胡氏敏兽门齿釉质微观结构及其对基干啮形类的分类学意义（英文）

从晶体类型到釉质结构4个不同的微观结构等级详细描述了安徽潜山中古新世胡氏敏兽的门齿釉质微观结构。样品取自胡氏敏兽正型标本的上门齿后端。该门齿最外层为一极薄的无釉柱层,外层为放射状釉柱层,内层为具多层的施氏明暗带。施氏明暗带的单带厚度变化较大,倾斜度相对较小,带间无明显的过渡带,釉柱的横切面为不规则圆形,釉柱间质较厚,外层间质晶体平行于釉柱长轴。这些特征与啮齿类中的散系施氏明暗带极为相似。同时还发现有缎状的釉柱中缝和聚敛型的晶体间断分布在釉质的不同部位,而这些特征一般被认为是啮形类,甚至是哺乳动物的较为原始特征。与其他已报道的基干啮型类对比,胡氏敏兽的门齿釉质代表了啮形类中已知最早的双层似散系釉质类型,具有更多的较原始特征,为啮形类门齿釉质研究提供了更多的形态学信息,并显示啮形类的演化可能远比现在认知的复杂。     

江苏泗洪下草湾中中新世脊椎动物群──9.鼠兔科(哺乳纲,兔形目)

江苏泗洪松林庄、双沟和郑集早中新世（山旺期,约与欧洲新第三纪陆相哺乳动物分带MN4相当）的新种泗洪跳兔Alloptoxsihongensissp.nov.是迄今为止该属中出现最早、个体最小的种。该种已有较明显的形态分化。主要表现在p3上。p3在形态和大小上可分为两类。第一美个体较大,珐琅质厚度分化较明显,个别p3的下后尖前端已呈圆钝的角状,具有两个前外沟。第二类个体较小,珐琅质厚度分化较差,下后尖前端浑圆,仅具一个前外沟。由于对Alloptox的系统进化尚无足够的了解,现将其作为同一个种处理。根据上下齿列尤其是p3的形态分析,推测Alloptox可能由晚渐新世的Sinolagomysulungurensis或与其相近的鼠兔进化而来。     

日本九州西部赤崎组和中甑组始新世哺乳动物:初步结果及其与亚洲陆相哺乳动物分期的对比(英文)

日本已知时代最早的古近纪哺乳动物化石产自九州西部熊本县天草(Amakusa)地区始新世地层赤崎(Akasaki)组以及鹿儿岛县甑岛(Koshiki Islands)相当层位的中甑(Nakakoshiki)组。初步研究显示这两个组产出的哺乳动物分异度较高,包括9个目的至少18种动物。赤崎动物群有3种trogosine裂齿类、2种冠齿兽科全齿类、1种等脊貘科奇蹄类、2种dichobunoid偶蹄类、1种下齿兽科踝节类、1种西瓦兔猴科灵长类、1种未定食虫类以及2种可能的梳趾鼠类。中甑动物群包括1种冠齿兽科全齿类、2种小型雷兽科奇蹄类、1种高冠的下齿兽科踝节类、2种啮齿类和1种细齿兽科食肉类。这两个日本哺乳动物组合很接近早-中始新世界线。由于出现了trogosine裂齿类和雷兽,它们的时代要晚于伯姆巴动物群,极有可能与亚洲大陆阿山头期哺乳动物群相当。这两个动物群还包含了在亚洲大陆没有发现过的几个新种,并具有独特的哺乳动物组合。     

河南始新世中兽科化石

这篇短文中记述了肉齿类(Creodontia)中兽科(Mesonychidae)的三个新种。中兽科是全北区早第三纪(中古新世到早渐新世)的原始食肉类,齿列很特殊,沒有裂齿,据推想主要是杂食性动物。已知的化石共代表11个属,过去在北美发现的材料较多,在欧洲和亚洲则不甚重要,只在我国内蒙二连地区的伊尔丁曼纳层(上始新统)中有少量发现。近几年来,在亚洲有许多新的发现,包括蒙古人民共和国的下始新统(或上古新统)     

