The cybotoid anoles and Chamaelinorops lizards (Reptilia: Iguanidae): evidence of mosaic evolution

Recent immunological comparisons involving the Hispaniolan Chamaelinorops and Anolis suggested that Chamaelinorops might be much more closely related to Hispaniolan species of Anolis than previously thought. Electrophoretic comparisons among the relevant taxa, coupled with a review of both the morphological and immunological data, suggest mosaic evolution may be responsible for the nonconcordance between some of the data sets. An example of significant morphological change with little electrophoretic differentiation was found in the A. cybotes-A. shrevei comparison while the converse was found in the A. cybotes-A. marcanoi comparison. Many of the character states that have been interpreted as implying close genealogical relationship between Chamaelinorops and other Hispaniolan anoles are known to be primitive and may be evolving slowly in these lineages.     

Modelling of the Hydraulic Architecture of Root Systems: An Integrated Approach to Water Absorption--Distribution of Axial and Radial Conductances in Maize

The ‘Hydraulic Tree Model’ of the root system simulateswater uptake through root systems by coupling a root architecturemodel with laws for water flow into and along roots (Doussan,Pagès and Vercambre,Annals of Botany81: 213–223,1998). A detailed picture of water absorption in all roots comprisingthe root system is thus provided. Moreover, the influence ofdifferent distributions of radial and axial hydraulic conductancesin the root system on the patterns of water uptake can be analysed.Use of the model with Varney and Canny's data (1993) for flowalong maize roots demonstrated that a constant conductance inthe root system cannot reproduce the observed water flux profiles.Taking into account the existing data on hydraulic conductancesin maize roots, we fitted the distribution of conductances inthe root system to the observed flux data. The result is that,during root tissue maturation, the radial conductivity decreasesby one order of magnitude while the axial conductance increasesby about three orders of magnitude. Both types of conductanceexhibit abrupt changes in their evolution. Due to the conductancedistribution in the root system, appreciable water potentialgradients may develop in the roots, in both the branch rootsand main axes. An important point is that the conductance distributionin the branch roots described by the model should be relatedto the age of the tissue (and not the distance from the branchroot tip) and is therefore closely related to the developmentprocess. Thus for branch roots, which represent about 90% ofthe calculated total water uptake in 43-d-old maize, water absorptionwill depend on the opening of the metaxylem in the axes, andon the time dependent variation of the conductances in the branchroots.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Water; absorption; root system; architecture; model; hydraulic conductance;Zea maysL.     

Distribution of puimonate snails in the New River of Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A.: interaction between alkalinity and stream drainage area

SUMMARY. The distribution and abundance of five species of pulmonate snails over 87 sites in the New River seem to be related to two variables, alkalinity and drainage area of the stream. The snails were generally found in the more alkaline streams regardless of stream drainage area and in the larger streams regardless of alkalinity. Considering only the 26 sites where at least one species of the five pulmonates occurred, rank snail abundance is significantly correlated with rank alkalinity, rank drainage area, and the alkalinity/area interaction. But the correlations between abundance and both alkalinity and drainage area drop to low levels when interaction is partialled out, while the correlation between abundance and interaction remains high upon partialling out alkalinity or area. This suggests that the apparent correlation between puimonate abundance and alkalinity is secondary and that neither alkalinity nor water chemistry variables correlated with it directly limit the distribution and abundance of pulmonates in the New River. Both alkalinity and stream drainage area may influence the abundance of pulmonate food.     

The In Vitro Growth Response of Giardia Trophozoites from the Rabbit*

SYNOPSIS. A visual technic has been developed for determining concentration of Giardia trophozoites in culture tubes. Such a technic is desirable because the nature of Giardia growth makes routine enumeration of these organisms by hemocytometer or electronic cell counter expensive in both time and material. The visual method of counting Giardia trophozoites was correlated with counts of the same suspensions of organisms using an electronic particle counter. As a part of the correlation, the growth response, as measured by electronic cell counter, was established for 8 primary axenic cultures of Giardia trophozoites from the rabbit. The average starting number of organisms was 3.7 ± 0.6 × 10³ per ml, the average number of organisms at the peak of logarithmic growth was 1.78 ± 0.2 × 10⁵ per ml, and the generation time was 18.1 ± 1.6 hr. These data are compared with the available literature data quantitating Giardia growth.     

