Depositional environment of the Upper Cretaceous orbitolinid-rich microfacies in the Kuh-e Mazar anticline (Kerman Province,Central Iran)

This study is focused on the depositional model and paleoenvironmental distribution patterns of orbitolinids-rich microfacies in an Upper Cretaceous carbonate succession in the Kuh-e Mazar anticline in Kerman Province, Central Iran. Twelve microfacies indicating a tidal flat (including intertidal and supratidal) and an inner ramp (consisting of subtidal lagoon and orbitolinid–rudist barrier shoal) belonging to a shallow-water ramp-type carbonate platform were recognised. Generally, the orbitolinid associations in the carbonate ramp are indicative of shallow warm waters with normal salinity. The occurrence and abundance of thick or conical orbitolinids in both shoal and lagoon show that such associations were well adapted to different environmental conditions including different depth, substrate stability and water energy. The slightly discoidal, almost discoidal and discoidal forms were only present in the deeper depths of the environment including the lagoon with muddy and more stable substrates and lower water energy. However, the orbitolinids in the inner part of the carbonate ramp were scarce or almost absent in the deep inner to middle lagoon due to the deep restricted environmental conditions unfavourable for benthic marine life.     

Cretaceous angiosperm pollen from the Kachaike Formation,south-western Santa Cruz Province,Argentina

Thirty-three angiosperm pollen species are here reported from mid-Cretaceous deposits of the Kachaike Formation, Austral Basin, southern Argentina. Clavatipollenites is the most abundant angiosperm genus, with six well-defined morphological groups recognised on the basis of their reticulum morphology and sculpture. Pollen of eudicots are scarce, represented by tricolpate (Psilatricolpites spp. and Tricolpites spp.), tricolporoidate and tricolporate morphotypes (Dryadopollis spp.). Increasing complexity in the aperture structure is seen throughout the sequence; tricolpate and tricolporoidate forms are recorded in almost all samples, while tricolporate pollen grains are restricted to the middle and upper levels of the unit. The high species richness and abundance of monocolpate-ulcerate angiosperm related to monocots or magnoliids sensu lato recorded in the unit is comparable to that previously recognised in other assemblages from the early and middle Albian of the southern (e.g. Australia) and northern hemispheres (e.g. Western Portuguese basin, Europe). The recorded increase in the number of angiosperm species towards the middle and upper parts of the Kachaike Formation, with the presence of monocolpate, tricolpate, tricolporoidate and tricolporate pollen, suggests an early-early middle Albian age for these parts of the unit, in agreement with the early Albian age proposed for its basal levels on the basis of dinoflagellates.     

甘肃早白垩世恐龙蛋化石新类型（英文）

甘肃省早白垩世地层中,出土了大量恐龙骨骼以及恐龙足迹化石,但是至今未有蛋化石的报道。根据发现于兰州-民和盆地下白垩统河口组的蛋壳化石,建立一恐龙蛋新蛋属、蛋种,并将其归于一新蛋科:Polyclonoolithidae(多小枝蛋科)。新发现的蛋化石标本不同于所有已知的恐龙蛋类型,具有独特的显微特征组合:分叉的蛋壳单元向外延伸至蛋壳外表面,并未在靠近蛋壳外表面处融合成层;弦切面上具相互链接或独立的多角形的蛋壳单元;以及不规则的气孔道。中国的恐龙蛋化石大多出自晚白垩世地层,仅在辽宁有早白垩世恐龙蛋的报道。新发现扩展了中国恐龙蛋化石的地质和地理分布,也有可能为圆形蛋科蛋壳结构的起源提供新的认识。     

Adaptive evolution of butterfly wing shape: from morphology to behaviour

Butterflies display extreme variation in wing shape associated with tremendous ecological diversity. Disentangling the role of neutral versus adaptive processes in wing shape diversification remains a challenge for evolutionary biologists. Ascertaining how natural selection influences wing shape evolution requires both functional studies linking morphology to flight performance, and ecological investigations linking performance in the wild with fitness. However, direct links between morphological variation and fitness have rarely been established. The functional morphology of butterfly flight has been investigated but selective forces acting on flight behaviour and associated wing shape have received less attention. Here, we attempt to estimate the ecological relevance of morpho‐functional links established through biomechanical studies in order to understand the evolution of butterfly wing morphology. We survey the evidence for natural and sexual selection driving wing shape evolution in butterflies, and discuss how our functional knowledge may allow identification of the selective forces involved, at both the macro‐ and micro‐evolutionary scales. Our review shows that although correlations between wing shape variation and ecological factors have been established at the macro‐evolutionary level, the underlying selective pressures often remain unclear. We identify the need to investigate flight behaviour in relevant ecological contexts to detect variation in fitness‐related traits. Identifying the selective regime then should guide experimental studies towards the relevant estimates of flight performance. Habitat, predators and sex‐specific behaviours are likely to be major selective forces acting on wing shape evolution in butterflies. Some striking cases of morphological divergence driven by contrasting ecology involve both wing and body morphology, indicating that their interactions should be included in future studies investigating co‐evolution between morphology and flight behaviour.     