气候变化与早期兔形类的演化:基于内蒙古Ordolagus新材料的研究（英文）

早渐新世是新生代全球气候变化的关键时期。这一时期发生了重大的哺乳动物群转换事件,在欧洲称之为"大间断",在亚洲则为"蒙古重建"。然而,关于渐新世哺乳动物各谱系的形态变化尚缺少详细探讨。兔形目是现代哺乳动物中多样性最低的类群之一,在全球的化石记录中很常见,尤其是在亚洲。渐新世时,许多古老的始新世兔形类灭绝并被更进步的类群所取代。内蒙古的新发现及对老标本的再研究使我们得以修订鄂尔多斯兔(Ordolagus)(亚洲常见的兔形类,可能源自中–晚始新世的戈壁兔Gobiolagus)。在内蒙古,我们识别出Ordolagus在早渐新世初期就已存在。与亚洲和北美的同期或稍早的兔形类的对比表明,Ordolagus具有一些显著的牙齿形态特征(p3下前边尖发达,颊齿完全高冠,p4–m2下三角座和下跟座舌侧相连等),这些也是现生兔形类的主要特征。Ordolagus中这些特征的出现与重大全球或区域气候变化同步。对亚洲早期兔形类的进一步研究,并参考其他小哺乳动物与区域气候因素的研究,将有助于完善兔形类作为古气候代用指标的作用。     

亚洲始新世啮齿目一新科——争胜鼠科(Zelomyidae)(英文)

继 1 990年王伴月和李春田记述了发现在吉林桦甸中始新世的争胜鼠 (Zelomys)之后 ,近年又在山西垣曲、河南卢氏、江苏溧阳等地的中始新世到晚始新世 (Irdinmanhan lateShara murunianorErgilian)的 5个地点中陆续发现了一些与争胜鼠相近的新材料。经研究后 ,将所有材料归诸于创建的一新科 :争胜鼠科 (Zelomyidaefam .nov .)。它包括了争胜鼠及本文新记述的安氏鼠 (Andersomysgen.nov.)、耗子 (Haozigen .nov .)和苏鼠 (Suomysgen .nov.)共 4属 6种。新科的特征是 :始啮型头骨 -松鼠型下颌 ;门齿釉质层散系 ;颊齿具有发育的次尖和下次脊 ,后期种类上颊齿的外侧齿尖的唇侧发展成平凹到新月形。新科的系统关系不很清楚 ,尽管与始鼠科 (Eomyidae)有某些相似之处 ,但它更可能是独立发展的一个支系。争胜鼠属化石分布较广 ,在我国吉林、江苏和山西的中、晚始新世地层中都有发现 ,它的特征是下颊齿p4 m2宽度逐渐增大 ,p4 m3具下前边尖 ,并与短的下原尖前臂相接。属中除属型种———东方争胜鼠 (Z .orientalisWangetLi)外 ,还建立了一个约翰争胜鼠新种 (Z .joannessp .nov.) ,一约翰争胜鼠相似种 (Z .cf.Z .joannes)。同时认为Z .gracilisWangetLi,1 990是Z .orientalis的同物异名。约翰种与属型种的区别在于个?     

兔子的名片

兔子,俗称兔类,为兔形目兔科动物的通称。兔形目共有2科：兔科和鼠兔科。兔科动物现存9属共50种左右。其中兔属最大,有20多种,林兔属有12种,岩兔属4种,其余6属（山兔属、粗毛兔属、苏门兔属、穴兔属、琉球兔属、火山兔属）各有1种。     

广东南雄晚古新世蹠行类化石

这里记述了广东南雄盆地晚古新世浓山组的四种蹠行类,其中有两新种。在亚洲古新统中,蹠行类分布相当广泛,一直延存到晚始新世。亚洲蹠行类从臼齿形态上看,可分为Bemalambda型和Archaeolambda型,前者包括阶齿兽科,还有翼齿兽科;后者有古脊齿兽科、牧兽科和全脊齿兽科。这两个类群可能在古新世早一中期已分化,或许可代表两个超科。我国古哺乳类工作者一般认为冠齿兽的起源与伪脊齿兽类有关,而伪脊齿兽类的牙齿形态与踝节类有某些共同之处,因此,在系统上与可能源出于Deltatheridium状动物的Pantolambda状动物不同。而裂齿类和蹠行类之间分化早,形态差异明显,另为目也许较好。所以,这里使用蹠行目(Taligrada)做于Pantolambda状动物的目名。这里将弗辽洛夫等订的Archaeolambdatrofimovi归入周明镇等创建的Convallisodon。     

