Morphological Constraints of Shoot Demography of a Clonal Plant: Extra- and Intravaginal Tillers of Festuca rubra

Abstract Festuca rubra forms tillers in two different ways: extravaginally and intravaginally. Demography of these two tiller types was observed in seventeen selected tussocks of Festuca rubra s.s. over four growing seasons. Extravaginal tillers were bigger at birth and on the average produced twice as many daughter tillers per tiller. In general, the natality and mortality of extravaginal tillers were less regular than that of intravaginal tillers. Overall tillering rate per tiller was correlated with the density of the surrounding vegetation; mortality, natality and tiller life span were not. High density of the surrounding vegetation did not result in increased formation of extravaginal tillers. The proportion of the extravaginal tillers was not correlated with the density of the F. rubra tussocks. There is no evidence for foraging by extravaginal tillers, but they do act as founders of small clusters of tillers.     

Gene family structure,expression and functional analysis of HD-Zip III genes in angiosperm and gymnosperm forest trees

Background  

Class III Homeodomain Leucine Zipper (HD-Zip III) proteins have been implicated in the regulation of cambium identity, as well as primary and secondary vascular differentiation and patterning in herbaceous plants. They have been proposed to regulate wood formation but relatively little evidence is available to validate such a role. We characterised and compared HD-Zip III gene family in an angiosperm tree, Populus spp. (poplar), and the gymnosperm Picea glauca (white spruce), representing two highly evolutionarily divergent groups.     

The identity of the type-species of Gonatocerus Nees (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)

The validity of Gonatocerus Nees is discussed, and the identity of the type-species, G.longicornis, is established. Generic and specific synonymy is listed, and the neotype female of G.longicornis is redescribed.     

Rotoitidae, a curious new family of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) from New Zealand

Abstract. A new chalcidoid family, Rotoitidae fam.n., is described from New Zealand. The probable systematic affinities of Rotoitidae are discussed and the type genus and a single included species, Rotoita basalis gen. et sp.n., are described and illustrated.     

Asymmetry in an Ordovician conulariid cnidarian

Sendino, C., Zágor?ek, K. & Taylor, P.D. 2012: Asymmetry in an Ordovician conulariid cnidarian. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 423–431. Conulariids are fossils of the presumed polyps of an extinct scyphozoan cnidarian group. Their cone‐shaped skeletons normally show perfect tetraradial symmetry. However, in the Ordovician species Metaconularia anomala ( Barrande 1867 ) from Drabov (Czech Republic), tetraradial symmetry is compromised in three ways: (1) the skeleton often shows torsion; (2) the four sides may vary in width at the same level within one individual; and (3) one side may be deleted to give a triradial skeleton. Almost 2000 specimens were studied in museum collections. About 56% of analysed specimens are twisted in an anticlockwise direction (sinistral) when viewed from the apex towards the aperture, 28% show no torsion, 1% exhibit clockwise torsion (dextral) and the remaining 15% cannot be classified. Maximum measured torsion rate was 1.5°/mm. A significant negative correlation between torsion rate and length suggests that more highly torted individuals may have survived less well. Almost 5% of individuals show loss of one side for at least part of their lengths. Although many individuals have four sides of equal width, in a significant proportion the sides are of unequal width, up to a maximum/minimum side width ratio of 2 (i.e. widest face twice the width of the narrowest). In the absence of a satisfactory taphonomic model to explain the asymmetries, they are regarded as mirroring asymmetries in the living conulariids, with the strong preference for sinistral torsion interpreted as an example of a fixed asymmetry that was genetically controlled and heritable. It is speculated that the signalling protein Nodal as well as Hox‐like genes were involved in controlling the asymmetries described in M. anomala.     

European cave shrimp species (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae), redefined after a phylogenetic study; redefinition of some taxa,a new genus and four new Troglocaris species

Endemic atyids of southern Europe have been ascribed to Dugastella, and to subterranean Typhlatya and Troglocaris: Dugastella is epigean, and Typhlatya and Troglocaris are subterranean. An extensive collection from all centres of distribution in southern Europe (excepting the Caucasus) was morphologically examined. A taxonomic redefinition of the group, at different levels, is based on recently published and newly generated molecular phylogeny, whereas newly established taxa have also been morphologically defined. The accordance between the phylogenetic tree and the geographical distributions suggested that a re‐evaluation of some traditionally used morphological characters should generate the most parsimonious solution: this enabled a novel taxonomic division. Gallocaris gen. nov. is erected for the French Troglocaris inermis Fage, 1937, which is more closely related to the epigean Dugastella valentina (Ferrer Galdiano, 1924) than to its supposed congeners. Both western Mediterranean Typhlatya species are closely related to their Caribbean congeners. All other European cave shrimps constitute a monophylum, Troglocaris, which is divisible into subgenera (already with available names): the holo‐Dinaric Troglocaris (Troglocaris) Dormitzer, 1853, south‐eastern mero‐Dinaric Troglocaris (Troglocaridella) Babi?, 1922, and Troglocaris (Spelaeocaris) Matja?i?, 1956, and the Caucasian Troglocaris (Xiphocaridinella) Sadovsky, 1930. Four new species are described: Troglocaris (Troglocaris) bosnica sp. nov. , Troglocaris (Spelaeocaris) prasence sp. nov. , Troglocaris (Spelaeocaris) kapelana sp. nov. , and Troglocaris (Spelaeocaris) neglecta sp. nov. The distribution of all established species is shown, and the value of the morphological characters is discussed. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 786–818.     

Absence of BoLA class I antigens on bovine spermatozoa

Summary. Forty AI bulls were tested for BoLA class I antigens by means of eight specific polyclonal reagents. By means of immobilization and sperm penetration tests these antigens were not detected on sperm cells. Isoimmunization studies with the use of sperm as antigenic stimuli and insemination of frozen spermatozoa diluted in specific reagents did not prove the presence of BoLA class I antigens on bovine spermatozoa. The cytotoxic tests used in this investigation were not reliable.