Escherichia coli in the Faecal Flora of Man

The predominant Escherichia coli faecal flora of healthy individuals was studied over a period of several weeks. E. coli in the intestine showed a spectrum of persistence. The concept of 'resident'and 'transient'strains is discussed and a clarification of nomenclature is suggested.     

A census of a community of small terrestrial vertebrates

A small vertebrate community of eighteen terrestrial species was revealed by removal trapping in 1 ha of Western Australian Banksia woodland in autumn. Nine of these species were lizards, three were mammals, three were snakes and three were frogs. The use of pitfall and mammal traps on an 8 × 8 m grid was shown to be sufficient to census the majority of terrestrial species in the study site. A biomass of 2063 g/ha of terrestrial species was estimated from trapping records. Frogs (three species) had the greatest biomass (41% of total), but the introduced mouse Musmusculus contributed the greatest biomass (36%) of any single specie.     

A peculiar climbing Megalonychidae from the Pleistocene of Peru and its implication for sloth history

The Xenarthra, particularly the Tardigrada, are with the Notoungulata and Marsupialia among the most diversified South American mammals. Lujanian South American Land Mammal Age localities from the coastal Piedra Escrita site and Andean Casa del Diablo Cave, Peru, have yielded three specimens of the Megalonychidae Diabolotherium nordenskioldi gen. nov. This singular fossil sloth exhibits a peculiar mosaic of cranial and postcranial characters. Some are considered convergent with those of other sloths (e.g. 5/4 quadrangular teeth, characteristic of Megatheriidae), whereas others clearly indicate climbing capabilities distinct from the suspensory mode of extant sloths. The arboreal mode of life of D. nordenskioldi is suggested by considerable mobility of the elbow, hip, and ankle joints, a posteriorly convex ulna with an olecranon shorter than in fossorial taxa, a radial notch that faces more anteriorly than in other fossil sloths and forms an obtuse angle with the coronoid process (which increases the range of pronation–supination), a proximodistally compressed scaphoid, and a wide range of digital flexion. D. nordenskioldi underscores the great adaptability of Tardigrada: an arboreally adapted form is now added to the already known terrestrial, subarboreal, and aquatic (marine and freshwater) fossil sloths. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the Tardigrada confirmed the monophyly of Megatherioidea, Nothrotheriidae, Megatheriidae, and Megalonychidae, in which Diabolotherium is strongly nested.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 149 , 179–235.     

A first record of multicellular glandular hairs in the Gramineae

Multicellular glandular hairs, previously unknown in the Gramineae, are reported from six species of Panicum in east tropical Africa.     

The role of psyllids (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) in canopy dieback of Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna Sm.)

Abstract The presence of the aggressive, colony-forming honeyeater, Manorina melanophrys (bell miner), in the canopies of unhealthy eucalypts has been well reported. There is, however, some debate as to the actual mechanisms producing these unhealthy trees. To investigate further some of the processes that may be contributing to this form of canopy dieback, two field trials were carried out in Olney State Forest, near Wyong, New South Wales. The study site contained Eucalyptus saligna (Sydney blue gum) with canopy dieback and was occupied by a large colony of bell miners. Close examination of the foliage revealed a large and diverse suite of phytophagous insects, including at least 16 species of psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). In the first trial, the use of bird exclusion cages over selected branches significantly improved leaf survival compared to leaves exposed to a relatively high density of bell miners. It is proposed that colonization by bell miners may interfere with the efficacy of both other insectivorous birds (through aggressive interspecific territoriality) and the invertebrate predators and parasitoids. Interference with such regulatory factors may enable some phytophagous insect populations to rise to sustained damaging levels. In the second trial, an insecticide application combined with reduced competition from the dense understorey and neighbouring trees was required to significantly improve trunk diameter and crown condition scores. After 12 months, neither treatment, by itself, significantly improved both growth measures. Possibly both treatments were required because the E. saligna trees were suffering from another source of stress (e.g. drought) in addition to the relatively high level of insect attack.     

