RE-ASSESSMENT OF THE TYPE COLLECTIONS OF CORALLINALEAN GENERA (CORALLINALES, RHODOPHYTA) DESCRIBED BY V. P. MASLOV

Abstract:  From 1935 to 1962 Maslov published two monographs and several other papers on the taxonomy of fossil calcareous algae of diverse ages from the large geographical area of the former USSR. Among many other taxa, he described five new genera ( Solenophyllum , Palaeophyllum , Mesolithon , Bicorium and Tomilithon , as a subgenus of Parachaetetes Deninger) which he attributed to the Corallinaceae, and the new genus Karpathia , which he included in the Squamariaceae. Type material of these taxa, except for Mesolithon , is housed in the Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. Re-examination of the genus types from a modern perspective of coralline algal taxonomy shows that Karpathia is a validly published genus of corallinaceans (subfamily Mastophoroideae) to which several Cenozoic fossil species can be assigned. In contrast, the holotype of P. elegans , the type species of Palaeophyllum , cannot be assigned to any subfamily within the Corallinaceae and its preserved features are inadequate for confidently delimiting a separate genus. Solenophyllum is a valid genus in which Palaeozoic representatives of Corallinales formerly attributed to Parachaetetes Deninger can be included. Tomilithon is considered a younger heterotypic synonym of Solenophyllum . The algal nature of the bioclasts in the type of Bicorium is uncertain.     

Natives Making Nation: Gender, Indigeneity, and the State in the Andes

Natives Making Nation: Gender, Indigeneity, and the State in the Andes. Andrew Canessa, ed. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2005. 201 pp.     

Long tree‐ring chronologies reveal 20th century increases in water‐use efficiency but no enhancement of tree growth at five Iberian pine forests

We investigated the tree growth and physiological response of five pine forest stands in relation to changes in atmospheric CO₂ concentration (c_a) and climate in the Iberian Peninsula using annually resolved width and δ¹³C tree‐ring chronologies since ad 1600. ¹³C discrimination (Δ≈c_i/c_a), leaf intercellular CO₂ concentration (c_i) and intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) were inferred from δ¹³C values. The most pronounced changes were observed during the second half of the 20th century, and differed between stands. Three sites kept a constant c_i/c_a ratio, leading to significant c_i and iWUE increases (active response to c_a); whereas a significant increase in c_i/c_a resulted in the lowest iWUE increase of all stands at a relict Pinus uncinata forest site (passive response to c_a). A significant decrease in c_i/c_a led to the greatest iWUE improvement at the northwestern site. We tested the climatic signal strength registered in the δ¹³C series after removing the low‐frequency trends due to the physiological responses to increasing c_a. We found stronger correlations with temperature during the growing season, demonstrating that the physiological response to c_a changes modulated δ¹³C and masked the climate signal. Since 1970 higher δ¹³C values revealed iWUE improvements at all the sites exceeding values expected by an active response to the c_a increase alone. These patterns were related to upward trends in temperatures, indicating that other factors are reinforcing stomatal closure in these forests. Narrower rings during the second half of the 20th century than in previous centuries were observed at four sites and after 1970 at all sites, providing no evidence for a possible CO₂‘fertilization’ effect on growth. The iWUE improvements found for all the forests, reflecting both a c_a rise and warmer conditions, seem to be insufficient to compensate for the negative effects of the increasing water limitation on growth.     

Evolutionary history of mole rats (genus Nannospalax) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence

Mole rats (genus Nannospalax) display prolific chromosomal variation with more than 50 distinct cytotypes. These cytotypes are largely indistinguishable morphologically, are mainly allopatric and their taxonomic ranking is contradictory. We established a cytochrome b phylogeny for 15 cytotypes belonging to all three species recognized on morphological grounds (morphospecies): N. leucodon, N. xanthodon and N. ehrenbergi. Phylogenetic reconstructions yielded two highly divergent groups which are in agreement with the current division into two subgenera (Nannospalax and Mesospalax). The former comprised samples from south‐eastern Turkey, Israel and Egypt (the morphospecies N. ehrenbergi). Basal dichotomy within Mesospalax remained unresolved and the putative sister position of N. leucodon against the two lineages of N. xanthodon was not supported in our analysis. Net divergences between sister cytotypes were low (< 2.0%) and two N. leucodon cytotypes were not even reciprocally monophyletic. Among the three morphospecies, the genetic diversity was lowest in N. leucodon (2.4% ± 0.3%), highest in N. xanthodon (8.8% ± 0.7%) and intermediate in N. ehrenbergi (5.0% ± 0.5%). Our results show that associations between genetic and chromosomal variation are not widespread and common in mole rats, and therefore refute the generalization of a ‘cytotype‐equals‐species’ approach. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105 , 446–455.     