The taxonomy and phytogeography of bracken—a review

Some of the biological problems presented by bracken, Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, are posed. Its taxonomic position within the Pteridophyta and the delimitation of entities within the genus are discussed on the basis of morphological and cytological evidence. The geographical ranges of the various brackens world-wide are described and mapped in outline, and emphasis placed on reviewing the natural ecological role of bracken in plant communities throughout the world. Further geographic areas where taxonomic investigation of Pteridium is most needed are indicated, and evidence of the reproductive, dispersal, establishment, colonizing ability and vegetative persistence of bracken is reviewed. Its palaeobiological spread, with associated vegetational history, and the effects on this of anthropogenic influences—better known than are comparable details for any other pteridophyte—are detailed, and the present magnitude of the resulting bracken problem in Britain (and especially in upland Britain) indicated.     

Platyamoeba stenopodia. n. g., n. sp., a Freshwater Amoeba*

SYNOPSIS. Platyamoeba stenopodia n. g., n. sp., isolated from a lake in Alabama, is an amoeba with flattened form, usually more than 2.5 × as long as broad, the anterior half hyaline and the posterior half granular, with a single vesiculate nucleus at the posterior edge of the hyaline region. It forms a transitory floating stage with slender, hyaline pseudopods. Its cyst is spherical, uninucleate, with a smooth inner wall and a thinner, closely applied outer wall, which is often slightly wrinkled. Length of locomotive amoeba 15–36 μ diameter of cyst 7–11.5 μ Reproduction by binary fission with mesomitotic nuclear division, the nuclear membrane disappearing in prophase. The genus Platyamoeba is erected for amoebae including this organism; the type species is P. placida.     

Inhibition of UVR‐Induced Tanning and Immunosuppression by Topical Applications of Vitamins C and E to the Skin of Hairless (hr/hr) Mice 1

Exposure of C3HBYB/Wq hairless (hr/hr) mice to ultra‐violet radiation (UVR) for 15 days induced intense tanning of their dorsal skin. Small, dark freckles appeared first, gradually enlarging and coalescing as treatment progressed yielding a uniform tan. Histologically, the gross changes in skin color were matched initially by the appearance of scattered epidermal melanocytes that subsequently proliferated to form discrete, progressively expanding and abutting populations resulting in a uniform melanocyte network throughout the basal layer of the interfollicular epidermis. In contrast, when applied topically before each daily exposure to UVR, a cream or lotion vehicle containing both vitamins C and E (Vits C/E) inhibited UVR‐induced erythema and tanning. Application of Vits C/E, both before and after irradiation, was no more effective in providing photoprotection than pre‐treatment only. At the tissue level, UVR‐induced proliferation and melanogenesis of melanocytes were reduced compared with irradiated controls. The density of individual melanocyte populations was reduced, as was the number of melanocyte populations achieving merger (confluence) with others. Confluence grades and cell counts, estimating the maximum density of melanocyte populations in UVR–Vits C/E‐treated mice, were approximately two thirds those of UVR–vehicle‐treated controls. However, tanning was only one fifth that of UVR–vehicle‐treated controls, suggesting that melanogenesis was also inhibited. In addition to its inhibitory actions on irradiated melanocytes, Vits C/E also inhibited UVR‐induced suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in haired (Hr/hr) and hr/hr mice of the C3HBYB/Wq strain. The common denominators for most, if not all, of the influences of topically‐applied Vits C/E in muting the responses of the melanocyte and immune systems to UVR may stem from the vitamins’ combined ability to suppress UVR‐stimulated inflammation and its associated cascade of mediators.