Characterisation of Cydia pomonella granulovirus from codling moths in a laboratory colony and in orchards of British Columbia*

Sequence analyses indicate that a granulovirus isolated from a laboratory colony of codling moth in British Columbia, Canada is identical or very similar to the Mexican isolate of Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV-M). In addition to codling moth, the vims was found to cause mortality of secondary leafroller pests of North American orchards, including the fruit tree leafroller and the obliquebanded leafroller. A survey in apple growing regions of British Columbia indicates that 23% of the wild population of codling moth larvae carry CpGV.     

Yanomami: The Fierce Controversy and What We Can Learn from It

Yanomami: The Fierce Controversy and What We Can Learn from It . Robert Borofsky. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. 372 pp.     

The Effects of Daylength and Treatment with Gibberellic Acid on Spikelet Initiation and Development in Clipper Barley

The effects of photoperiod, light quality and a single applicationof gibberellic acid (GA₃) on the development of the main-stemapex in Clipper barley are reported. In 16 and 24 h days spikeletinitiation was rapid but extended over a short period whereasin 8 h photoperiods both spikelet initiation and developmentwere slower but occurred for a much longer time. Initiationalways stopped when the anther primordia were clearly visiblein the most advanced spikelet. Daylength extensions with lowintensity incandescent light were most effective when they followedrather than preceeded the 8 h period of high light intensity.Plants grown in 8 h high intensity followed by 8 h low intensitylight initiated spikelets almost as rapidly as those grown in16 h high intensity light. Thus, the effects of daylength onspikelet production were primarily mediated through photoperiodicallycontrolled processes rather than through photosynthesis andassimilate supply. The effects of applied GA₃ were long livedand greatest in short days where the rates of both spikeletinitiation and development were promoted. The parallels betweenthe effects of long days and GA₃ treatment are discussed togetherwith possible reasons for the cessation of initiation and thelong duration of the GA₃ effect. daylength, gibberellic acid, spikelet initiation, Hordeum vulgare L., barley, main-stem apex, primordia     

The Surface Charge of Tritrichomonas foetus

The surface charge of Tritrichomonas foetus was evaluated by means of the binding of colloidal iron hydroxide particles at pH 1.8 and cationized ferritin particles at pH 7.2 to the cell surface, as visualized by electron microscopy and by direct measurements of the electrophoretic mobility (EPM), of cells suspended in solutions of different ionic strength and pH. At pH 7.2, T. foetus has a negative surface charge with a mean EPM of ?1.03 μmμs^?1μV^?1μcm. At lower pH, there is a decrease in the negative surface charge with an isoelectric point at pH 1.2. At higher pH (> 9.0), there is an increase in the surface charge reaching an EPM of ?2.5 μmμs^?1μV^?1μcm. These results indicate that the surface of T. foetus contains both negatively and positively charged dissociating groups. Binding of colloidal iron hydroxide and cationized ferritin particles throughout the cell surface of the protozoon was observed. Treatment of T. foetus with neuraminidase or trypsin reduced significantly the EPM of the cells. Enzyme-treated cells recovered their normal EPM when incubated for 6 h in fresh culture medium by a process that is inhibited by puromycin.     

Diet and food preferences of the endangered Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus: a basis for their conservation

The Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus population in the Pyrenees is managed using feeding stations to increase breeding success and reduce mortality in the pre-adult population. Nevertheless, very little quantitative and qualitative information has been published on such basic aspects of the species' ecology as feeding habits and dietary preferences. This study investigated both aspects through direct and unbiased observation of breeding Bearded Vultures during the chick-rearing period. Bearded Vulture diet comprises mammals (93%), birds (6%) and reptiles (1%), with medium-sized ungulates (mainly sheep/goats) the most important species in the diet (61%, n  = 677). Prey items were not selected in proportion to their availability, with the remains of larger species (cows and horses) being avoided, probably due to the variable cost/benefit ratios in handling efficiency, ingestion process and transport. There is no relationship between the proportion of sheep limbs in the diet and the proximity of feeding stations, suggesting that these sites are probably less important for breeding adults than for the pre-adult population. On the other hand, diet specificity seems related to productivity, with territories with greater trophic breadth being those with higher fecundity. Bearded Vultures prefer to eat limbs, although meat remains (provided principally by small mammals) can play an important role in guaranteeing breeding success during the first few weeks after hatching. The management of carrion provided by animals that die naturally in extensive livestock practices and the remains of wild ungulates which have died naturally or by human hunting, are important conservation tools for the Bearded Vulture and other carrion-eating species.     

Breeding behaviour of the Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus: minimal sexual differences in parental activities

Monogamous biparental care is expected to occur when opportunities for extra-pair copulations are rare, and both parents are required to raise the chick. Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus fulfill these conditions. Contributions by male and female Bearded Vulture to nest building, nest defence, incubation, nest attendance and chick feeding were studied over five years in eight pairs from the Pyrenees [Catalonia, northeast Spain). Overall, the sexes show equal investment, although the degree of parental effort developed differs depending on the specific activities. During pre-laying, males were significantly more active than females in supplying material to the nest and in territorial defence behaviour, which increased (in both sexes) as the season advanced. Incubation was shared equally both by day and by night. During chick-rearing, the nest was attended by both sexes and the presence of both parents at the nest decreased in parallel with the growth of the chick. Activities related to chick feeding were also equally divided. These results are discussed in the context of female selection of mates and the particular ecology of this species.     

Nuclear Lethal Effect and Nucleocytoplasmic Incompatibility Induced by Endosymbionts in Amoeba proteus1

ABSTRACT. The role of bacterial endosymbionts in the acquisition of new phenotypic characters was studied by transplanting nuclei from an uninfected strain of Amoeba proteus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a symbiont-carrying strain. After 1–10 cell cycles, the nuclei were tested for two characters: compatibility with uninfected and infected cytoplasm, and their lethal effect against amoebae of the uninfected parent strain. A significant number of transplanted nuclei displayed both of the new phenotypic traits after a few divisions in the infected cytoplasm. Thus the influence of these endosymbionts on the nucleus of A. proteus was virtually instantaneous.