Genetic structure of a hybrid zone between two violets,Viola rossii Hemsl. and V. bissetii Maxim.: dominance of F1 individuals in a narrow contact range

The genetic composition of a hybrid zone can provide insight into the evolution of diversification in plants. We carried out morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism analyses to investigate the genetic composition of a hybrid zone between two violets, Viola bissetii Hemsl. and Viola rossii Maxim. Our aim was to clarify the formation and maintenance of hybrids between these Viola species. We found that most hybrid individuals (V. bissetii × V. rossii) were of the F₁ generation, with a few of the F₂ generation. We found no backcrosses. The scarcity of post‐F₁ hybrids indicates that a species barrier is established between the parental species. The F₁‐dominated hybrid zone occupied only a narrow, intermediate ecotone between the parental habitats, suggesting that selection by environmental factors against hybrids may help to maintain the current conditions in this hybrid zone.     

Two new species of Viola (Violaceae) from the Intermountain West,U.S.A.

Viola lithion andV. franksmithii are rock-dwelling endemics that belong to the North American perennial, caulescent, simple-leaved, blue-, purple-, or white-flowered group of species.Viola lithion, from the White Pine and Pilot mountain ranges of eastern Nevada and adjacent Utah, belongs to sectionChamaemelanium subsectionCanadenses. It most closely resembles the reniform-leaved, Olympic MountainV. flettii, together with which it possibly shares an ancestry with the widespread and allopatricV. canadensis. Viola franksmithii, restricted to the Logan Canyon drainage of the Bear River Range in northern Utah, belongs to sectionRostellatae subsectionRosulantes. It comes closest morphologically toV. howellii of the Coast Range, but likely evolved from the widespreadV. adunca or a common ancestor.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers for Viola mirabilis (Violaceae) using a next‐generation sequencing platform

We isolated and characterized microsatellite loci in Viola mirabilis (Violaceae), an endangered species from South Korea. Twenty‐three polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and tested in Korean, Chinese and Japanese populations. The number of alleles per locus varied from two to eight. The observed and expected heterozygosities within the three populations were 0.000–0.625 and 0.469–0.695, respectively. A total of six loci in the Korean population, one locus in the Chinese population and seven loci in the Japanese population deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. We expect that these newly developed microsatellite markers will contribute to understanding the phylogeography and population genetics of V. mirabilis, which will aid in developing conservation strategies for this species.     

The population dynamics of Notothenia rossii from South Georgia (Antarctica)

Summary The population dynamics of nearshore juvenile Notothenia rossii were studied at South Georgia during 1978 and 1979. Mortality of the population was calculated from length-class abundance of fish sampled by trammel nets, and the population size estimated using a mark and recapture technique. Instantaneous natural mortality in the nearshore population was high (M=0.78) although other author's estimate for the mortality in the offshore population was only 0.35. Therefore it is likely that no single estimate of mortality will apply to fish of all ages. The population density of juvenile N. rossii was about 11 g m^-2 nearshore. The size of the offshore population was estimated by calculating survival from the nearshore age classes. The data suggest that the population around South Georgia has been reduced by overfishing to about one tenth of its previous unexploited level. Yield could have been increased by fishing less intensively, and the population maintained at or near its initial level if recruitment remained constant.     

Minimal levels of cold-adaptation in postsynaptic currents of a subantarctic teleost, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Notothenia rossii</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Notothenioidei: Nototheniidae)

As a part of the ICEFISH04 project on the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, miniature end plate currents (MEPCs) were recorded from the extraocular muscles of Notothenia rossii captured at King Edward Point, South Georgia. A total of 1,176 MEPCs were recorded from the inferior oblique extraocular muscles of four specimens, over a temperature range of 1–12°C. The MEPCs were normal in form, with a rapid quasi-linear increase in inward current (typically <500 μs), followed by a slower exponential decay of the inward current to baseline. Exponential decay rates were calculated for individual MEPCs by linear regression of the log-transformed data, and converted to exponential time constants (τ). Only those MEPCs that fit the exponential model well, with r ² ≥ 0.95 (or in some cases r ² ≥ 0.99) were used for further calculations. At temperatures between 1 and 2°C, τ ranged from about 2,000 to 4,000 μs, similar to values extrapolated for temperate teleosts at the same temperature, but significantly longer than τ from MEPCs of high-latitude Antarctic nototheniids. Between 11 and 12°C, τ values for the N. rossii MEPCS were mainly between 1,100 and 1,700 μs, giving a Q ₁₀ of 2.05. An Arrhenius plot and linear regression were used to describe the effect of changing temperature on the decay phase of the N. rossii MEPCs: −ln τ = 27.887−6078/K, yielding an Arrhenius temperature coefficient (μ or apparent E _a) of −50.5 ± 2.9 (95% CL) kJ mol⁻¹ deg⁻¹. When compared with other nototheniids, these results showed that the neuromuscular junctions of N. rossii are compensated for low temperature, but not to the same degree as those of high Antarctic species. The ICEFISH Cruise (International Collaborative Expedition to collect and study Fish Indigenous to Sub-antarctic Habitats) was conducted on board the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer in May to July 2004. For further information, please visit .     

