Subverting the Venue: A Critical Exhibition of Pre-Columbian Objects at Krannert Art Museum

My temporary exhibition in Krannert Art Museum, The Social Context of Violence in Ancient Peruvian Art (March 27–May 23, 2004), is transgressive and self-critical. While presenting a small number of objects in the university art museum's collection that depict ancient violence (battles, human sacrifice, and trophy head taking), the exhibition simultaneously argues that the objects themselves are the result of violence, specifically to the archaeological record through the act of looting. The exhibition further suggests that the looters are themselves the victims of a failed national economic system that does not enable them to earn a living wage as farmers and of an exploitative international art market that similarly pays them little for objects that become immensely valuable (financially and culturally) once out of the country. Museums, and especially university museums, may be enabling venues for the interrogation of their own hegemonic practices.     

北美法医昆虫学年会及其论文简介

北美法医昆虫学第1,2届年会于2003年8月7～9日和2004年7月21～24日分别在美国内华达州拉斯维加斯和加利福尼亚州戴维斯召开,大会论文涉及到了案例分析、分类鉴定、教学、死后间隔时间推断和死亡原因查找等诸多方面。文章介绍了北美法医昆虫学年会,并对北美法医昆虫学第1,2届年会论文的相关内容进行总结分析。     

Mechanisms of synchrony in the North American fireflyPhotinus carolinus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Photometric recordings combined with computer stimulation, acquisition and analysis were used to study synchrony in the North American fireflyPhotinus carolinus. A computer-generated burst of simulatedP. carolinus flashes was used to trigger a firefly flash burst. We found that the first triggered firefly flashes occurred after the second or third flashes in the stimulus burst, that there were fewer flashes in a triggered burst than a spontaneous burst, and that extending the stimulus flashes into the firefly's interburst interval inhibited firefly flashing. When the stimulus flash interval (389–560 ms) was changed, no change was seen in the interflash interval. When the stimulus flash interval was changed, the average time between stimulus flash and firefly flash (flash delay) changed as if the firefly interflash interval was constant. Thus, interflash interval inP. carolinus does not change its length, making it similar to the Southeast Asian synchronizerPteroptyx cribellata and different fromPteroptyx malaccae, which can change its interval. We suspect that the time between bursts is functionally analogous to the time between flashes in Southeast Asian synchronizers.     

Identification and characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci in the North American pika,Ochotona princeps

Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the North American pika (Ochotona princeps) from di‐ and tetranucleotide repeat‐enriched genomic libraries. Polymorphism was assessed for 165 individuals from eight geographical locations in the western United States. All loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 14, with observed heterozygosity between 0.189 and 0.822. All loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (< 0.05). Regional differences were evident with unique alleles at multiple loci in six of eight populations.     

SCRAM: A Scoring and Ranking System for Persistent,Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Substances for the North American Great Lakes-Resulting Chemical Scores and Rankings

The Scoring and Ranking Assessment Model (SCRAM) was developed to serve as an analytical tool in chemical scoring and ranking of Great Lakes contaminants. The model provides an initial screening evaluation, based on minimal amount of data, of large numbers of chemicals to identify those chemicals that have the greatest potential to cause adverse effects. The SCRAM model is different from most screening systems in that it assesses uncertainty. The SCRAM model was used to score a list of contaminants existing or potentially present in the Great Lakes. Data on environmental fate properties, such as persistence and bioaccumulation potential and toxicity were compiled on selected chemicals. Uncertainty scores were also assigned based on incompleteness of the database. A score was calculated for each chemical and given a relative rank based on its persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity, and uncertainty. The relative rankings of chemicals can be used as a decision-making tool to determine which chemicals need immediate research or monitoring based on their SCRAM score and the chemical's use and environmental loading.     