Methane yield and species diversity dynamics of perennial wild plant mixtures established alone,under cover crop maize (Zea mays L.), and after spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

The cultivation of perennial wild plant mixtures (WPMs) in biogas cropping systems dominated by maize (Zea mays L.) restores numerous ecosystem functions and improves both spatial and temporal agrobiodiversity. In addition, the colorful appearance of WPM can help enhance landscape beauty. However, their methane yield per hectare (MYH) varies greatly and amounts to only about 50% that of maize. This study aimed at decreasing MYH variability and increasing accumulated MYH of WPM by optimizing the establishment method. A field trial was established in southwest Germany in 2014, and is still running. It tested the effects of three WPM establishment procedures (E1: alone [without maize, in May], E2: undersown in cover crop maize [in May], E3: WPM sown after whole‐crop harvest of spring barley [Hordeum vulgare L.] in June) on both MYH and species diversity of two WPMs [S1, S2]). Mono‐cropped maize and cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) were used as reference crops. Of the WPM treatments tested, S2E2 achieved the highest (19,296 , 60.5% of maize) and S1E1 the lowest accumulated MYH (8,156 , 25.6% of maize) in the years 2014–2018. Cup plant yielded slightly higher than S2E2 (19,968 , 62.6% of maize). In 2014, the WPM sown under maize did not significantly affect the cover crop performance. From 2015 onward, E1 and E2 had comparable average annual MYH and average annual number of WPM species. With a similar accumulated MYH but significantly higher number of species (3.5–10.2), WPM S2E2 outperformed cup plant. Overall, the long‐term MYH performance of WPM cultivation for biogas production can be significantly improved by undersowing with maize as cover crop. This improved establishment method could help facilitate the implementation of WPM cultivation for biogas production and thus reduce the trade‐off between bioenergy and biodiversity.     

Crop identity and memory effects on aboveground arthropods in a long‐term crop rotation experiment

Agricultural landscapes are globally dominated by monocultures under intensive management. This is one of the main reasons for biodiversity loss and insect population decline in many regions all over the world. Agroecosystem biodiversity in these areas can be enhanced by cropping system diversification, such as crop rotations. Yet, long‐term studies on effects of crop rotations on aboveground agrobiodiversity are lacking. We set up a 10‐year long‐term crop rotation experiment in Central Germany and monitored the temporal dynamics of aboveground arthropods over a full cultivation period to investigate influence of current and preceding crop identity and cropping system diversification on activity density, species richness, and community structure. We found that species composition was strongly influenced by currently grown crop although effect on arthropods varied between species groups. Especially, winter oilseed rape strongly affects arthropod community structure. Interestingly, we were also able to show an influence of the preceding crops, indicating an ecological memory effect in the aboveground arthropod community. Our results show that crop identity of both currently and previously grown crops in crop rotations may lead to an increase in arthropod activity density and changes in species composition. Diversified crop rotations including appropriate crops can be an easily implemented tool to increase arthropod biodiversity and biomass at large spatial and temporal scales, particularly in areas dominated by a single crop (e.g., wheat, maize). Our results may help to design optimized crop rotations for large‐scale enhancement of insect biodiversity in agroecosystems.     

Palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographical implications of fossil seeds and charophytes from the Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous), Jabalpur,Madhya Pradesh,India

A Late Cretaceous fossil flora composed of five fossil seed genera and two charophyte genera was discovered and reported here from the siltstone and green marl band of the Lameta Formation at the Chui Hill section and the Chhota Simla Hill section in the Jabalpur area. On the basis of comparative studies, including thin-section and XRD analysis, the palaeoenvironment is deduced to be arid to semi-arid fluvial-lacustrine. The recovered flora suggests Laurasian palaeobiogeographic affinity and shows the dispersal route from Europe to India via Africa.