Evolution, phylogeography, and taxonomy within the Viola alba complex (Violaceae)

 Taxa of the Viola alba complex were investigated using allozymes and morphometry. A taxonomic revision is presented. A wide delimitation of V. alba with only three morphological and geographical subspecies is suggested: (1) ssp. dehnhardtii distributed in the Mediterranean eastwards to Turkey; (2) ssp. alba flanking ssp. dehnhardtii in the north and east; and (3) ssp. cretica endemic to Crete. Ssp. cretica, up to now treated as a separate species, is particularly close to ssp. dehnhardtii. Viola cadevallii (NW Mediterranean) is included in the synonymy of ssp. dehnhardtii. Ssp. scotophylla (S Europe), ssp. thessala (Balkan), V. armena (Turkey), and V. besseri (Caucasus) are reduced to synonyms of V. alba ssp. alba. Viola pentelica (Greece) might represent transitional forms between ssp. alba and ssp. dehnhardtii. Glacial refugia for ssp. alba are suggested from the eastern Mediterranean via Turkey to the Caucasus, for ssp. dehnhardtii in the Mediterranean area in general, and for ssp. cretica in Crete. A key to the subspecies is provided. Taxonomic recombination: Viola alba Bess. ssp. cretica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Marcussen, comb. nov. Received June 17, 2002; accepted November 27, 2002 Published online: March 20, 2003     

Competitive responses of the rare Viola elatior and the common Viola mirabilis

Viola mirabilis is abundant in Estonia; Viola elatior is rare. We tested whether these species differ in their competitive responses to a common grass. We used a pot experiment in which individuals of each violet species grew with 0, 2, 4, or 8 individuals of Festuca ovina in natural soil. The response patterns of shoot and root mass and leaf numbers of the two species were similar: the biomass and leaf number of both violet species decreased with increasing grass density. The decrease of root mass of the rare V. elatior was significantly greater, and the decrease of leaf number tended to be greater, than that of the common V.␣mirabilis. We conclude that the stronger competitive response of V. elatior compared to V. mirabilis might be one reason behind its lower regional and local abundance.     

Dinucleotide microsatellite markers from the Antarctic seals and their use in other Pinnipeds

Twenty‐four microsatellite loci were isolated from three species of Antarctic seals (Subfamily Monachinae, Tribe Lobodontini). Eleven loci were cloned from Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, seven from leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, and six from crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus. Variability was assessed in Weddell seals collected in McMurdo Sound, leopard seals from Bird Island, South Georgia, and crabeater seals sampled in the eastern Ross Sea. All loci were variable in the three species used for cloning and 22 of these loci amplified variable products in the Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossii. Cross‐species amplification was largely successful, with an average of 19 loci amplifying products in other phocids.     

Morphology and diet are decoupled in nearshore notothenoids from King George Island,West Antarctica

Antarctic notothenioid fishes show wide adaptive morphological radiation, linked to habitat preferences and food composition. However, direct comparisons of phenotypic variability and feeding habits are still lacking, particularly in stages inhabiting nearshore areas. To assess these relationships, we collected juveniles and adults of the most common benthic species inhabiting shallow waters off the South Shetland Islands within a similar size range, the plunderfish Harpagifer antarcticus, the black rockcod Notothenia coriiceps, and the marbled rockcod Notothenia rossii. Individual size ranges varied from 44.0 to 98.9 mm standard length (LS) (H. antarcticus), from 95.8 to 109.3 mm LS (N. coriiceps), and from 63.0 to 113.0 mm LS (N. rossii). Notothenioid fish showed different morphospace variability, being larger for H. antarcticus than the other Notothenia species and associated with the position of the posterior end of the operculum, along with the location and relative size of the eye. The evolutionary allometry was low, but the static allometry was much higher, especially for H. antarcticus and N. rossii. The diet was mainly carnivorous, consisting of amphipods and euphausiids. Macroalgae were scarce or totally absent in the gut contents of all species. Only H. antarcticus showed an increase in the prey number and ingested prey volume with fish size. Finally, there was a significant covariation between shape changes and LS in all species (allometric effects), however, not with prey composition, probably due to the small size range or ontogenetic stage and the relative similarity (or lack of contrast) in the benthic environment that they utilized.     