Why migrate during the day: a comparative analysis of North American birds

Migration can take place primarily during the day or at night, or during both depending on the species. Why the timing of migration varies among species has been the object of much research but the underlying ecological processes are still unclear. Proximally, migration timing may be influenced by the timing of other activities or may be more prevalent in species that migrate over long distances. Adaptive scenarios emphasize the reduction in flight costs at night especially in smaller species and the advantages of travelling in groups during the day to locate staging sites more efficiently. I used phylogenetic independent contrasts to examine these hypotheses in all North American nesting birds. I uncovered 24 evolutionary transitions in migration timing, most of which involved a switch from nocturnal to diurnal migration. Few of these transitions involved a concomitant change in the timing of foraging habits or migration distance. However, species in diurnal clades were larger, travelled in larger flocks and were generally more sociable than their nocturnal counterparts. The results support the hypotheses that a reduction in flight costs and the ability to pool information from companions are associated with migration timing in North American bird species.     

Sexual segregation in North American elk: the role of density dependence

We investigated how density‐dependent processes and subsequent variation in nutritional condition of individuals influenced both timing and duration of sexual segregation and selection of resources. During 1999–2001, we experimentally created two population densities of North American elk (Cervus elaphus), a high‐density population at 20 elk/km², and a low‐density population at 4 elk/km² to test hypotheses relative to timing and duration of sexual segregation and variation in selection of resources. We used multi‐response permutation procedures to investigate patterns of sexual segregation, and resource selection functions to document differences in selection of resources by individuals in high‐ and low‐density populations during sexual segregation and aggregation. The duration of sexual segregation was 2 months longer in the high‐density population and likely was influenced by individuals in poorer nutritional condition, which corresponded with later conception and parturition, than at low density. Males and females in the high‐density population overlapped in selection of resources to a greater extent than in the low‐density population, probably resulting from density‐dependent effects of increased intraspecific competition and lower availability of resources.     

A nuclear DNA barcode for eastern North American oaks and application to a study of hybridization in an Arboretum setting

DNA barcoding has proved difficult in a number of woody plant genera, including the ecologically important oak genus Quercus. In this study, we utilized restrictionsite‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) to develop an economical single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) DNA barcoding system that suffices to distinguish eight common, sympatric eastern North American white oak species. Two de novo clustering pipelines, PyRAD and Stacks, were used in combination with postclustering bioinformatic tools to generate a list of 291 potential SNPs, 80 of which were included in a barcoding toolkit that is easily implemented using MassARRAY mass spectrometry technology. As a proof‐of‐concept, we used the genotyping toolkit to infer potential hybridization between North American white oaks transplanted outside of their native range (Q. michauxii, Q. montana, Q muehlenbergii/Q. prinoides, and Q. stellata) into a horticultural collection surrounded by natural forests of locally native trees (Q. alba and Q. macrocarpa) in the living collection at The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL, USA). Phylogenetic and clustering analyses suggested low rates of hybridization between cultivated and native species, with the exception of one Q. michauxii mother tree, the acorns of which exhibited high admixture from either Q. alba or Q. stellata and Q. macrocarpa, and a hybrid between Q. stellata that appears to have backcrossed almost exclusively to Q. alba. Together, RAD‐seq and MassARRAY technologies allow for efficient development and implementation of a multispecies barcode for one of the more challenging forest tree genera.     

Revisiting projected shifts in the climate envelopes of North American trees using updated general circulation models

Global climate models are constantly being upgraded, but it is often not clear what these changes have on climate change impact projections. We used difference maps to directly compare downscaled projections of temperature and precipitation across North America for two versions (or generations) of three different Atmospheric‐Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCM)s. We found that AOGCM versions differed in their projections for the end of the current century by up to 4 °C for annual mean temperature and 60% for annual precipitation. To place these changes in an ecological context, we reanalyzed our work on shifts in tree climate envelopes (CEs) using the newer‐generation AOGCM projections. Based on the updated AOGCMs, by the 2071–2100 period, tree CEs shifted up to 2.4 degrees further north or 2.6 degrees further south (depending on the AOGCM) and were about 10% larger in size. Despite considerable differences between versions of a given AOGCM, projections made by the newer version of each AOGCM were in general agreement, suggesting convergence across the three models studied here. Assessing the AOGCM outputs in this way provides insight into the magnitude and importance of change associated with AOGCM upgrades as they continue to evolve through time.     

