75.5 μM against the three cell lines, and that 1H‐indole‐3‐carboxylic acid showed cytotoxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 89.2 μM against A549 cancer cell lines.     

Genetic and phenotypic variation in central and northern European populations of Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera,Culicidae)

The floodwater mosquito Aedes vexans can be a massive nuisance in the flood plain areas of mainland Europe, and is the vector of Tahyna virus and a potential vector of Dirofilaria immitis. This epidemiologically important species forms three subspecies worldwide, of which Aedes vexans arabiensis has a wide distribution in Europe and Africa. We quantified the genetic and phenotypic variation in Ae. vexans arabiensis in populations from Sweden (northern Europe), Hungary, and Serbia (central Europe). A landscape genetics approach (F_ST, STRUCTURE, BAPS, GENELAND) revealed significant differentiation between northern and southern populations. Similar to genetic data, wing geometric morphometrics revealed two different clusters, one made by Swedish populations, while another included Hungarian and Serbian populations. Moreover, integrated genetic and morphometric data from the spatial analysis suggested groupings of populations into three clusters, one of which was from Swedish and Hungarian populations. Data on spatial analysis regarding an intermediate status of the Hungarian population was supported by observed Isolation‐by‐Distance patterns. Furthermore, a low proportion of interpopulation vs intrapopulation variance revealed by AMOVA and low‐to‐moderate F_ST values on a broader geographical scale indicate a continuous between‐population exchange of individuals, including considerable gene flow on the regional scale, are likely to be responsible for the maintenance of the observed population similarity in Aе. vexans. We discussed data considering population structure in the light of vector control strategies of the mosquito from public health importance.     

ψ-esters of depsidones with a lactole ring

The reaction of stictic, norstictic and salazinic acids with methanol, ethanol and tert-butanol has been investigated. 8′-O-Methylstictic acid is identical with methylstictic acid from Lobaria oregana. Ingolfdottir's vesuvianic acid from Stereocaulon vesuvianum and Handong's cetrariastrumin from Cetrariastrum nepalensis have been shown to be 8′-O-ethylstictic acid and 8′,9′-di-O-ethylsalazinic acid, respectively, by reaction of stictic and salazinic acids with ethanol.     

Menegazzia subsimilis,a widespread sorediate lichen

Studies of type specimens and other specimens of Menegazzia subsimilis and M. dissecta have shown that they are referable to the same taxon. Thus, M. dissecta is reduced to synonymy with M. subsimilis, which is characterized by lacerate soralia protruding from lobe apices or vertical lobules (protuberances), small perforations and the presence of the stictic acid complex in the medulla. It has 2-spored asci. The synonymy implies that M. subsimilis has a much wider distribution range than previously known. It is reported here from Oceania (Hawaii, Solomon Islands), Asia (Japan, Papua New Guinea, Russia), Europe (Austria, Germany, Portugal), South America (Ecuador, Peru), the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Jamaica) and North America (Canada, USA).     

Back from the dead: Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer, 1798) (Diptera: Piophilidae) ‘globally extinct’ fugitive in Spain

We report on a sensational find in central Spain of six specimens of Thyreophora cynophila ( Panzer, 1798 ), a colourful, strange‐looking piophilid fly living on carcasses of big mammals in advanced stages of decay. Published data suggest that the species is known exclusively from central western Europe (Germany, Austria and France), and was observed last near Paris, France, in the late 1840s, i.e. more than 160 years ago. Accordingly, T. cynophila was placed in 2007 as the only dipteran on a list of recent European animals considered to be globally extinct. Collection‐based data from all 16 known extant specimens found in seven European natural history museums revealed a specimen without date of T. cynophila from Algiers, Algeria. The status of the three thyreophorine piophilids known from Europe is summarized. For the smallest species we reinstate the name Centrophlebomyia anthropophaga ( Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 ) with Centrophlebomyia orientalis Hendel, 1907 as a subjective junior synonym ( syn.n. ). We speculate as to why thyreophorines, and T. cynophila in particular, have evaded detection for so long.     