Two new stoloniferous species of Viola (Violaceae) from China

Two new stoloniferous species of Viola (Violaceae) from southern China are described and illustrated. Viola nitida is recognizably different from V. fargesii as the plant is evergreen and glabrous throughout, the leaf blade adaxially nitid, base cuneate or shallowly cordate, and margin serrate. Viola maoershanensis is different from V. diffusa as the leaf blade is serrate, base cordate and not decurrent to petiole, the petiole wingless, the flowers larger, the petals bluish violet or pinkish white, and the lower petal obtuse at the apex. The chromosome numbers of the two new species were counted as 2n = 24 (V. nitida) and 2n = 44 (V. maoershanensis). The taxonomic positions of the two species are discussed. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 159 , 349–356.     

Viola umphangensis (Violaceae), a new species from Thailand

Viola umphangensis S. Nansai, Srisanga & Suwanph., a new species from Thailand, is described and illustrated. Morphological, anatomical and palynological characters of V. umphangensis are compared with a similar species, V. betonicifolia Sm. An amended key to the Viola species in the Flora of Thailand account is provided.     

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by Endemic Viola Species from the Soil in the Vicinity of the As-Sb-Tl Mine “Allchar”, Republic of Macedonia

Allchar mine is an abandoned arsenic-antimony-thallium deposit located on the north-western part of Ko?uf Mt., Republic of Macedonia. Allchar is a unique deposit within the world, due to the variety of its mineral composition especially and in the high content of thallium. The aim of this work was to assess the level of contamination at this post-mining area as well as to determine the intensity of accumulation of various elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn) with focus on As, Sb and Tl, in two endemic Viola species from this locality (Viola allcharensis G. Beck, Viola arsenica G. Beck) and one Balkan endemic species (Viola macedonica Boiss. &; Heldr.). Samples of different plant parts and soil were digested and then analysed by ICP-AES. It was found that the accumulation of As, Sb, and Tl in these endemic species is significantly high. In this study a systematic investigation of the As-Sb-Tl contamination of soils and their bioavailability was carried out using the extraction procedure in order to explore the mobility and potential bioavailability of the As, Sb, and Tl.     

A new species of Viola L. (Violaceae) from South Anatolia

A new species of Viola L., Viola yildirimlii M. Dinç & Y. Bağcı sp. nov. from South Anatolia is described and illustrated. It is found on the rocky slopes of Aladağ National Park, in the county of Adana, south Turkey, at an elevation of 1800 m. It belongs to Viola , subsect. Viola , and is similar to the Turkish endemics Viola isaurica Contandr. & Quézel and V. kizildaghensis M. Dinç & Ş. Yıldırımlı. Diagnostic morphologic characters for a detailed discrimination from two similar taxa and other Turkish Eflagellatae species are discussed.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 141 , 477–482.     

Genetic diversity of the endangered coastal violet <Emphasis Type="Italic">Viola grayi</Emphasis> Franchet et Savatier (Violaceae) and its genetic relationship to the species in subsection <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rostratae</Emphasis>

Viola grayi, a coastal violet, is found on sandy seashores in limited regions in Japan, but not on rocky sea cliffs or in inland areas. This stemmed violet is classified in the subsection Rostratae. Because of recent human activity on sandy seashores, this species is now recorded as endangered. The present status of this species was surveyed and its genetic diversity was analyzed using 17 newly developed simple sequence repeat markers. The results are compared with those for two commonly found inland violet species in the same subsection, V. grypoceras and V. kusanoana. The coastal violet populations showed markedly lower genetic diversity than those of the common species, V. grypoceras, whereas V. kusanoana showed intermediate genetic diversity. About a half of the total genetic variation of V. grayi is found among populations in analysis of molecular variance. In contrast, only less than 25% of the total variation is found among populations for the two common violets. These three species showed a remarkably high inbreeding coefficient, which indicates high inbreeding under natural mating conditions, although these species have both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers. In a population-based dendrogram, V. grayi was clustered in a single and concise group, whereas V. grypoceras and V. kusanoana were found in somewhat discrete positions. In the Bayesian analysis of genetic structure of the coastal violet, delta K was the highest at K = 7, and the seven clusters almost correspond to seven populations studied here. Implications of the conservation of this endangered coastal violet are presented.     

Antibiotic susceptibility profiles of some <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio</Emphasis> strains isolated from wastewater final effluents in a rural community of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Background  

To evaluate the antibiogram and antibiotic resistance genes of some Vibrio strains isolated from wastewater final effluents in a rural community of South Africa. V. vulnificus (18), V. metschnikovii (3), V. fluvialis (19) and V. parahaemolyticus (12) strains were isolated from final effluents of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in a rural community of South Africa. The disk diffusion method was used for the characterization of the antibiogram of the isolates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to evaluate the presence of established antibiotic resistance genes using specific primer sets.     

