Crocodile swim tracks from the latest Cretaceous of Europe

Recently discovered evidence of tracks in the continental beds of the Late Cretaceous Tremp Formation in the southern Pyrenees (NE Iberian Peninsula) has been identified as scratch marks made by buoyant crocodiles. The tracks are preserved in two distinct environments and substrates (marly limestones originating in a littoral mud flat and fine‐grained sandstones deposited in fluvial settings). Most of the crocodylian traces are ascribed to ichnogenus Characichnos, whereas a single plantigrade pes track is assigned to ichnogenus cf. Crocodylopodus. The crocodylian swim traces (Characichnos ichnofacies) found in the early and late Maastrichtian co‐occur with Brontopodus ichnofacies attributable to terrestrial tetrapods (titanosaur sauropods, cf. Brontopodus ichnogenus; and hadrosaurid ornithopods, Hadrosauropodus ichnogenus). Analysis of the tracks allows the interpretation of palaeoenvironmental settings and track production. Thus, in lagoonal environments, swim tracks of crocodylians were produced during the rise of the water level in successive tide cycles; in fluvial settings, the swim traces of crocodylians were produced within the channel at the low‐water stage. To date, there are no reports of Late Cretaceous crocodylian tracks in Europe, and the studied evidence represents the first and youngest track record of the group in the latest part of the Cretaceous (C29r) in this continent and probably in the world.     

Is allometry of sexual traits adaptive? A field test with territorial damselflies

Recent studies have linked static allometry of sexual traits to selective advantages, in terms of sexual selection. An underlying, yet untested, assumption is that the allometry of sexual traits confers higher mating success and/or survival. Here, we investigated whether the allometry of two sexual traits is related to male mating success and survival in two species of damselflies: wing size in Paraphlebia zoe and the red‐pigmented wing spot in Hetaerina americana. We used large field‐based data sets of marked‐recaptured animals, in which we recorded male mating success and survival. Both sexual traits exhibited hyperallometric patterns; however, allometry was not linked to either mating success or survival. These results indicate that, at least during the period of sexual competition, allometry does not seem to be adaptive. Although our results may only apply to our damselfly study subjects (which nevertheless would require further tests in different seasons and/or study sites), our findings should encourage researchers to evaluate at least whether the assumed adaptiveness of sexual trait allometry holds for their study animals. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 114 , 327–334.     

Morphological phylogenetic analysis of Ophrys (Orchidaceae): insights from morpho‐anatomical floral traits into the interspecific relationships in an unresolved clade

Reconstructing the phylogeny of the sexually deceptive orchid genus Ophrys is crucial to our understanding of the evolution of its complex floral morphology. Molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that section Pseudophrys forms a well supported clade with Ophrys bombyliflora, O. tenthredinifera and O. speculum, but were unable to elucidate the relationships between these four groups of taxa. Here we conduct a morphological phylogenetic analysis of this unresolved clade of Ophrys based on a data matrix of 45 macro‐ and micromorphological and anatomical floral characters, using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Our cladistic analysis yielded a single most parsimonious tree and a Bayesian 50% majority‐rule consensus tree which differed in their overall topology but agreed that O. tenthredinifera and O. bombyliflora are not sister groups. The phylogenetic placement of O. tenthredinifera was ambiguous since it shares six valid synapomorphies each with the cluster of O. speculum–O. bombyliflora and with section Pseudophrys. In contrast, O. bombyliflora is most likely the sister group to O. speculum, a finding that rejects an earlier morphological phylogenetic hypothesis and favours the existing molecular trees based on nuclear ITS rather than plastid data. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 179 , 454–476.     

The effects of deer exclusion on the development of a Mediterranean plant community affected by a wildfire

Despite the resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems to fire, the ecological restoration of burned plant communities can be hindered by ungulate herbivores, particularly in areas with high population densities. This study compares the postfire development of a shrub community with and without deer, after a wildfire occurred in 2003 in a protected area in Central Portugal. We monitored 12 fenced and 12 unfenced plots 2, 3, 4, and 8 years after fire. Within each plot, we established a linear transect and measured the monospecific canopy projections (plant patches). Five plant community indicators (patch number, average patch length, average patch height, patch cover, and patch phytovolume per square meter) were obtained. The diameter and height of individuals of the most abundant shrub species (Cistus salvifolius, Erica scoparia, Myrtus communis, Pistacia lentiscus, Rubus ulmifolius, and Ulex jussiaei) were also measured. These measurements were used as response variables in generalized linear mixed models in order to assess the effects of time‐after‐fire and fencing, on the development of the plant community. Patch height and phytovolume had a significantly higher growth in fenced plots. At the species level, C. salvifolius, M. communis, R. ulmifolius, and U. jussiaei showed a higher growth across time both in height and in diameter, in the absence of herbivory. This work shows that deer exclusion needs to be considered when aiming at the postfire restoration of Mediterranean shrub communities.     

Risk Perception and Chronic Exposure to Organochlorine Pesticides in Maya Communities of Mexico

In order to analyze risk perception related to the use and handling of organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in agricultural and livestock activities among Maya communities of Yucatan, Mexico, and to study their impact on public health and the environment, we conducted an analytical study applying 274 semi-structured interviews in 11 municipalities in the zone called “Ring of Cenotes.” The harmful effects of agrochemicals on water supplies, soils, air, and human health were considered, including the indoor use of pesticides to preserve harvest products. Recent studies showed high levels of OCP in groundwater. A generalized low risk perception related to human health and the environment due to pesticide use was found. Likewise, social parameters were analyzed, including the educational level, as well as risk factors related to groundwater karst vulnerability. Pesticides that have been banned by international conventions are still in use. The occurrence of some diseases such as cervical cancer, with a very high prevalence at the national level, and the practice of obtaining drinking water from polluted wells and sinkholes, may be associated with this low risk perception and with poor social conditions. Establishing programs on health education, agro-ecological production alternatives, and water chemical quality monitoring is recommended.