云南禄丰发现新的三叠纪哺乳动物

近年来,云南禄丰晚三叠世(Rhaetic)下禄丰组地层中,采集了不少各类脊椎动物的化石,包括十余个保存完好的小头骨。经过初步修理和观察后,可以确定,其中一部分是三列齿兽类(Trity-lodonts)的兽形爬行动物。此外,尚有几个是保存相当完好的原始哺乳动物的头骨,根据初步鉴定,都可归入广义的三尖齿兽类(Triconodonta)。有的标本与始齿兽科(Morganucodontidae或Eozost-rodontidae)的已知属种很近似,但保存较完好;另     

内蒙古大庙中中新世上猿化石地点的鼠兔科化石(英文)

鼠兔科虽然是地质历史时期较为繁盛的一个门类,但现在仅有一个属(鼠兔属Ochotona)。Ochotona被认为与Bellatona有密切的亲缘关系,可能是由后者衍生而来。详细描述了内蒙古大庙上猿化石地点发现的鼠兔科化石,识别出一种古老类型Desmatolagus moergenensis以及其他三个种Bellatona cf.B.forsythmajori,Bellatonoides eroli,Ochotonacf.O.lagreli。归入Bellatona,Bellatonoides和Ochotona的这三个种的p3具有相似的形态,并呈现出连续变化的特征。Bellatona的p3具有两个唇侧褶沟,但无舌侧褶沟;Bellatonoides的p3具有浅的舌侧前褶沟,但与唇侧前褶沟分开较宽;Ochotona的p3则具有深的舌侧前褶沟,与唇侧前褶沟之间仅以很窄的齿质桥连接。M2从无后突起、较小的后突起至发育的后突起,也呈现出连续变化的特征。中间颊齿则难以区分。因此,推测这三个种之间存在连续的线性演化关系,Ochotona可能直接起源于Bellatonoides。磁性地层学与生物地层学对比结果显示该地点的年代约为12Ma,与根据分子钟推测的Ochotona的分化时间基本一致。     

Reference values for the concentrations of As,Cd, Co,Cr, Cu,Fe, I,Hg, Mn,Mo, Ni,Pb, Se,and Zn in selected human tissues and body fluids

This report attempts to formulate reference ranges of elemental concentrations for 15 trace elements in selected human tissues and body fluids. A set of samples consisting of whole blood, blood serum, urine, milk, liver, and hair were chosen and considered for 15 elements of biological significance: As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, I, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. The results represent wholly or partially data received from 40 countries of the global regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North, South, and Central America, Australia, and New Zealand. This survey, even if qualitative, has been useful in demonstrating certain trends of trace-element scenarios around the world. It is of course recognized that both diet and environment exert a strong influence on the distribution pattern of several elements, such as As, Cd, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn. A limited comparison of the available information on soil status of different countries reflected some interesting associations for elements, such as Mn and Zn. Importantly, this study revealed that only a few countries were in a position to identify a reasonable amount of data on samples requested for this project. Regretably, for a number of countries, any dependable data for even such essential elements as Cu, Fe, and Zn were not available. In view of the nutritional importance of many elements, the time is ripe for concerted efforts by intergovernmental agencies to initiate investigations or commission task forces/projects to generate reliable reference data for selected global regions, which sadly lack data of any kind at present.     

Angiosperm ovules: diversity, development, evolution

Background

Ovules as developmental precursors of seeds are organs of central importance in angiosperm flowers and can be traced back in evolution to the earliest seed plants. Angiosperm ovules are diverse in their position in the ovary, nucellus thickness, number and thickness of integuments, degree and direction of curvature, and histological differentiations. There is a large body of literature on this diversity, and various views on its evolution have been proposed over the course of time. Most recently evo–devo studies have been concentrated on molecular developmental genetics in ovules of model plants.

