秦岭川金丝猴冬季和春季在自然栖息地的空间利用

2000年9月到2003年3月共计197天的时间里,我们采用目标动物取样法(Focalanimalsampling)和行为的全事件记录法(Alloccurrencesampling)对一群生活在秦岭北坡周至保护区内的秦岭金丝猴(Rhinopithecusroxellana)在自然栖息地内空间利用的进行了研究。当猴群在离开人工投食区进行自由活动时我们开始收集数据。结果表明:秦岭川金丝猴在不同年龄性别组的个体对植被的空间利用明显不同,它们花费每天活动的14%的时间在地面上活动,53%时间在树叉处活动,33%的时间在树冠中间活动。与其它年龄性别个体相比,成年雄性有27%的观察时间在地上活动,并且20%的取食时间或29%的休息时间是在地上的,明显地高于其它年龄性别组的个体。群体迁移时,成年雄性有53%的时间在地上移动,而只有13%的时间是在树冠层移动的。在通过不同树冠的时候,成年雄性经常会同时抓住两边再把身体摆过去。它们也经常下到地上迁移而回避在树间跳跃。相比之下,亚成年雌性和青少年猴更加经常地在低植被层和树冠层中找食和休息。它们明显地比成年猴更加频繁地在树冠中移动,却很少下地。它们还经常使用跳跃的方式通过树冠间的空隙。从观察到摔下树的事例分析,青少年猴从树上摔下来的风险比成年猴大。本文进而讨论了影响秦岭金丝猴空间分布和移动的因素,比如说身体的重量等.     

UV reflectance of inter-subspecific hybrid females obtained by crossing cabbage butterflies from Japan (Pieris rapae crucivora) with those from New Zealand (P. rapae rapae)

Cross-mating was performed between subspecies of cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae crucivora from Japan and P. rapae rapae from New Zealand, whose females are known to reflect and absorb ultraviolet (UV) light, respectively. In the female F ₁ hybrids UV reflectance was intermediate between the two parent females. Further, the UV reflectance was significantly higher in the female F ₁ hybrids derived from females of the New Zealand subspecies than in those derived from females of the Japanese subspecies.     

Herpetomonas roitmani (Fiorini et al., 1989) N. Comb.: A Trypanosomatid with a Bacterium-like Endosymbiont in the Cytoplasm

The trypanosomatid previously described as Crithidia roitmani is characterized here at the ultrastructural and biochemical levels. The data indicates that the parasite belongs to the Herpetomonas genus, and we therefore suggest the flagellate to be denominated as Herpetomonas roitmani n. comb. Cladistic analysis of isoenzyme data generated by eight different enzymes showed that the parasite presented a distinct banding pattern and could be grouped with some Herpetomonas spp., but not with Crithidia spp., used as reference strains. Accordingly, when the parasites were grown for longer periods in Roitman's defined medium, expontaneous differentiation from promastigotes to opisthomastigotes (typical of the Herpetomonas genus) occurred. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of bacterium-like endosymbionts in the cytoplasm of all evolutive forms of the parasite. All morphological alterations characteristic of endosymbiont-bearing trypanosomatids could be observed.     

Evolution of the optimal reproductive schedule in the ant Camponotus (Colobopsis) nipponicus (wheeler): a demographic approach

1. Traits are hypothesised to optimise via natural selection. The schedule of reproduction is an important adaptive trait, but its evolution is difficult to study, as measuring parameters is usually difficult. However, the sufficient amounts of demographic data enable us to estimate these parameters. 2. Here, it is shown that the reproductive schedule of the ant Camponotus (Colobopsis) nipponicus is tuned to maximise the lifetime production of alates. 3. A colony started its reproduction 4 years after the colony founding, at which time they were far smaller than well‐developed colonies. This contradicts the prediction of the bang‐bang strategy theory. The size distribution of colonies in the study area showed that the mortality of small colonies is much higher than that of large colonies. 4. A simulation analysis suggests that the colonies that are smaller than the threshold can still achieve significant improvement in colny survival to the following year by investing all resources in colony growth instead of reproduction. A sensitivity analysis for the starting year of reproduction showed that the observed schedule maximises lifetime alate production. The demographic data suggest a stable population, which is required for optimisation through this maximisation. 5. The observed reproductive schedule must be optimised, and the breakdown of the bang‐bang theory is due to higher mortalities during the incipient stage of colonies. This study demonstrates that having enough demographic data creates a useful tool for studying the evolution of life‐history characteristics.     

The effect of ultraviolet light on the production of bacterial virus protein

The amount of phage-specific protein in T2-infected bacteria growing in a medium containing radiosulfur, S³⁵, has been studied by measuring the radioactivity in specific antiphage serum precipitates of lysates. In the course of normal infection, non-infective phage antigen has been found to make its first intracellular appearance shortly before the end of the eclipse period, in agreement with the findings of Maaløe and Symonds with phage T4. No such phage antigen is produced either in bacteria infected with UV-inactivated T2 or in T2-infected bacteria whose survival as an infective center has been destroyed by UV irradiation during the early stages of the eclipse period. If the infected bacteria are UV-irradiated only at later stages of the eclipse period however, then phage antigenic protein continues to be synthesized in those infected cells in which DNA synthesis and, a fortiori, production of infective progeny have been almost completely suppressed. It is concluded from these results that once the mechanism for formation of phage-specific protein has been established within the infected cell under the influence of the parental DNA, synthesis of phage-specific protein can continue independently of the synthesis of phage DNA. The possibility that the phage DNA controls the specificity of the phage protein indirectly through substances other than DNA is discussed.     

Evolution and phylogeny of the scarab subtribe Anisopliina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anomalini)

Abstract.  The subtribe Anisopliina (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anomalini) is associated with grasses, and its species are distributed in the Palaearctic, Oriental, Ethiopian, Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographical regions. Phylogenetic analysis of adult morphological characters was conducted to examine the monophyly and classification of the group, as well as to examine characters associated with grass pollinivory and graminivory. We review the biology, phylogeny and classification of the Anisopliina and provide an overview of each genus. The analysis of ninety-one morphological characters using parsimony does not support the monophyly of the subtribe Anisopliina. Instead, the results provide support for a group referred to here as the anisopliine clade, a circum-Mediterranean group, forming an internal clade within the well-supported tribe Anomalini. Sister group relationships are discussed, possibly being associated with a New World anomaline taxon. Character states associated with grass herbivory, including mouthpart and leg characters, are discussed based on the phylogenetic analysis. Within the Anomalini, an evolutionary shift from generalized leaf feeding to grass associations and grass pollen feeding is supported.