An analysis of some of the factors affecting the current distribution of Badger Meles meles setts in Essex

All the known Badger setts in Essex were resurveyed in the mid-1980s to record any changes in Badger distribution and status, and any associated changes in habitat and land use, during the preceding 20 years. New setts were also located. Being on the edge of London, Essex has undergone many recent changes that might be disadvantageous to Badgers. It is subjected to a high demand for land to meet increasing housing needs, intensive arable farming is widespread and few undisturbed habitats remain. These are typical of the pressures facing the Badger population in many areas of north-west Europe, and so Essex was an ideal area in which to look at the status of the Badger, and in particular the impact of human activities on a Badger population. Much of the county is unsuitable for sett construction, since it consists of London Clay and glacial tills, and the highest concentration of setts was found in the Bagshot Beds. Woodland is rare in Essex, but it was still the favoured site for sett construction. Although over half the county is devoted to arable farming, Badgers tended to avoid such areas, and also avoided close proximity to roads, particularly busy roads, for sett sites. Since much of the county is low-lying, man-made embankments were particularly important sett sites, and land-reclamation activities have probably provided additional sites for Badger setts. The effects of human activities on Badger distribution and numbers in Essex are discussed.     

Sodium Exclusion by Chenopodium Species

The uptake of sodium, potassium and chloride in Chenopodiumalbum L. and Chenopodium schraderianum Roemer and Schultes wasfollowed over 2 weeks. Ion concentrations and ion fluxes werecompared to those observed in Atriplex prostrata Boucher exDC. and Suaeda maritima (L.) Dum. as halophilic Chenopodiaceae,and to Phaseolus aureus Roxb. and Trifolium alexandrinum L.as sodium-excluding Fabaceae. Seedlings of all species werecultivated in quartz sand at 10 mmol dm^–3 of potassium,sodium, and chloride. For Fabaceae low uptake rates of alkali ions and sodium retentionin roots are substantiated in Phaseolus. Results for Atriplexand Suaeda illustrate high uptake rates of alkali ions and preferentialtransport of sodium to the shoots. In contrast to halophilic chenopods, Chenopodium album andC.schraderianum show low sodium concentrations in shoots and ahigh K-Na-selectivity of net ion fluxes. Evidence for sodiumexclusion by their roots is presented. Sodium exclusion by Chenopodiumspecies is not as efficient as in Phaseolus, but is within therange of that found in other Fabaceae. Unlike other glycophytes,the Chenopodium species show the high rates of alkali ion uptakewhich have been found in their halophilic relatives. Key words: Chenopodiaceae, Fabaceae, ion uptake, salt exclusion, K-Na-selectivity     

Sporulation of Clostridium putrefaciens and the Resistance of the Spores to Heat, γ-Radiation and Curing Salts

Clostridium putrefaciens grew well in most media used routinely for culturing anaerobes, but produced spores only on lactose-egg yolk agar. The D_80° was 8–14 min, z value was 4°–6° and D _γ, 0.16 Mrad. The inhibitory interactions of pH, NaCl, NaNO₂ and incubation temperature are described.     

Vrijenhoekia balaenophila, a new hesionid polychaete from a whale fall off California

Vrijenhoekia balaenophila gen. nov., sp. nov. (Polychaeta, Hesionidae) is described from a whale carcass at near 3000 m depth in Monterey Canyon off the coast of California. The phylogenetic relationships of V. balaenophila are assessed in a parsimony analysis of morphological data together with nucleotide data from 28S rDNA, 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I genes. Within the hesionids V. balaenophila belongs to Psamathini, where it is the sister group to Sirsoe . Among psamathins it is morphologically distinguished by having six glandular lip pads around the mouth opening, papilla-shaped neuropodial lobes on segment 3, extreme length of the dorsal cirri, and by a characteristic growth pattern in which the maximum number of segments is already formed in subadults, and further growth takes place through size increase of the segments.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 152 , 625–634.