Scope

The present review provides a synthetic treatment of several aspects of the sporophytic part of ovule diversity, development and evolution, based on extensive research on the vast original literature and on experience from my own comparative studies in a broad range of angiosperm clades.

Conclusions

In angiosperms the presence of an outer integument appears to be instrumental for ovule curvature, as indicated from studies on ovule diversity through the major clades of angiosperms, molecular developmental genetics in model species, abnormal ovules in a broad range of angiosperms, and comparison with gymnosperms with curved ovules. Lobation of integuments is not an atavism indicating evolution from telomes, but simply a morphogenetic constraint from the necessity of closure of the micropyle. Ovule shape is partly dependent on locule architecture, which is especially indicated by the occurrence of orthotropous ovules. Some ovule features are even more conservative than earlier assumed and thus of special interest in angiosperm macrosystematics.     

Inflorescences: concepts,function, development and evolution

Background

Inflorescences are complex structures with many functions. At anthesis they present the flowers in ways that allow for the transfer of pollen and optimization of the plant''s reproductive success. During flower and fruit development they provide nutrients to the developing flowers and fruits. At fruit maturity they support the fruits prior to dispersal, and facilitate effective fruit and seed dispersal. From a structural point of view, inflorescences have played important roles in systematic and phylogenetic studies. As functional units they facilitate reproduction, and are largely shaped by natural selection.

Scope

The papers in this Special Issue bridge the gap between structural and functional approaches to inflorescence evolution. They include a literature review of inflorescence function, an experimental study of inflorescences as essential contributors to the display of flowers, and two papers that present new methods and concepts for understanding inflorescence diversity and for dealing with terminological problems. The transient model of inflorescence development is evaluated in an ontogenetic study, and partially supported. Four papers present morphological and ontogenetic studies of inflorescence development in monophyletic groups, and two of these evaluate the usefulness of Hofmeister''s Rule and inhibitory fields to predict inflorescence structure. In the final two papers, Bayesian and Monte-Carlo methods are used to elucidate inflorescence evolution in the Panicoid grasses, and a candidate gene approach is used in an attempt to understand the evolutionary genetics of inflorescence evolution in the genus Cornus (Cornaceae). Taken as a whole, the papers in this issue provide a glimpse of contemporary approaches to the study of the structure, development, and evolution of inflorescences, and suggest fruitful new directions for research.     

Assessing burrowing, nest construction, and hoarding in mice

Deterioration in the ability to perform "Activities of daily living" (ADL) is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Preclinical behavioural screening of possible treatments for AD currently largely focuses on cognitive testing, which frequently demands expensive equipment and lots of experimenter time. However, human episodic memory (the most severely affected aspect of memory in AD) is different to rodent memory, which seems to be largely non-episodic. Therefore the present ways of screening for new AD treatments for AD in rodents are intrinsically unlikely to succeed. A new approach to preclinical screening would be to characterise the ADL of mice. Fortuitously, several such assays have recently been developed at Oxford, and here the three most sensitive and well-characterised are presented. Burrowing was first developed in Oxford. It evolved from a need to develop a mouse hoarding paradigm. Most published rodent hoarding paradigms required a distant food source to be linked to the home cage by a connecting passage. This would involve modifying the home cage as well as making a mouse-proof connecting passage and food source. So it was considered whether it would be possible to put the food source inside the cage. It was found that if a container was placed on the floor it was emptied by the next morning., The food pellets were, however, simply deposited in a heap at the container entrance, rather than placed in a discrete place away from the container, as might be expected if the mice were truly hoarding them. Close inspection showed that the mice were performing digging ("burrowing") movements, not carrying the pellets in their mouths to a selected place as they would if truly hoarding them. Food pellets are not an essential substrate for burrowing; mice will empty tubes filled with sand, gravel, even soiled bedding from their own cage. Moreover, they will empty a full tube even if an empty one is placed next to it. Several nesting protocols exist in the literature. The present Oxford one simplifies the procedure and has a well-defined scoring system for nest quality. A hoarding paradigm was later developed in which the mice, rather than hoarding back to the real home cage, were adapted to living in the "home base" of a hoarding apparatus. This home base was connected to a tube made of wire mesh, the distal end of which contained the food source. This arrangement proved to yield good hoarding behaviour, as long as the mice were adapted to living in the "home base" during the day and only allowed to enter the hoarding tube at night.     