Molecular markers provide evidence for a broad‐fronted recolonisation of the widespread calcareous grassland species Sanguisorba minor from southern and cryptic northern refugia

• Calcareous grasslands belong to the most species‐rich and endangered habitats in Europe. However, little is known about the origin of the species typically occurring in these grasslands. In this study we analysed the glacial and post‐glacial history of Sanguisorba minor, a typical plant species frequently occurring in calcareous grasslands.
• The study comprised 38 populations throughout the whole distribution range of the species across Europe. We used molecular markers (AFLP) and applied Bayesian cluster analysis as well as spatial principal components analysis (sPCA) to identify glacial refugia and post‐glacial migration routes to Central Europe.
• Our study revealed significant differences in the level of genetic variation and the occurrence of rare fragments within populations of S. minor and a distinct separation of eastern and western lineages. The analyses uncovered traditional southern but also cryptic northern refugia and point towards a broad fronted post‐glacial recolonisation.
• Based on these results we postulate that incomplete lineage sorting may have contributed to the detected pattern of genetic variation and that S. minor recolonised Central Europe post‐glacially from Iberia and northern glacial refugia in France, Belgium or Germany. Our results highlight the importance of refugial areas for the conservation of intraspecific variation in calcareous grassland species.

     

A new species of Acynodon (Crocodylia) from the upper cretaceous (Santonian–Campanian) of Villaggio del Pescatore,Italy

Abstract: The new species Acynodon  adriaticus is described on the basis of remains from the Santonian–Campanian of Villaggio del Pescatore (Trieste, NE Italy). This species differs in several cranial features from Acynodon  iberoccitanus, the only other Acynodon species whose cranial osteology is known in detail. The absence of maxillary and dentary caniniform teeth coupled with the presence of enlarged molariform teeth suggests that Acynodon probably fed on slowly moving hard‐shelled prey. Moreover, the new materials reveal for the first time the morphology of some postcranial elements of Acynodon: in particular, medial‐most paravertebral osteoderms that are characterized by two keels. A new cladistic phylogenetic analysis resolves the previously reported polytomy among the basal Globidonta: Acynodon is recognized as the most primitive globidontan. This genus may represent the geologically oldest known globidontan. The fact that Acynodon has been found only in Europe and that the outgroup of Globidonta, the Diplocynodontinae, is mainly known from Europe, suggests that globidontans may have originated in Europe and not in North America as previously supposed.     

Chemical variation in two species of theLecanora subfusca group (Lecanoraceae,lichenizedAscomycotina)

The chemical variation inLecanora epibryon andL. subimmersa, two species of theL. subfusca group, has been examined. In both species the chemical differences are correlated with geographical distribution, but not with morphological differences. As a consequence the chemotypes are recognized at subspecific level. InL. epibryon three chemical races are segregated according to the various chemosyndromes present. Subspeciesepibryon, containing atranorin and triterpenoids, occurs in the northern hemisphere and South America, while the other two subspecies occur only in the southern hemisphere. The subsp.broccha (Nyl.)Lumbsch, comb. nova, contains atranorin, the stictic acid and the 2,5,7-trichloro-3-O-methylnorlichexanthone chemosyndromes, while subsp.xanthophora Lumbsch, subsp. nova, is similar but lacks the stictic acid chemosyndrome. Two chemical races occur in the pantropical speciesL. subimmersa. While subsp.subimmersa contains atranorin and zeorin, subsp.ramboldii Lumbsch & Elix, subsp. nova, contains an additional ten chlorinated xanthones.L. impressa is reduced to synonymy toL. subimmersa.     