Patterns in the structure of Asian and North American desert small mammal communities

Aim We compared assemblages of small mammal communities from three major desert regions on two continents in the northern hemisphere. Our objective was to compare these with respect to three characteristics: (1) species richness and representation of trophic groups; (2) the degree to which these assemblages exhibit nested community structure; and (3) the extent to which competitive interactions appear to influence local community assembly. Location We studied small mammal communities from the deserts of North America (N=201 sites) and two regions in Central Asia (the Gobi Desert (N=97 sites) and the Turan Desert Region (N=36 sites), including the Kara-Kum, Kyzyl-Kum, NE Daghestan, and extreme western Kazakhstan Deserts). Method To provide baseline data we characterized each desert region in terms of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, and in terms of the distribution of taxa across trophic and locomotory groups. We evaluated nestedness of these communities using the Nestedness Temperature Calculator developed by Atmar & Patterson (1993, 1995) , and we evaluated the role of competitive interactions in community assembly and applied a null model of local assembly under varying degrees of competitive interaction ( Kelt et al., 1995, 1996 ). Results All three desert regions have low alpha diversity and high beta diversity. The total number of species in each region varied, being highest in North America, and lowest in the Turan Desert Region. The deserts studied all present evidence of significant nestedness, but the mechanism underlying this structure appears different in North American and Asia. In North America, simulations strongly implicate interspecific competition as a dominant mechanism influencing community and assemblage structure. In contrast, data from Asian desert rodent communities suggest that these are not strongly influenced by competition; in fact, they have greater numbers of ecologically and morphologically similar species than expected. These results appear to reflect strong habitat selection, with positive associations among species that share similar habitat requirements in these communities. Our analyses support earlier reports suggesting that predation and abiotic forces may have greater influences on the assembly and organization of Asian desert rodent communities, whereas interspecific competition dominates assembly processes in North America. Additionally, we suggest that structuring mechanisms may be very different among the two Asian deserts studied. Gobi assemblages appear structured by trophic and locomotory strategies. In contrast, Turan Desert Region assemblages appear to be randomly structured with respect to locomotory strategies. When trophic and locomotory categories are combined, however, Turan species are positively and nonrandomly associated. Main conclusions Very different ecological dynamics evidently exist not only between these continents, but within them as well. These small mammal faunas differ greatly in terms of community structure, but also appear to differ in the underlying mechanisms by which communities are assembled. The underlying role of history and geography are strongly implicated as central features in understanding the evolution of mammalian faunas in different deserts of the world.     

A test of the latitudinal defense hypothesis: herbivory, tannins and total phenolics in four North American tree species

It is widely believed that insect herbivory is less intense at higher latitudes, due to winter mortality which would tend to keep insect herbivores from reaching density-limitation of their populations. One prediction of this theory is that plants should tend to be better defended at lower latitudes. Here we investigated latitudinal trends in herbivory and tannins, in four species of common North American trees. Our comparisons spanned 15° of latitude in Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia, and Quercus alba, and 10° latitude in Liquidambar styraciflua. Sun leaves on forest edges were sampled, at phenologically equivalent times of year. Analysis revealed significant differences between populations, including those at similar latitudes, but no significant latitudinal trend in herbivory, condensed and hydrolyzable tannins, or total phenolics measured as Folin–Denis reactives in any of the four species. Our findings contradict the theory that low latitude plants are better defended, in that lower latitude populations of the four tree species showed no greater amounts of phenolics. The possible implications for community ecology are discussed. Jonathan M. Adams, Brian Rehill, and Yangjian Zhang are equal joint lead authorship on this paper.     