Systematics and cladistics of a new Naupactini genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador

A new genus of broad‐nosed weevils belonging to the tribe Naupactini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is described, based on six species from the Páramo–Puna subregion (Andean region) of South America. Three species are new and three have been transferred from the genus Asymmathetes (Asymmathetes nigrans, Asymmathetes rugicollis, and Asymmathetes vulcanorum). The new genus is recognized by the black, denuded, and shiny tegument, the well‐developed pre‐epistome, the elytral base curved backwards on middle, the reduction of the hindwings, and the widely separated procoxae, closer to the anterior than to the posterior margin of the prosternum. A cladistic analysis of the six species of the new genus plus five out‐groups (Amitrus, Amphideritus, Asymmathetes, Melanocyphus, and Trichocyphus), using 49 morphological characters, resulted in a single cladogram. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 166 , 54–71.     

Application of Photoacoustic Phase Angle Spectroscopy (φAS) to Eumelanins and Pheomelanins

A new technique, based on the measurement of the phase angle of the photoacoustic signal, was used for investigating the absorption spectra of melanins in the dry state. The main advantages of such a method are the insensitivity to scattering of the light and the applicability to nontransparent or highly adsorbing and thermally thick samples. The spectra obtained on different kinds of natural and synthetic melanins show much more details than the corresponding ones obtained spectrophotometrically on aqueous suspensions of the pigment. Some relevant features of the spectra still cannot be interpreted, yet we were able to show the presence in eumelanins of dopachrome at 475 nm and melanochrome at 540 nm, and in pheomelanins of compounds previously isolated from red chicken feathers. Moreover, the well known trend of the optical absorption, i.e., its decrease with increasing wavelength, was unambiguously confirmed.     

Nutritional versus genetic correlates of caste differentiation in a desert ant

1. In many ant species, caste differentiation stems from trophic differences at the larval stage. Adult workers that feed larvae have great control over the allocation of colony resources to growth (production of workers) versus reproduction (production of queens). However, larval caste fate may also be constrained very early on through direct genetic effects or non‐genetic maternal effects. 2. Here, we combined isotopic and genetic analyses to study the developmental origin of queens and workers in a desert‐dwelling ant, Cataglyphis tartessica (Amor & Ortega, 2014). Queens do not found new colonies alone but rather disperse with workers. As the latter are always wingless, selection pressures on specific queen traits such as flight ability have become relaxed. Though the phylogenetically related species, C. emmae (Forel, 1909) only produces winged queens much larger than workers, C. tartessica produces two types of small queens relative to workers: brachypterous (short‐winged) queens and permanently apterous ergatoid (wingless and worker‐like) queens. 3. Upon emergence, workers and ergatoids have similar δ15N isotopic values, which were lower than those of brachypters, suggesting the latter are fed more protein as larvae. Microsatellite analyses indicated that: (i) colonies are mostly monogynous and monandrous; (ii) both ergatoids and brachypters are equally related to workers; and (iii) in the few polyandrous colonies, patrilines were evenly represented across workers, brachypters and ergatoids. 4. Overall, there was no evidence of genetic caste determination. We suggest that, in contrast to brachypters, ergatoids are selfish individuals that escape the nutritional castration carried out by workers and develop into queens in spite of the colony's collective interests.     

Erwinia amylovora strains from outbreaks of fire blight in Spain: phenotypic characteristics

One hundred and thirty strains of Erwinia amylovora recovered from Spanish foci of fire blight from 1995 to 2000 were characterised and compared to reference strains from different sources and origins. Their rapid identification was performed by double antibody sandwich indirect (DASI) ELISA, using specific monoclonal antibodies against E. amylovora, and molecular confirmation by PCR using primers specific to the native plasmid pEA29. The Spanish strains of E. amylovora grew on different general and selective media producing typical colonies, except one of them that was deficient in levan production, whereas none of them grew on minimal agar medium with copper sulphate and low content of asparagine. All of them were susceptible to tetracycline, streptomycin, kasugamycin and oxolinic acid. Biochemical characterisation of selected strains by API 20E system revealed a great homogeneity, with 80% of the Spanish strains showing one of the two majority API 20E profiles described for E. amylovora, and the remaining strains showing minor differences. Pathogenicity on pear fruits and hypersensitivity reaction was confirmed, but a delayed reaction was observed for two Spanish strains. This is the first characterisation of a large collection of Spanish strains of E. amylovora.