Morphological and Molecular Data Reveal the Presence of the Invasive Artemia franciscana in Margherita di Savoia Salterns (Italy)

Introduced populations of the American invasive Artemia franciscana have been reported in Mediterranean countries except for Italy. A recent sampling at Margherita di Savoia revealed the presence of mating pairs in a saltwork known to host only parthenogens. An integrated approach, based on scanning electron microscopy of four morphological traits, discriminant analysis of 13 morphometric characters and 16S rRNA PCR‐RFLP profiles of eight endonucleases was implemented for the identification of the invader. Patterns of variability in all assayed markers provided congruent and solid evidence that the allochthonous species is A. franciscana. Native parthenogens are still predominant (∼98.4%) in this Italian site but they can be rapidly outcompeted by A. franciscana, as it occurred in similar cases throughout Europe and elsewhere. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Introduced or glacial relict? Phylogeography of the cryptogenic tunicate Molgula manhattensis (Ascidiacea,Pleurogona)

Aim The tunicate Molgula manhattensis has a disjunct amphi‐Atlantic distribution and a recent history of world‐wide introductions. Its distribution could be the result of regional extinctions followed by post‐glacial recolonization, or anthropogenic dispersal. To determine whether the North Atlantic distribution of M. manhattensis is natural or human‐mediated, we analysed mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence variation in individuals from cryptogenic and introduced ranges. Location North Atlantic Europe and America; Black Sea; San Francisco Bay; Osaka Bay. Methods Nuclear 18S rDNA sequences were used to resolve phylogenetic relationships and mtDNA COI sequences for phylogeographic analyses. Results Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that M. manhattensis and M. socialis, which are frequently confused, are distinct species. MtDNA haplotype diversity was nearly three times higher with deeper relationships among haplotypes on the North‐east American coast than in Europe. Diversity declined from south to north in America but not in Europe. In areas of known introductions (Black Sea, Japan, San Francisco Bay), M. manhattensis showed variable levels of haplotype diversity. Medium‐to‐high‐frequency haplotypes originating from the North‐west Atlantic were present in two locations of known introductions, but not in Europe. Private haplotypes were found on both sides of the Atlantic and in introduced populations. The mismatch distribution for the North‐east Atlantic coast indicates a recent expansion. Main conclusions Molgula manhattensis is native in North‐east America. However, whether it was introduced or is native to Europe remains equivocal. Additional sampling might or might not reveal the presence of putative private European haplotypes in America. The low European diversity may be explained by low effective population size and a recent expansion, or by low propagule pressure of anthropogenic introduction. Absence of medium‐to‐high‐frequency American haplotypes in Europe may be the result of exclusive transport from southern ports, or long‐term residence. These arguments are ambiguous, and M. manhattensis remains cryptogenic in Europe.     

Past and future evolution of Abies alba forests in Europe – comparison of a dynamic vegetation model with palaeo data and observations

Information on how species distributions and ecosystem services are impacted by anthropogenic climate change is important for adaptation planning. Palaeo data suggest that Abies alba formed forests under significantly warmer‐than‐present conditions in Europe and might be a native substitute for widespread drought‐sensitive temperate and boreal tree species such as beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) under future global warming conditions. Here, we combine pollen and macrofossil data, modern observations, and results from transient simulations with the LPX‐Bern dynamic global vegetation model to assess past and future distributions of A. alba in Europe. LPX‐Bern is forced with climate anomalies from a run over the past 21 000 years with the Community Earth System Model, modern climatology, and with 21st‐century multimodel ensemble results for the high‐emission RCP8.5 and the stringent mitigation RCP2.6 pathway. The simulated distribution for present climate encompasses the modern range of A. alba, with the model exceeding the present distribution in north‐western and southern Europe. Mid‐Holocene pollen data and model results agree for southern Europe, suggesting that at present, human impacts suppress the distribution in southern Europe. Pollen and model results both show range expansion starting during the Bølling–Allerød warm period, interrupted by the Younger Dryas cold, and resuming during the Holocene. The distribution of A. alba expands to the north‐east in all future scenarios, whereas the potential (currently unrealized) range would be substantially reduced in southern Europe under RCP8.5. A. alba maintains its current range in central Europe despite competition by other thermophilous tree species. Our combined palaeoecological and model evidence suggest that A. alba may ensure important ecosystem services including stand and slope stability, infrastructure protection, and carbon sequestration under significantly warmer‐than‐present conditions in central Europe.     