Cryptic Neogene vicariance and Quaternary dispersal of the red-spotted toad (Bufo punctatus): insights on the evolution of North American warm desert biotas

We define the geographical distributions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages embedded within a broadly distributed, arid-dwelling toad, Bufo punctatus. These patterns were evaluated as they relate to hypothesized vicariant events leading to the formation of desert biotas within western North America. We assessed mtDNA sequence variation among 191 samples from 82 sites located throughout much of the species' range. Parsimony-based haplotype networks of major identified lineages were used in nested clade analysis (NCA) to further elucidate and evaluate shallow phylogeographic patterns potentially associated with Quaternary (Pleistocene-Holocene) vicariance and dispersal. Phylogenetic analyses provided strong support for three monophyletic lineages (clades) within B. punctatus. The geographical distributions of the clades showed little overlap and corresponded to the general boundaries of the Peninsular Desert, and two continental desert regions, Eastern (Chihuahuan Desert-Colorado Plateau) and Western (Mojave-Sonoran deserts), geographically separated along the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Madre Occidental. The observed divergence levels and congruence with postulated events in earth history implicate a late Neogene (latest Miocene-early Pliocene) time frame for separation of the major mtDNA lineages. Evaluation of nucleotide and haplotype diversity and interpretations from NCA reveal that populations on the Colorado Plateau resulted from a recent, likely post-Pleistocene, range expansion from the Chihuahuan Desert. Dispersal across historical barriers separating major continental clades appear to be recent, resulting in secondary contacts in at least two areas. Given the observed contact between major clades, we speculated as to why the observed deep phylogeographic structure has not been eroded during the multiple previous interglacials of the Pleistocene.     

Isolation of 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the North American red squirrel,Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Sciuridae,Rodentia), and their cross‐utility in other species

We isolated 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci to be used for pedigree analysis in a wild population of North American red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Allelic diversity and observed heterozygosity ranged from six to 13 and 0.39 to 0.89, respectively, in a sample of 93 individuals. Up to 13 sets of primers also amplify in other rodent species.     

Environmental factors and community dynamics at the southernmost part of the North American Graminetum

We have delineated the spatio-temporal plant assemblages prevailing under contrasting environmental conditions at the southernmost part of the North American Graminetum in central México and discuss the relative importance of these factors in determining plant community structure and composition. 353 line-transect samples were collected during 11 years from exclosures and adjacent grazed areas within three Bouteloua-dominated grasslands and one Acacia schaffneri shrubland and analyzed using TWINSPAN. In addition, eight edaphic variables were utilized to evaluate similarities in soil properties among sites, using unweighted-pair groups method. Results from TWINSPAN were translated into mosaic patterns to show the distribution of communities as a function of environmental factors over time. Under no or moderate grazing, summer precipitation promotes an initial differentiation of vegetation into high, low or average rainfall communities. This situation is altered in grasslands degraded by intensive grazing pressure, where rainfall patterns play a subordinate role to that of livestock herbivory. Soil influences are secondary to those of precipitation and grazing in affecting grassland structure and composition. In shrubland, community stability is related to high floristic and edaphic spatial heterogeneity in the face of climatic variability.     

Abundance, species richness and energy availability in the North American avifauna

