Phylogenetic comparisons of pedestrian locomotion costs: confirmations and new insights

The energetic costs for animals to locomote on land influence many aspects of their ecology. Size accounts for much of the among‐species variation in terrestrial transport costs, but species of similar body size can still exhibit severalfold differences in energy expenditure. We compiled measurements of the (mass‐specific) minimum cost of pedestrian transport (COT_min, mL/kg/m) for 201 species – by far the largest sample to date – and used phylogenetically informed comparative analyses to investigate possible eco‐evolutionary differences in COT_min between various groupings of those species. We investigated number of legs, ectothermy and endothermy, waddling, and nocturnality specifically in lizards. Thus, our study primarily revisited previous theories about variations in COT_min between species, testing them with much more robust analyses. Having accounted for mass, while residual COT_min did not differ between bipedal and other species, specifically waddling bipeds were found to have relatively high COT_min. Furthermore, nocturnal lizards have relatively low COT_min although temperature does not appear to affect COT_min in ectotherms. Previous studies examining across‐species variation in COT_min from a biomechanical perspective show that the differences between waddling birds and nonwaddling species, and between nocturnal lizards and other ecotherms, are likely to be attributable to differences in ground reaction forces, posture, and effective limb length.     

THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON STAMFORD RAFFLES LECTURE 1996 From Gaia to Noah: human responsibilities in nature

Life-table data of 56 natural populations of mammals were analysed, modelling mortality rate as a three-phase step function of age (the step model ) instead of using the Gompertz model. In the step model, mortality rale is constant in each phase. The phases correspond to juveniles and young and old adults. The age of transition between young and old adults is referred to as the age of senescence. This approach has the advantages that, for the first time, the age of senescence is identified objectively using a robust statistical procedure, and that young adult mortality rates are estimated without bias since no assumption is made about how adult mortality rate changes with age. A further statistical problem solved here that has previously caused difficulty is that of correctly accounting for the different levels of precision in data from different age classes.
Significant changes ( P < 0.05) in adult mortality rate with age were found in 27 out of 56 populations. In 23 of these 27 cases, adult mortality rate increased with age. Juvenile mortality rate differed significantly from young adult mortality rate in 21 cases; in 18 of these the rate for juveniles was higher. These results are discussed in relation to earlier analyses, in particular that of Promislow (1991).     

COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF THE PRIMARY VASCULAR SYSTEMS IN SOME SPECIES OF ROSACEAE AND LEGUMINOSAE

The structural patterns of the primary vascular systems in some species of Leguminosae and Rosaceae have been determined by tracing the longitudinal course of the vascular bundles in terminal stem segments. These systems are interpreted as consisting of sympodia. Each sympodium is composed of an axial bundle which is continuous through the length of the segment and from which arise trace bundles that supply leaves and axillary buds. A compact arrangement of vascular bundles seems to correlate with the woody habit. Regardless of the degree of compactness of the primary vascular system, the structural identity of the individual sympodia is maintained. The total number of vascular bundles at a particular level is related to the number of axial bundles in the system, the number of traces per leaf and per axillary bud, and the number of internodes traversed by the traces prior to entering a lateral appendage. Shrubs and trees have more vascular bundles than herbs. Data from this study and the literature indicate that the vascular system is predominantly of the open type in dicotyledonous plants which have helically arranged leaves and, further, that in such plants with a 3-trace, trilacunar nodal structure, the number of sympodia coincides with the number of orthostichies (which is also the denominator of the phyllotactic fraction). In open systems leaf gaps cannot be morphologically delimited. Because of the resemblance of the open type of angiosperm vascular system to that of certain gymnosperms, previously interpreted to have evolved from a protostele, we suggest that the eustele of angiosperms is homologous with the stele of gymnosperms. We believe, also, that angiosperms, like gymnosperms, are probably not characterized by leaf gaps of filicinean type. We provide, furthermore, a rationale for the view that the axial bundle of a sympodium is a cauline structure.     

Maintaining their genetic distance: Little evidence for introgression between widely hybridizing species of Geum with contrasting mating systems

