The type locality of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pan troglodytes vellerosus</Emphasis> (Gray, 1862), and implications for the nomenclature of West African chimpanzees

We show that, in 1862, Richard Burton collected the type specimen of Pan troglodytes vellerosus not on Mount Cameroon, as has been generally assumed, but in Gabon. Therefore, P. t. vellerosus is not the correct name for the chimpanzee population of western Cameroon and southern Nigeria, if that population is taxonomically distinct. As First Reviser, we choose the name Pan troglodytes ellioti for this population of chimpanzees, based on Anthropopithecus ellioti named by Matschie [Matschie P (1914) Neue Affen aus Mittelafrika. Sitzungsber Ges Naturforsch Freunde Berlin 1914:323–342] from a specimen in the Humboldt Museum, Berlin, collected in Bascho (=Basho), Cameroon, and given to the museum in 1905.     

The Evolution and Genetics of Virus Host Shifts

Emerging viral diseases are often the product of a host shift, where a pathogen jumps from its original host into a novel species. Phylogenetic studies show that host shifts are a frequent event in the evolution of most pathogens, but why pathogens successfully jump between some host species but not others is only just becoming clear. The susceptibility of potential new hosts can vary enormously, with close relatives of the natural host typically being the most susceptible. Often, pathogens must adapt to successfully infect a novel host, for example by evolving to use different cell surface receptors, to escape the immune response, or to ensure they are transmitted by the new host. In viruses there are often limited molecular solutions to achieve this, and the same sequence changes are often seen each time a virus infects a particular host. These changes may come at a cost to other aspects of the pathogen''s fitness, and this may sometimes prevent host shifts from occurring. Here we examine how these evolutionary factors affect patterns of host shifts and disease emergence.     

Disseminated cutaneous and vascular invasion byFusarium moniliforme in a fatal case of acute lymphocytic leukemia

A 35 year old female patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia developed fusariosis in which dissemination appeared to be limited to cutaneous and vascular invasion. The first evidence of fungemia occurred nearly seven months after initial hospitalization. The fungus was identified asFusarium sp. and was considered a contaminant. Two weeks later blood cultures were again positive forFusarium sp. and the patient was placed on amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine therapy. The following day developing lesions were noted on her forearms and face; lesions ultimately spread to her trunk, abdomen, and lower extremities. Skin lesion biopsy sections revealed abundant septate and branching hyphae throughout the dermis and within capillaries. Twenty-six days after the initial isolation the patient died. Post-mortem blood cultures gave rise to the same fungus, which was identified asFusarium monoliforme. Postmortem cultures and stains of spleen, liver, lung, and brain specimens were all negative for fungi. The primary source and portal of entry of the organism remained undetermined.     

Morphological assessment of the Octopus vulgaris species complex evaluated in light of molecular‐based phylogenetic inferences

Cryptic species are common in the ocean, particularly among marine invertebrates such as octopuses. Delineating cryptic species is particularly problematic in octopus taxonomy where the plasticity recorded among taxonomic characters often results in low resolution at the species level. This study investigated the morphological relationships among seven phylogenetic clades (identified using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) of the broadly distributed Octopus vulgaris species complex and close relatives. Morphological analyses in this study were successful in delimiting O. sinensis, Brazilian O. vulgaris and O. vulgaris sensu stricto, which was congruent with the molecular findings of this study. Analyses based on male morphology were successful in distinguishing 14 of 15 total pairwise comparisons and proved to be a more reliable indicator of species‐level relationships in comparison with female morphology. The majority of characters with the greatest discriminatory power were male sexual traits. Significant morphological differences were also recorded among sampling localities of conspecifics, with phenotype showing correlation with local environmental data. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that multiple O. vulgaris‐like species are currently being incorrectly treated under a single species name, O. vulgaris. Octopuses being exported globally under the name O. vulgaris are of extremely high fisheries market value and profile. Our findings have potentially significant implications for the naming and conservation of commercially harvested members of this species complex throughout their ranges.     

Jostling for position in angiogenic sprouts: continuous rearrangement of cells explained by differential adhesion dynamics

Endothelial sprouting during angiogenesis is a highly coordinated morphogenetic process that involves polarized tip cells leading stalk cells to form new capillaries. While tip and stalk cells previously were thought to be stable and have static phenotypes within the sprout, it is becoming increasingly clear that endothelial cells undergo dynamic rearrangements. A new study using computer simulations, validated by in vitro and in vivo experimental data, now provides an explanation for these rearrangements, showing that sprouting cells are in a continuum of migratory states, regulated by differential cell‐cell adhesions and protrusive activities to drive proper vascular organization.     

Climate Change Sensitivity Index for Pacific Salmon Habitat in Southeast Alaska

Global climate change may become one of the most pressing challenges to Pacific Salmon conservation and management for southeast Alaska in the 21^st Century. Predicted hydrologic change associated with climate change will likely challenge the ability of specific stocks to adapt to new flow regimes and resulting shifts in spawning and rearing habitats. Current research suggests egg-to-fry survival may be one of the most important freshwater limiting factors in Pacific Salmon''s northern range due to more frequent flooding events predicted to scour eggs from mobile spawning substrates. A watershed-scale hydroclimatic sensitivity index was developed to map this hypothesis with an historical stream gauge station dataset and monthly multiple regression-based discharge models. The relative change from present to future watershed conditions predicted for the spawning and incubation period (September to March) was quantified using an ensemble global climate model average (ECHAM5, HadCM3, and CGCM3.1) and three global greenhouse gas emission scenarios (B1, A1B, and A2) projected to the year 2080. The models showed the region''s diverse physiography and climatology resulted in a relatively predictable pattern of change: northern mainland and steeper, snow-fed mountainous watersheds exhibited the greatest increases in discharge, an earlier spring melt, and a transition into rain-fed hydrologic patterns. Predicted streamflow increases for all watersheds ranged from approximately 1-fold to 3-fold for the spawning and incubation period, with increased peak flows in the spring and fall. The hydroclimatic sensitivity index was then combined with an index of currently mapped salmon habitat and species diversity to develop a research and conservation priority matrix, highlighting potentially vulnerable to resilient high-value watersheds. The resulting matrix and observed trends are put forth as a framework to prioritize long-term monitoring plans, mitigation experiments, and finer-scale climate impact and adaptation studies.