Sex-specific territorial responses in Tawny Owls Strix aluco

A territorial intruder often poses more of a threat to the territory holder of the same sex as itself. As territorial aggression is associated with costs, aggression shown by birds towards territorial intruders of the opposite sex deserves investigation. This behaviour could arise due to the reproductive value of a mate or through mutualism between members of a pair. We investigated these hypotheses by presenting mated pairs of Tawny Owls Strix aluco with playback of male calls, female calls and a male and female duetting, and recording the number and intensity of responses by the male and female territory holders. Females responded significantly more often to female than to male calls. Males responded equally often to male and female playback. Males which had previously bred successfully with their mate were significantly more likely to respond to female playback in the spring, which suggested males were responding to female playback due to the reproductive value of their mate. There was no evidence of mutualism between members of a pair.     

Development of microsatellite markers in the noxious red tide‐causing dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama (Dinophyceae)

We isolated 15 polymorphic microsatellites from one of the most noxious red tide‐causing dinoflagellate species, Heterocapsa circularisquama. These loci provide one class of highly variable genetic markers, as the number of alleles ranged from two to six, and the estimate of gene diversity from 0.205 to 0.684 across the 15 microsatellites. These loci have the potential to reveal genetic structure and gene flow among H. circularisquama populations.     

Influence of urbanization on ant distribution in parks of Tokyo and Chiba City, Japan II. Analysis of species

To study the influence of urbanization on the distribution of ant species, I compared the occurrence of several ant species in urban parks of different areas and ages in Tokyo and Chiba City, Japan. Analysis of the presence or absence of 42 species revealed that the probability of occurrence in a park was significantly associated with park area for 15 species (35.7%), with park age for five (11.9%), and with region for seven (16.7%). It is likely that different species respond differently to urbanization. Species sensitive to urbanization could be good bioindicators of urban environments. Furthermore, to estimate the influence of the modification of underground environments, Messor aciculatus was selected, because this species nests in an almost vertical shaft with many chambers, to a depth of up to 4 m. The probability of occurrence of the species in a park tended to be lower in reclaimed land and banked land than in other landforms. This fact suggests that M. aciculatus could be a bioindicator of underground modification.     

Arsenic alters uptake and distribution of sulphur in Pteris vittata

Low‐molecular‐weight thiol (LMWT) synthesis has been reported to be directly induced by arsenic (As) in Pteris vittata, an As hyperaccumulator. Sulphur (S) is a critical component of LMWTs. Here, the effect of As treatment on the uptake and distribution of S in P. vittata was investigated. In P. vittata grown under low S conditions, the presence of As in the growth medium enhanced the uptake of SO₄^2?, which was used for LMWT synthesis in fronds. In contrast, As application did not affect SO₄^2? uptake in Nephrolepis exaltata, an As non‐hyperaccumulator. Moreover, the isotope microscope system revealed that S absorbed with As accumulated locally in a vacuole‐like organelle in epidermal cells, whereas S absorbed alone was distributed uniformly. These results suggest that S is involved in As transport and/or accumulation in P. vittata. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure analysis revealed that the major As species in the fronds and roots of P. vittata were inorganic As(III) and As(V), respectively, and that As–LMWT complexes occurred as a minor species. Consequently, in case of As accumulation in P. vittata, S possibly acts as a temporary ligand for As in the form of LMWTs in intercellular and/or intracellular transport (e.g. vacuolar sequestration).     

Geographical diversification of the genus Cicer (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) inferred from molecular phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences

Cicer L. (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) consists of 42 species of herbaceous or semi-shrubby annuals and perennials distributed throughout the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The origin and geographical relationships of the genus are poorly understood. We studied the geographical diversification and phylogenetic relationships of Cicer using DNA sequence data sampled from two plastid regions, trnK / matK and trnS - trnG , and two nuclear regions, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA, from 30 species. The results from the phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear and chloroplast sequence data revealed four well-supported geographical groups: a Middle Eastern group, a West-Central Asian group, an Aegean–Mediterranean group, and an African group. Age estimates for Cicer based on methods that do not assume a molecular clock (for example, penalized likelihood) demonstrate that the genus has a Mediterranean origin with considerable diversification in the Miocene/Pliocene epochs. Geological events, such as mountain orogenesis and environmental changes, are major factors for the dispersal of Cicer species. The early divergence of African species and their geographically distinct region in the genus suggest a broader distribution pattern of the genus in the past than at present.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 154 , 175–186.