Aim To determine how species richness, abundance, biomass, energy use and mean number of individuals per species scale with environmental energy availability in wintering and breeding avian assemblages, and to contrast assemblages of (i) common and rare species and (ii) breeding residents and migrants. To assess whether such patterns are compatible with the ‘more individuals hypothesis’ (MIH) that high‐energy areas are species‐rich because they support larger populations that are buffered against extinction. Location The North American continent (latitudinal range 23.4 °?48.1 °N; longitudinal range 124.2°?68.7° W). Methods Avian species richness, abundance, biomass and energy use were calculated for 295 Resident Bird Count plots. Environmental energy availability was measured using ambient temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a close correlate of plant productivity. Analyses took plot area into account, and were conducted (with and without taking habitat type into account) using general linear models and spatial mixed models. Results Positive species–energy relationships were exhibited by both wintering and breeding assemblages, but were stronger in the former. The structure of winter assemblages responded more strongly to temperature than NDVI, while breeding assemblages tended to respond more strongly to NDVI. Breeding residents responded to annual measures of energy availability while breeding migrants and the winter assemblage responded more strongly to seasonal measures. In the winter assemblage, rare and common species exhibited species–energy relationships of a similar strength, but common breeding species exhibited a much stronger relationship than rare breeding species. In both breeding and wintering assemblages, abundance, biomass and energy use increased with energy availability and species richness. Energy availability was a poor predictor of the mean number of individuals per species. Main conclusions The nature of the species–energy relationship varies seasonally and with the manner in which energy availability is measured. Our data suggest that residents are less able to respond to seasonal fluxes in resource availability than long‐distance migrants. Increasing species richness and energy availability is associated with increasing numbers of individuals, biomass and energy use. While these observations are compatible with the MIH our data provide only equivocal support for this hypothesis, as the rarest species do not exhibit the strongest species–energy relationships.     

Review of the North American Tarphiota Casey, with a description of a new seashore-inhabiting Atheta species exhibiting convergent characteristics (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

A review of the North American species of the genus Tarphiota Casey is presented. Three species are recognized: T. densa (Moore), T. fucicola (Mäklin), and T. geniculata (Mäklin). They occur on the sandy beaches of the Pacific coast. A new coastal species of Atheta, found on the seashore and exhibiting certain convergent characteristics to Tarphiota, is described from the Atlantic coast: A. novaescotiae Klimaszewski and Majka, sp. nov. All Canadian species are provided with diagnoses, genitalic illustrations and digital photos of their habitus in dorsal and lateral view. A key is presented to distinguish the species. New data on the natural history of A. novaescotiae are presented and briefly discussed.     

Disjunction of Prosopis reptans and the origin of the North American populations

Several populations of Prosopis reptans collected along the Texas Gulf coast were examined for their flavonoids and leaf morphology. Seventeen flavonoids were detected and the nine major ones were isolated and identified: apigenin 6- and $\text{8-C-}\text{glucoside}$, luteolin and its $\text{7-O-}\text{glucoside}$, quercetin and its $\text{3-O-}\text{glucoside}$, and myricetin, its $\text{3-O-}\text{rhamnoside}$ and $\text{3-O-}\text{glucoside}$. The presence of a single chemical race was established, since all specimens from the Texas Gulf coast populations were uniform in their chemistry and leaf morphology, and chemically identical to the plant material from Argentina. However, the Argentina material exhibited slight morphological differences in that the leaves possessed less pubescence than the Texas Gulf coast plants.     

A phytosociological survey of the boreal forest (shape Vaccinio-Piceetea) in North America

A survey of syntaxa of vegetation of North American boreal forests (class Vaccinio-Piceetea) is presented. This phytosociological survey, carried out combining the Braun-Blanquet method with numerical syntaxonomical analyses (cluster and correspondence analysis), describes the associations of the North American boreal forests, which have several species, varieties or vicariant species in common with their Eurasian counterparts, and can be placed in the class Vaccinio-Piceetea. By means of tabular and multivariate analyses, 2084 North American relevés were compared with 3273 relevés from European, Japanese and Korean boreal forest, to describe and typify 4 orders, 10 alliances and 37 associations. Diagnostic tables, ordination, clustering, and climatic, edaphic and biogeographical data were used to show floristic affinities among these syntaxa and interpret their distribution areas. Syntaxa were briefly characterized by their floristic composition, physiognomy, succession, zonation, and biogeographical distribution.