The effect of habitat temperature on serum antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) activity in Notothenia rossii (Pisces: Nototheniidae) in the Southern Ocean

The marble notothen, Notothenia rossii, is widely distributed around the waters of sub-Antarctic islands in the Southern Ocean and is exposed to different temperatures that range from ?1.5 to 8 °C. This study investigates whether the different environmental conditions experienced by N. rossii at different latitudes in the Southern Ocean affect the levels of its blood serum antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP). N. rossii specimens were collected from four localities, including the Ob’ Seamount in the Indian Ocean sector, and South Georgia Island, South Shetland Islands and Dallman Bay in the Atlantic Ocean sector. Serum AFGP activity was determined in terms of thermal hysteresis, i.e. the difference between the equilibrium melting and non-equilibrium freezing points (f.p.s.). Among the four populations, the Ob’ Seamount specimen had the lowest serum AFGP activity (0.44 °C) and concentration (4.88 mg/mL), and the highest non-equilibrium f.p. (?1.39 °C). These results are consistent with the warmer, ice-free waters around the Ob’ Seamount. The other three higher latitude populations have 2–3 times greater serum AFGP activity and concentration, and much lower non-equilibrium f.p.s. In contrast, the physiological profiles of serum AFGP size isoforms revealed that all N. rossii populations, including the Ob’ Seamount specimen, possess an extensive complements of AFGP proteins. Isoform variation was observed, especially in the large size isoforms (AFGPs 1–5), when compared to AFGP of the high Antarctic Dissostichus mawsoni. The lower levels of AFGP and the absence of some of the large isoforms are likely responsible for higher non-equilibrium f.p.s. of the Ob’ seamount specimen.     

Using scales to clarify the transition from blue-phase to brown-phase fingerling in Notothenia rossii from the South Shetland Islands

Scales and whole otoliths were read for age determination in early stages of Notothenia rossii caught in Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, in summer seasons 2003–2006 and 2008. The sample comprised blue-phase pelagic fingerlings of 7.0–7.6 cm (TL) of age group 0 year and demersal brown-phase fingerlings/juveniles of 8.5–20.9 cm and predominant age groups 1–2 years. Counting of sclerites facilitated the interpretation of the rings, particularly in the central scale. To clarify two previous issues of controversy, we deduce that the duration of the offshore pelagic blue-phase fingerling stage is less than one year before migration to the nearshore demersal habitat. Furthermore, the first well-defined ring in scales corresponded to the first annulus, while a contiguous ring was a secondary ring sometimes deposited after the first winter during the second year of life, attributable to a shift of habitat from pelagic to demersal. A von Bertalanffy growth curve was computed by combining age/length data of the juvenile phase of N. rossii from this and a previous study at Potter Cove with literature data from the offshore adult population, resulting in the following equation: L_t = 8 6. 9  ( 1- \texte ^{- 0. 0 9 1 (t - 0. 6 6 8 )} ) L_{t} = 8 6. 9 \,\left( { 1- {\text{e}}^{{ - 0. 0 9 1 (t - 0. 6 6 8 )}} } \right) _.     

Comparative phylogeography of two closely related <Emphasis Type="Italic">Viola</Emphasis> species occurring in contrasting habitats in the Japanese archipelago

Similar distribution ranges shared by closely related plant species may have been shaped through different migration histories if those species have differing habitat preference. To test this hypothesis, phylogeographical patterns and population genetic structures were compared between two sister Viola species: Viola eizanensis preferring woodland and V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana preferring grassland, both being native to the Japanese Archipelago. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used for phylogenetic reconstruction, together with Bayesian ancestry analysis, AMOVA, analysis of genetic diversity statistics, and analysis of the relative contribution of each population to total diversity. The results indicated that V. eizanensis had two distinct lineages occurring in the western and eastern part of Japan, but such lineages are not distinct in V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana. Both species exhibited the low genetic diversity and high between-population differentiation typical of selfing plants. In V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana, one particular population made a significantly higher contribution to the total heterozygosity (H _T), whereas in V. eizanensis, no population was identified as making a particularly higher contribution to H _T. These findings suggest that V. eizanensis had been isolated in two large glacial refugia, whereas populations of V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana were restricted to a single small refuge. Different light requirements between these two closely related species probably caused these differing responses to climatic change during the last ice age. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Viola stoloniflora (Violaceae), a new species from the Ryukyus

Viola stoloniflora Yokota et Higa (Violaceae) is newly described from Okinawa Island, the Ryukyus. This species is characterized by the procumbent stolons, the almost round leaf blades, the densely pilose petioles, the ebarbate white petals with violet veins, and the chromosome number of 2n=22. The present species belongs to Sect.Nomimium, Subsect.Serpentes and is closely related to theV. iwagawai group of Sect.Nomimium, Subsect.Adnatae.