Inferring habitat and feeding behaviour of early Miocene notoungulates from Patagonia

Cassini, G.H., Mendoza, M., Vizcaíno, S.F. & Bargo, M.S. 2011: Inferring habitat and feeding behaviour of early Miocene notoungulates from Patagonia. Lethaia, Vol. 44, pp. 153–165. Notoungulates, native fossil mammals of South America, have been usually studied from a taxonomic point of view, whereas their palaeobiology has been largely neglected. For example, morpho‐functional or eco‐morphological approaches have not been rigorously applied to the masticatory apparatus to propose hypothesis on dietary habits. In this study, we generate inferences about habitat and feeding preferences in five Santacrucian genera of notoungulates of the orders Typotheria and Toxodontia using novel computer techniques of knowledge discovery. The Santacrucian (Santa Cruz Formation, late‐early Miocene) fauna is particularly appropriate for this kind of studies due to its taxonomic richness, diversity, amount of specimens recorded and the quality of preservation. Over 100 extant species of ungulates, distributed among 13 families of artiodactyls and perissodactyls, were used as reference samples to reveal the relationships between craniodental morphology and ecological patterns. The results suggest that all Santacrucian notoungulates present morphologies characteristic of open habitats’ extant ungulates. Although the Toxodontia exhibits the same morphological pattern of living mixed‐feeders and grazers, the Typotheria shows exaggerated traits of specialized grazer ungulates. □Craniodental morphology, ecomorphology, fossil ungulates, knowledge discovery, South America.     

Geographical variation in body size of the Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus L.

This paper analyses the geographical variation in body size of the Wood Mouse. A size increase is observed from north to south, contrary to Bergmann's rule. This increase is related to regions of sympatry and allopatry with the Yellow-necked Mouse, a closely related, potentially competing species. The possibility of character displacement playing an important role in determining the observed variation in body size is discussed.     

Turgor Differences and Water Stress in Maize and Sorghum Leaves During Drought and Recovery

The pressure potentials (turgor pressure) in leaves of maize(Zea mays L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) plantssubjected to water stress in a controlled environment were estimatedfrom measurements of water and osmotic potentials. Changes inturgor pressure were larger in sorghum than in maize duringthe development of water stress and after re-watering. It issuggested that this indicates a lower cell wall elasticity insorghum than in maize. This fact may affect some of the physiologicalactivities of sorghum     

Actin mRNA Levels and Actin Synthesis During the Encystation of Entamoeba invadens

ABSTRACT. Parasitic amebas propagate among hosts through cysts, the resistant forms in their life cycle. In spite of their key role in infection, little is known about the encystation process and the mechanisms involved in reaching this stage. Two features drastically affected by encystation are motility and cell shape, both of which are determined by the cytoskeleton, composed mainly of actin in these organisms. Therefore, we studied the occurrence and relative levels of actin and actin synthesis during encystation of Entamoeba invadens. Using a cDNA actin probe obtained from a library of E. histolytica and a monoclonal antibody against actin, we found that, while the total actin levels sharply decrease as encystation proceeds, the levels of actin mRNA are reduced only in mature cysts. Moreover, actin synthesis does not take place in precysts and the later stages of cyst formation. In contrast, the levels of other proteins remain stable in trophozoites, precysts and cysts, and stage specific peptides are actively synthesized in precysts. The results indicate that encystation is accompanied by a preferential down-regulation of actin synthesis and a decrease in actin levels. The reorganization of the cytoskeleton occurring as trophozoites transform into round, quiescent cells, could be a regulatory factor in the observed changes.     

Measured and Calculated Transpiration in Trifolium repens under Different Water Potentials

The relationship between transpiration measured gravimetrically,a generalized transpiration equation, and the ratio VPD/r_leafwas investigated in Trifolium repens plants subjected to varyingwater potentials. Dawn leaf water potential was measured witha pressure chamber, leaf diffusion resistance with a diffusionporometer, leaf temperatures with a thermistor, and relativehumidity with an aspirated psychrometer. During drought transpirationrates determined by both methods were quite similar particularlyat the lowest water potentials. After rewatering calculatedrates were somewhat higher than measured ones. It is concludedthat transpiration calculated by the indirect method is a usefuland reasonable estimate of transpiration for single plants undervarying water potentials.     

Comparative Study of Experimental Ocular Melanoma Using Two Implantation Techniques of B16-F10 Melanocytes

Objective: The aim of this work was to evaluate the behaviour of B16-F10 melanoma cell cultures implanted in the anterior chamber of the eye of New Zealand white rabbits by studying the clinical-pathological and ultrastructural characteristics of the lesions. Methods: One group (A) (consisting of 30 rabbits) was transclerally inoculated (1 mm from sclero-corneal limbus) with 4×10⁶ melanocytes and another group (B) (also 30 animals) was inoculated once per week for 3 consecutive weeks with 5×10⁶ cells (total 15×10⁶); 30 animals acted as the control group (C). All the lesions were processed for optic and electronic microscopy. Results: Tumoral growth in group A was 43% (13/30) and in group B 80% (24/30). All lesions were pigmented and none perforated the eyeball. Microscopically, they were a mixture of epithelioid and fusiform cells disposed around the blood vessels. Ultrastructurally, the presence of melanosomes in different stages of maturation and aberrant melanosomes were characteristic. Conclusion: We suggest that the transcleral inoculation of 15×10⁶ B16-F10 melanocytes into the anterior chamber of the eye of New Zealand white rabbits may be a valid and reproducible method for obtaining an experimental ocular melanoma model.