Within the plant kingdom, many genera contain sister lineages with contrasting outcrossing and inbreeding mating systems that are known to hybridize. The evolutionary fate of these sister lineages is likely to be influenced by the extent to which they exchange genes. We measured gene flow between outcrossing Geum rivale and selfing Geum urbanum, sister species that hybridize in contemporary populations. We generated and used a draft genome of G. urbanum to develop dd‐RAD data scorable in both species. Coalescent analysis of RAD data from allopatric populations indicated that the species diverged 2–3 Mya, and that historical gene flow between them was extremely low (1 migrant every 25 generations). Comparison of genetic divergence between species in sympatry and allopatry, together with an analysis of allele frequencies in potential parental and hybrid populations, provided no evidence of contemporary introgression in sympatric populations. Cluster‐ and species‐specific marker analyses revealed that, apart from four early‐generation hybrids, individuals in sympatric populations fell into two genetically distinct groups that corresponded exactly to their morphological species classification with maximum individual admixture estimates of only 1–3%. However, we did observe joint segregation of four putatively introgressed SNPs across two scaffolds in the G. urbanum population that was associated with significant morphological variation, interpreted as tentative evidence for rare, recent interspecific gene flow. Overall, our results indicate that despite the presence of hybrids in contemporary populations, genetic exchange between G. rivale and G. urbanum has been extremely limited throughout their evolutionary history.     

The reaction of cytochrome c with [Fe(EDTA)(H2O)]

The interaction of horse ferricytochrome c with the reagents [Fe(EDTA)(H₂O)]⁻ and [Cr(CN)₆]³⁻ were studied at pH 7 and 25°C by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Two binding regions near to the heme crevice of cytochrome c were identified. Both regions bound both reagents but they exhibited different selectivities.

The relevance of this finding to the electron-transfer function of cytochrome c is discussed.     

Disruption of alpha-mannosidase processing induces non-canonical hybrid-type glycosylation

Golgi alpha-mannosidase II is essential for the efficient formation of complex-type glycosylation. Here, we demonstrate that the disruption of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II activity by swainsonine in human embryonic kidney cells is capable of inducing a novel class of hybrid-type glycosylation containing a partially processed mannose moiety. The discovery of 'Man(6)-based' hybrid-type glycans reveals a broader in vivo specificity of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I, further defines the arm-specific tolerance of core alpha1-6 fucosyltransferase to terminal alpha1-2 mannose residues, and suggests that disruption of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II activity is capable of inducing potentially 'non-self' structures.     

The palaeoecology of the latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous hydrocarbon seep carbonates from Spitsbergen,Svalbard

Latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous hydrocarbon seeps from Spitsbergen, Svalbard, are known to contain unusual fauna, lacking most of the species characteristic for roughly coeval seep deposits. This study summarizes and analyses the fauna from 16 seep carbonate bodies from Spitsbergen to explain its composition. The seeps formed in a shallow epicontinental sea with widespread deposition of fine‐grained, organic‐rich sediments. They are spread over a relatively large area and are positioned roughly in the same interval, indicating seepage over extensive areas of the palaeo‐Barents Sea. The seep fauna is very species rich and with low dominance, comprising 54 species, with a composition similar to that of Jurassic–Cretaceous normal‐marine environments of other Boreal seas. Seep‐restricted fauna is not abundant and is represented by four species only. Hokkaidoconchids and possible siboglinid worm tubes characteristic for high sulphide fluxes are rare. Apart from seep‐restricted sulphide‐mining lucinid and thyasirid bivalves, chemosymbiosis was also a source of nourishment for background solemyid and nucinellid bivalves, all of which take sulphide from infaunal sources. This all suggests a relatively weak sulphide flux. The high diversity and low dominance of the fauna and significant richness and abundance of background species is typical for shallow water seeps.     

Mechanisms Explaining Nursery Habitat Association: How Do Juvenile Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) Benefit from Their Nursery Habitat?

Nursery habitats provide elevated survival and growth to the organisms that associate with them, and as such are a crucial early life-stage component for many fishes and invertebrates. The exact mechanisms by which these benefits are afforded to associated organisms, however, are often unclear. Here we assessed potential explanations of the nursery function of structurally complex habitats for post-settlement snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, in New Zealand. Specifically, we deployed Artificial Seagrass Units (ASUs) and used a combination of video observation, netting and diet analysis of associated post-settlement snapper as well describing potential prey within the micro-habitats surrounding ASUs. We did not observe any predation attempts and few potential predators, suggesting that for snapper the nursery value of structurally complex habitats is not as a predation refuge. The diet of post-settlement snapper mostly consisted of calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, which were most commonly sampled from within the water column. Nearly all suspected feeding events were also observed within the water column. When considering the velocity of water flow at each ASU, plankton sampling revealed a greater availability of copepods with increasing current strength, while netting and video observation demonstrated that the abundance of snapper was highest at sites with intermediate water velocity. This study highlights that the interaction between water flow and food availability may represent an important trade-off between energy expenditure and food intake for post-settlement snapper. Structurally complex habitats may mediate this relationship, allowing snapper to access sites with higher food availability while reducing swimming costs. This mechanism may have broader relevance, potentially explaining the importance of estuarine nursery habitats for other species.