Parasitism of Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) in natural and artificial horse-chestnut stands in the Balkans

1 The horse‐chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic, was discovered during a mass outbreak on planted horse‐chestnut trees, Aesculus hippocastanum, near Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. However, several peculiarities in the leafminer's biology and ecology, such as its inefficient control through natural enemies, indicate that it may be of exotic origin. 2 In this study, the parasitism of C. ohridella was examined in natural and artificial horse‐chestnut stands in South‐eastern Europe. The size and composition of the parasitoid complex of natural stands was comparable with that known from artificial stands. No specialist parasitoid species were detected in any of the samples. The only parasitoid species found exclusively in natural stands during this investigation were the braconid Colastes braconius and the eulophid Chrysocharis phryne. Both are known to be polyphagous on many leafminers in Europe and C. braconius has been often recorded from C. ohridella in artificial stands in previous studies. Parasitism levels varied within the same range (3.6–21.0%) throughout the entire region, in both types of habitats. 3 These results suggest that the parasitoid complex of C. ohridella in natural and planted horse‐chestnut stands in Europe is typically that of an exotic, recently introduced leafminer. Consequently, C. ohridella is probably not indigenous in the Balkans, but has been introduced to the area of its discovery from another continent.     

Molecular,genetic and evolutionary analysis of a paracentric inversion in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chromosomal inversions can provide windows onto the cytogenetic, molecular, evolutionary and demographic histories of a species. Here we investigate a paracentric 1.17‐Mb inversion on chromosome 4 of Arabidopsis thaliana with nucleotide precision of its borders. The inversion is created by Vandal transposon activity, splitting an F‐box and relocating a pericentric heterochromatin segment in juxtaposition with euchromatin without affecting the epigenetic landscape. Examination of the RegMap panel and the 1001 Arabidopsis genomes revealed more than 170 inversion accessions in Europe and North America. The SNP patterns revealed historical recombinations from which we infer diverse haplotype patterns, ancient introgression events and phylogenetic relationships. We find a robust association between the inversion and fecundity under drought. We also find linkage disequilibrium between the inverted region and the early flowering Col‐FRIGIDA allele. Finally, SNP analysis elucidates the origin of the inversion to South‐Eastern Europe approximately 5000 years ago and the FRI‐Col allele to North‐West Europe, and reveals the spreading of a single haplotype to North America during the 17th to 19th century. The ‘American haplotype’ was identified from several European localities, potentially due to return migration.     

A new cytochrome b phylogroup of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) endemic to the Balkans and its implications for the evolutionary history of the species

The phylogeographic architecture of the common vole, Microtus arvalis, has been well‐studied using mitochondrial DNA and used to test hypotheses relating to glacial refugia. The distribution of the five described cytochrome b (cyt b) lineages in Europe west of Russia has been interpreted as a consequence of postglacial expansion from both southern and central European refugia. A recently proposed competing model suggests that the ‘cradle’ of the M. arvalis lineages is in western central Europe from where they dispersed in different directions after the Last Glacial Maximum. In the present study, we report a new cyt b lineage of the common vole from the Balkans that is not closely related to any other lineage and whose presence might help resolve these issues of glacial refugia. The Balkan phylogroup occurs along the southern distributional border of M. arvalis in central and eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and eastern Serbia. Further north and west in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, common voles belong to the previously‐described Eastern lineage, whereas both lineages are sympatric in one site in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Balkan phylogroup most reasonably occupied a glacial refugium already known for various Balkan endemic species, in contrast to the recently proposed model. South‐east Europe is an absolutely crucial area for understanding the postglacial colonization history of small mammals in Europe and the present study adds to the very few previous detailed phylogeographic studies of this region. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100 , 788–796.     

