Colony Failure Linked to Low Sperm Viability in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queens and an Exploration of Potential Causative Factors

Queen health is closely linked to colony performance in honey bees as a single queen is normally responsible for all egg laying and brood production within the colony. In the U. S. in recent years, queens have been failing at a high rate; with 50% or greater of queens replaced in colonies within 6 months when historically a queen might live one to two years. This high rate of queen failure coincides with the high mortality rates of colonies in the US, some years with >50% of colonies dying. In the current study, surveys of sperm viability in US queens were made to determine if sperm viability plays a role in queen or colony failure. Wide variation was observed in sperm viability from four sets of queens removed from colonies that beekeepers rated as in good health (n = 12; average viability = 92%), were replacing as part of normal management (n = 28; 57%), or where rated as failing (n = 18 and 19; 54% and 55%). Two additional paired set of queens showed a statistically significant difference in viability between colonies rated by the beekeeper as failing or in good health from the same apiaries. Queens removed from colonies rated in good health averaged high viability (ca. 85%) while those rated as failing or in poor health had significantly lower viability (ca. 50%). Thus low sperm viability was indicative of, or linked to, colony performance. To explore the source of low sperm viability, six commercial queen breeders were surveyed and wide variation in viability (range 60–90%) was documented between breeders. This variability could originate from the drones the queens mate with or temperature extremes that queens are exposed to during shipment. The role of shipping temperature as a possible explanation for low sperm viability was explored. We documented that during shipment queens are exposed to temperature spikes (<8 and > 40°C) and these spikes can kill 50% or more of the sperm stored in queen spermathecae in live queens. Clearly low sperm viability is linked to colony performance and laboratory and field data provide evidence that temperature extremes are a potential causative factor.     

Bioactive styryllactones,two new naphthoquinones and one new styryllactone,and other constituents from Goniothalamus scortechinii

Two new naphthoquinones, goniothalaminone A (1) and B (2), and a new styryllactone, (?)-8-epi-9-deoxygoniopypyrone acetate (12) together with one known naphthoquinone (3), one known indolequinone (4), one known 1-azaanthraquinone (5), six known styryllactones (6–11) and one known sesquiterpene (13) were isolated from the roots and leaves of Goniothalamus scortechinii. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and of the known compounds by comparison of their physical, UV, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR data with those of published compounds. Antiplasmodial, antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activities of the styryllactones were evaluated. Compounds 6–10 exhibited cytotoxic against human cancer cell lines, KB, BC and NCI-H187 with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.13 to 11.7 μg/ml.     

New primates from the late Eocene of Thailand: a contribution to primate diversity in the Paleogene of Asia

We report the discovery of two new primates from the late Eocene Krabi Basin, southern Thailand. One isolated upper molar displays morphological features (protocone united with hypocone by the prehypocrista, postprotocrista extended distobuccally) suggesting possible phylogenetic relationships with Amphipithecidae, while an isolated lower molar is tentatively referred to as a new tarsiiform, mainly on the basis of its paraconid and entoconid morphology. Although very scarce, these remains expand the record of Paleogene primates in Southeast Asia, and testify to their successful radiation in that area.     

Proximal femoral anatomy of a sivaladapid primate from the late middle Eocene Pondaung formation (central Myanmar)

The postcranial anatomy of the Asian sivaladapid adapiforms is still virtually undocumented, whereas dental remains of these primates have been known for several decades. Little is known about their positional behavior as a result. In this article, we describe a partial left femur of a medium-sized primate preserving its entire proximal portion and a significant length of its shaft. This fossil was recently recovered from the fossiliferous locality of Thamingyauk in the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation (central Myanmar). This femur is considered to pertain to the same individual as two tarsal elements (fragmentary talus and calcaneus) from the same locality (same location), and attributed to a medium-sized sivaladapid adapiform primate (Kyitchaungia takaii). This new postcranial element provides the first documentation of femoral anatomy among Sivaladapidae from Asia. The mechanical implications deriving from the musculoskeletal interpretation of this bone indicate an animal that probably engaged in a kind of active arboreal quadrupedalism with some degree of proficiency in leaping. Even though many musculoskeletal aspects suggest that branch walking and running were important parts of its locomotor repertoire, in other details it appears that relatively complex movements at the hip joint were actually possible and probably associated with climbing or some hindlimb suspensory activities.     

Uniquely derived upper molar morphology of Eocene Amphipithecidae (Primates: Anthropoidea): Homology and phylogeny

The extinct Southeast Asian primate family Amphipithecidae is regularly cited in discussions of anthropoid origins, but its phylogenetic position remains controversial. In part, the lack of consensus regarding amphipithecid relationships can be attributed to uncertainty regarding the homology of upper molar structures in this group. Here, we describe a virtually pristine upper molar of Pondaungia cotteri from the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar, which is the first example of a relatively unworn and well-preserved amphipithecid upper molar ever recovered. The distolingual upper molar cusp in this new specimen of Pondaungia appears to be a lingually displaced and enlarged metaconule, rather than a hypocone or pseudohypocone as previous workers have thought. Reassessment of the upper molar morphology of other amphipithecids and putative amphipithecids reveals a very similar pattern in Siamopithecus, Myanmarpithecus and Ganlea, all of which are interpreted as having upper molars showing many of the same derived features apparent in Pondaungia. In contrast, the upper molar morphology of Bugtipithecus diverges radically from that of undoubted amphipithecids, and the latter taxon is excluded from Amphipithecidae on this basis. Phylogenetic analyses of several character–taxon matrices culled from the recent literature and updated to reflect the new information on amphipithecid upper molar morphology yield similar results. Consensus tree topologies derived from these analyses support amphipithecid monophyly and stable relationships within Amphipithecidae. Amphipithecids appear to be stem members of the anthropoid clade.     

New remains of primitive ruminants from Thailand: evidence of the early evolution of the Ruminantia in Asia

A new tragulid, Archaeotragulus krabiensis , gen. n. et sp. n., is described from the late Eocene Krabi Basin (south Thailand). It represents the oldest occurrence of the family which was previously unknown prior to the Miocene. Archaeotragulus displays a mixture of primitive and derived characters, together with the M structure on the trigonid, which appears to be the main dental autapomorphy of the family. We also report the occurrence at Krabi of a new Lophiomerycid, Krabimeryx primitivus , gen. n. et sp. n., which displays affinities with Chinese representatives of the family, particularly Lophiomeryx . The familial status of Iberomeryx is discussed and a set of characters is proposed to define both Tragulidae and Lophiomerycidae. Results of phylogenetic analysis show that tragulids are monophyletic and appear nested within the lophiomerycids. The occurrence of Tragulidae and Lophiomerycidae in the upper Eocene of south-east Asia enhances the hypothesis that ruminants originated in Asia, but it also challenges the taxonomic status of traguloids within the Ruminantia.