中国中生代鞘翅目化石研究现状

1923年A.W.Grabau通过对山东省莱阳盆地莱阳组早白垩世昆虫化石的研究,命名了我国第1种鞘翅目化石昆虫(Proteroscarabaeus yeni).此后,中国昆虫化石分类学者先后发表了40余篇关于我国中生代鞘翅目化石昆虫的分类论著,共描述鉴定了182种,涉及35科,137属.这些化石分布于12个省,其中三叠纪11个种,侏罗纪68个种,白垩纪103个种.本文通过图表列举出我国已发现的中生代鞘翅目化石昆虫名录以及它们的分布和年代,总结了国内中生代甲虫化石当前的研究状况,并初步分析了研究中存在的一些问题.另外本文还介绍了国外学者对于中国古昆虫学者所建立的4个新科提出的不同意见.     

中国长翅目昆虫化石研究现状

长翅目昆虫在地史纪录上可以追溯到早二叠纪,是全变态昆虫中最原始的种类之一.截至目前,29篇关于中国长翅目昆虫化石分类的论著发表,共描述我国长翅目昆虫化石11科28属51种,这些化石分布于从三叠纪到白垩纪的不同地层中.本文通过图表提供了我国已发现的长翅目化石名录并介绍了其分布和年代,回顾了我国长翅目昆虫化石的研究进展,指出了一些分类存在的问题,简要慨述了长翅目中一些科的起源与演化以及长翅目与其它全变态昆虫的关系.我国长翅目化石种类丰富,但在基础分类、系统演化方面还缺乏系统的研究,因而许多工作甚至最基础的分类工作亟待开展.     

中国直翅目昆虫化石研究现状

截至目前,中国古昆虫学家已研究了分布于中国14省区的50件直翅目化石标本,发表新属38个,新种48个.通过图表提供了我国已发现的直翅目化石名录并介绍了其分布和年代.直翅目化石的研究对昆虫的起源、昆虫与植物的协同演化及古气候的演变等研究提供线索.中国已发现的直翅目化石主要分布于辽、冀、内蒙古三省区,其地质时代大部分为中生代.提出了在化石研究中存在的问题.     

我们对热带无囊盖盘菌的认识

目前全世界对热带无囊盖盘菌的研究是很局限的,现有报道大多数来自美洲部分热带地区,亚洲、非洲、澳州的记录极少,很多地区从未调查过.现已发表的文章不足以概括热带无囊盖盘菌的全部知识,本文仅仅是我们的初浅印象。在大约500属无囊盖盘菌中,有35个热带属(这些属中的所有已知种都发生在热带),9个属有一半或一半以上热带种,61个属有一半以下是热带种。已知的热带无囊盖盘菌比温带地区的要少得多,有可能是自然分布上的差异,但更主要的是缺乏对热带无囊盖盘菌的充分研究.热带无囊盖盘菌的少数种、属是地区性的,有些则遍布世界热带。与温带种相比较,热带种在孢子大小、孢子形状、产生子实体的时间等方面表现出较大的种内变异。过去40年里,专门研究热带无囊盖盘菌的文章很少,有关情报可以从对某些属热带种进行研究的文章中,从热带国家或地区的真菌志中,从极少数属的专著中去了解。本文简要介绍了热带无囊盖盘菌的主要文献和部分研究者。     

STEROL PROFILES IN 18 MACROALGAE OF THE PORTUGUESE COAST1

The sterol profiles of dominant macroalgae occurring in the western Portuguese coast were evaluated. An analytical procedure, involving alkaline hydrolysis and extraction followed by separation by reversed‐phase HPLC–diode array detection (HPLC–DAD), was optimized for the study of their sterols composition. The validated methodology is short in analysis time (as the compounds are determined in <20 min), sensitive, reproducible, and accurate. It was then successfully applied to the determination of campesterol, cholesterol, desmosterol, ergosterol, fucosterol, stigmasterol, and β‐sitosterol in 18 species (three Chlorophyta, five Rhodophyta, and 10 Phaeophyta). The profiles obtained for the several macroalgal species were considerably different. C29 sterols were predominant in Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta (71%–95% of total sterol content), while in Rhodophyta cholesterol content is significantly higher (34%–87%). Among the studied species, Asparagopsis armata Harv. contained the lowest sterol amount (555 mg · kg^?1 dry weight), and Cystoseira tamariscifolia (Huds.) Papenf. the highest one (6,502 mg · kg^?1 dry weight). Data obtained may be helpful in identifying suitable marine sources of sterols, with potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE OF WATER QUALITY AND MAJOR BIOTIC COMPONENTS OF THE MHLATHUZE ESTUARY

Summary

This note briefly introduces the concept of the Environmental Reserve of the New Water Act as well as the set of papers hereafter which deal with specific components of the ecology of the Mhlathuze Estuary. These were prepared for an Estuarine Flow Requirements study of the system. Each forms an up-to-date review of the specific topic it deals with.     

THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF DEEPWATER MACROALGAE IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

Silvetia compressa ( J. Agardh) Serrão et al. is a common member of the upper intertidal fucoid community on the Pacific coast of America from Humboldt County, California, to Punta Baja, Baja California, Mexico. A relatively narrow range of morphological variability is exhibited by most mainland populations, regardless of latitude, but some mainland populations and all insular populations participate in a complex pattern that we have attempted to analyze. A few populations on the Monterey Peninsula in which the fronds are atypically delicate were described by Setchell & Gardner as f. gracilis , to which was assigned a population from Santa Catalina Island. After comparing populations from various parts of the range of the species, including all of the Channel Islands, we conclude that two subspecies may be recognized. In subsp. compressa , which includes f. gracilis as a growth form and occurs chiefly on the mainland, the frond is robust with long tapered receptacles. In the variant subspecies, which is chiefly insular but also occurs on the coast of northern Baja California, the typical frond has slender axes as in f. gracilis , but is more densely branched and has short ellipsoidal receptacles. Comparison of nucleotide sequences from the ITS regions of rDNA revealed an identical pattern for subsp. compressa from Baja California and central California, including populations assignable to f. gracilis. By contrast, the pattern for the variant subspecies differed by 2 bp (0.3%) from that of subsp. compressa.     

THE CHANGE IN STATE OF THE PROTEINS OF MUSCLE IN RIGOR

1. When myosin is exposed to a typical denaturing agent (acid) it becomes insoluble and its SH groups are activated. 2. The same number of active SH groups is found in the soluble myosin of resting muscle as in the insoluble myosin of muscle in rigor. No activation of SH groups accompanies the formation of insoluble protein in rigor. 3. When the insoluble myosin of muscle in rigor is treated with a denaturing agent its SH groups are activated. 4. Protein coagulation as brought about by denaturing agents (heat, acid, alkali, alcohol, urea, salicylate, surface forces, ultraviolet light) is a distinctly different change from the coagulation of myosin brought about by the unknown agent in muscle.