Magnesium,calcium, copper,and zinc in meals

Meals of 12 diets were prepared from conventional foods with precautions against contamination by metallic elements because of epidemiologic associations between ischemic heart disease and the metabolism of magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc. Magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry with satisfactory accuracy and precision. The mean daily amount of copper in the diets was less than the apparent adult requirement. Mean amounts of magnesium and zinc were close to apparent requirements; however, adults consuming amounts less than one standard deviation below these means may be depleting body stores and be at risk of pathology. Magnesium and copper were highly correlated (r=0.849,P=0.0001) in meals. This and other significant correlations probably will prevent the relationships of these elements to ischemic heart disease from being elucidated by epidemiology. Metabolic experiments will be necessary to differentiate among several hypotheses.     

Revision of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893, with the proposal of a new genus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

The large genus Orthomorpha is rediagnosed and is shown to currently comprise 51 identifiable species ranging from northern Myanmar and Thailand in the Northwest to Lombok Island, Indonesia in the Southeast. Of them, 20 species have been revised and/or abundantly illustrated, based on a restudy of mostly type material; further 12 species are described as new: Orthomorpha atypicasp. n., Orthomorpha communissp. n., Orthomorpha isarankuraisp. n., Orthomorpha picturatasp. n., Orthomorpha similanensissp. n., Orthomorpha suberectasp. n., Orthomorpha tuberculiferasp. n.,Orthomorpha subtuberculiferasp. n. and Orthomorpha latitergasp. n., all from Thailand, as well as Orthomorpha elevatasp. n.,Orthomorpha spiniformissp. n. and Orthomorpha subelevatasp. n., from northern Malaysia. The type-species Orthomorpha beaumontii (Le Guillou, 1841) is redescribed in due detail from male material as well, actually being a senior subjective synonym of Orthomorpha spinala (Attems, 1932), syn. n. Two additional new synonymies are proposed: Orthomorpha rotundicollis (Attems, 1937) = Orthomorpha tuberculata (Attems, 1937), syn. n., and Orthomorpha butteli Carl, 1922 = Orthomorpha consocius Chamberlin, 1945, syn. n., the valid names to the left. All species have been keyed and all new and some especially widespread species have been mapped. Further six species, including two revised from type material, are still to be considered dubious, mostly because their paraterga appear to be too narrow to represent Orthomorpha species. A new genus, Orthomorphoidesgen. n., diagnosed versus Orthomorpha through only moderately well developed paraterga, coupled with a poorly bi- or trifid gonopod tip, with at least some of its apical prongs being short spines, is erected for two species: Orthomorpha setosus (Attems, 1937), the type-species, which is also revised from type material, and Orthomorpha exaratus (Attems, 1953), both comb. n. ex Orthomorpha.     

Esterase Allozymes of Soybean Cyst Nematode,Heterodera glycines,from China,Japan, and the United States

Individual females from 19 populations of Heterodera glycines from China, Japan, and the United States were analyzed for esterase allozyme polymorphism. Eight esterase electrophoretic phenotypes were resolved. Four putative loci, est-1, est-2, est-3, and est-4, were identified, having one, one, two, and one allele, respectively. The four loci expressed six genotypes in the four Chinese populations. Loci est-2, est-3, and est-4 were identified in five Japanese populations and expressed five genotypes, whereas only loci est-2 and est-3 were identified in 10 populations from the United States and expressed four genotypes. Putative alleles at each locus were defined as characters for data analysis. Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony (PAUP) was utilized to determine relationships among the 19 populations. More loci and alleles in populations from China and phylogenetic similarities among populations from Japan and the United States are consistent with a founder effect resulting from dissemination of progenitor H. glycines from China to Japan and subsequent introductions of founder populations from Japan to the United States.