Piceoxylon pseudotsugae GOTHAN emend. VAN DER BURGH aus dem Obermiozän von Ottendorf‐Okrilla bei Dresden,Deutschland

Piceoxylon pseudotsugae Gothan emend. Van der Burgh from the Upper Miocene from Ottendorf‐Okrilla near Dresden, Germany. A fossil wood, collected in Ottendorf‐Okrilla by H. Kubasch, Kamenz, is described in this paper. It is identified by the first author as Piceoxylon pseudotsugae Gothan 1906 emend, van der Burgh 1973 because of its clear spiral thickenings in the tracheids (early and late wood) together with vertical and horizontal resin ducts. Tertiary wood assigned to this species is up till now only known from a few localities in North America and Europe (Rheinland/Germany, Austria, Silesia/Poland). The recent comparable species, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, is known from a wide variety of localities in North America, with a very variable range concerning temperature. It is a tree of well drained, slightly acidic soils, preferably on sedimentary rocks with a volcanic or glacial origin. In the Tertiary of Europe this tree is also known from brown coal deposits. Therefore, for the Tertiary species a habitat in swamp environment must be added.     

Identification of mega‐environments in Europe and effect of allelic variation at maturity E loci on adaptation of European soybean

Soybean cultivation holds great potential for a sustainable agriculture in Europe, but adaptation remains a central issue. In this large mega‐environment (MEV) study, 75 European cultivars from five early maturity groups (MGs 000–II) were evaluated for maturity‐related traits at 22 locations in 10 countries across Europe. Clustering of the locations based on phenotypic similarity revealed six MEVs in latitudinal direction and suggested several more. Analysis of maturity identified several groups of cultivars with phenotypic similarity that are optimally adapted to the different growing regions in Europe. We identified several haplotypes for the allelic variants at the E1, E2, E3 and E4 genes, with each E haplotype comprising cultivars from different MGs. Cultivars with the same E haplotype can exhibit different flowering and maturity characteristics, suggesting that the genetic control of these traits is more complex and that adaptation involves additional genetic pathways, for example temperature requirement. Taken together, our study allowed the first unified assessment of soybean‐growing regions in Europe and illustrates the strong effect of photoperiod on soybean adaptation and MEV classification, as well as the effects of the E maturity loci for soybean adaptation in Europe.     

Structure of vesuvianic acid from stereocaulon species

Vesuvianic acid, which was previously isolated from Stereocaulon vesuvianum var. pulvinatum without a full elucidation of structure, has now been isolated from S. alpinum. More detailed spectral investigation indicates that vesuvianic acid, which was previously believed to be a new depsidone, is an ethyl ether of stictic acid which itself may be an artefact produced during extraction.     

East African pigs have a complex Indian,Far Eastern and Western ancestry

In this study, we have characterized the mitochondrial diversity of 81 swine from Uganda. Median‐joining network analysis of D‐loop sequences from these individuals and others characterized in previous studies allowed us to determine that Ugandan pigs cluster with populations from the West (Europe/North Africa), Far East and India. In addition, partial sequencing of the Y‐chromosome UTY locus in 18 Ugandan domestic pigs revealed the segregation of a single HY1 lineage that has a cosmopolitan distribution. A Western and Far Eastern ancestry for East African pigs had been already reported, but this is the first study demonstrating an additional contribution from the Indian porcine gene pool. This result is consistent with the high frequency of zebuine alleles in cattle from East Africa. The geographic coordinates of East Africa, at the crossroads of many trading routes that, through the ages, linked Europe, Africa and Asia, might explain the rich and complex genetic heritage of livestock native to this area.