The presence of the recurrent veinlet in the?Middle Jurassic Nymphidae (Neuroptera): a unique character?condition in Myrmeleontoidea

A well-developed recurrent veinlet is found in the forewing of two species of Nymphidae from the Middle Jurassic locality of Daohugou (Inner Mongolia, China), Liminympha makarkini Ren & Engel and Daonymphes bisulca gen. et sp. n. This is the first record of this trait in the clade comprised of the superfamilies Myrmeleontoidea and Chrysopoidea. We interpret the recurrent veinlet in these species as a remnant of the condition present more basally in the psychopsoid + ithonoid + chrysopoid + myrmeleontoid clade (i.e., as a plesiomorphy). Other venational character states of Daonymphes bisulca of interest include the configuration of subcosta anterior (ScA), which is very similar to that of extant Nymphidae. We consider the short ScA terminating on ScP to be an autapomorphy of Neuroptera.     

Variation of allozyme loci in endemic gammarids of Lake Baikal

The outstandingly rich and highly endemic fauna of Lake Baikal includes more than 200 species of gammarids (Crustacea, Amphipoda), most of which occur only in Baikal. Allelic variation at 23 enzyme loci has been studied for the first time in four species of Baikalian gammarids. The levels of polymorphism are similar to those observed in other invertebrates, including gammarids: c. 20–25% of the loci are polymorphic with 2.53 to 3.3 alleles and mean heterozygosity of 0.048 to 0.105 per polymorphic locus. The genotype frequences in local populations in most cases markedly deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with a deficiency of heterozygotes. Populations were shown to be strongly subdivided even over a range of less than 100 m. On the larger scale genetic differences among the populations do not show any strong correlation with geographical separation. Genetic distances among species were found to be rather low: from 0.159 between closely related, but morphologically clearly distinct species of the genus Spinacanthus to 0.546 between the representatives of different genera. We discuss these patterns of population structure with respect to the problem of the origin of endemic faunas in ancient lakes. Our results suggest that speciation occurred rapidly and relatively recently. Genetic distances within and among species support models of speciation based on the founder effect or differentiation of a peripheral population rather than on divergence of large subpopulations. The rate of morphological evolution in Baikalian gammarids is very high compared with their biochemical evolution.     

Responses of soil biota to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ could have dramatic effects upon terrestrial ecosystems including changes in ecosystem structure, nutrient cycling rates, net primary production, C source-sink relationships and successional patterns. All of these potential changes will be constrained to some degree by below ground processes and mediated by responses of soil biota to indirect effects of CO₂ enrichment. A review of our current state of knowledge regarding responses of soil biota is presented, covering responses of mycorrhizae, N-fixing bacteria and actinomycetes, soil microbiota, plant pathogens, and soil fauna. Emphasis will be placed on consequences to biota of increasing C input through the rhizosphere and resulting feedbacks to above ground systems. Rising CO₂ may also result in altered nutrient concentrations of plant litter, potentially changing decomposition rates through indirect effects upon decomposer communities. Thus, this review will also cover current information on decomposition of litter produced at elevated CO₂. Summary Predictably, the responses of soil biota to CO₂ enrichment and the degree of experimental emphasis on them increase with proximity to, and intimacy with, roots. Symbiotic associations are all stimulated to some degree. Total plant mycorrhization increases with elevated CO₂. VAM fungi increase proportionately with fine root length/mass increase. ECM fungi, however, exhibit greater colonization per unit root length/mass at elevated CO₂ than at current atmospheric levels. Total N-fixation per plant increases in all species examined, although the mechanisms of increase, as well as the eventual benefit to the host relative to N uptake may vary. Microbial responses are unclear. The assumption that changes in root exudation will drive increased mineralization and facilitate nutrient uptake should be examined experimentally, in light of recent models. Microbial results to date suggest that metabolic activity (measured as changes in process rates) is stimulated by root C input, rather than population size (measured by cell or colony counts). Insufficient evidence exists to predict responses of either soil-borne plant pathogens or soil fauna (i.e., food web responses). These are areas requiring attention, the first for its potential to limit ecosystem production through disease and the second because of its importance to nutrient cycling processes. Preliminary data on foliar litter decomposition suggests that neither nutrient ratios nor decomposition rates will be affected by rising CO₂. This is another important area that may be better understood as the number of longer term studies with more realistic CO₂ exposures increase. Evidence continues to mount that C fixation increases with CO₂ enrichment and that the bulk of this C enters the belowground component of ecosystems. The global fate and effects of this additional C may affect all hierarchical levels, from organisms to ecosystems, and will be largely determined by responses of soil biota.     

Metallopolia, a new subgenus of Polia (Noctuidae,Noctuinae, Hadenini), with the description of two new species and a new subspecies

A new subgenus of Polia, Metallopolia subgen. n., two new species (Polia (Metallopolia) dysgnorima sp. n. and P. (M.) metagnorima sp. n.) from China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu), and a new subspecies, P. (M.) subviolacea kanchenjunga ssp. n. from Nepal and SE Tibet (Sikkim) are described. Habitus, antennae, male and female genitalia of all Metallopolia species are characterised, depicted and compared with the related species.     

The current knowledge on centipedes (Chilopoda) in Slovenia: faunistic and ecological records from a national database

In spite of Slovenia’s very high biodiversity, it has only a few animal groups that have been significantly investigated and are well known in this area. Slovenian researchers have studied only about half of the species known to be living in the country (Mršić 1997), but among well investigated species are centipedes. All available data about centipedes in Slovenia collected from 1921 to 2014 have been consolidated and constitute a general electronic database called “CHILOBIO”, which was created to provide an easy overview of the Slovenian centipede fauna and to allow entry and interpretation of new data collected in future research. The level of investigation has been studied with this database, in conjunction with a geographic information system (GIS). In the study period, 109 species were identified from 350 localities in 109 of the 236 UTM 10 × 10 km quadrants which cover the study area. The south-central part of the country has been the subject of the best investigations, whereas there is an absence of data from the south-eastern, eastern and north-eastern regions The highest number of species (52) has been recorded near the Iška valley (Central Slovenia, quadrant VL68). In 48% of the UTM quadrants investigated fewer than 10 species were recorded and just 5 species were found in one locality. Seventeen species were reported only in the Dinaric region, 4 in the Prealpine-subpannonian region and 7 in the Primorska-submediterranean region.     

云南西双版纳热带雨林地区的食蚜蝇（双翅目：食蚜蝇科）

本文共记述了云南西双版纳地区２３属３７种食蚜蝇。其中有１新种和中国１新纪录种,另外有２种在国外报道,我国台湾和海南有分布,但国内无任何记载和描述,本文对这些种类均进行了描述。同时还对该地区的食蚜蝇区系特点及不同生态环境下食蚜蝇多样性进行了初步分析。     

Global patterns of resilience decline in vertebrate populations

Maintaining the resilience of natural populations, their ability to resist and recover from disturbance, is crucial to prevent biodiversity loss. However, the lack of appropriate data and quantitative tools has hampered our understanding of the factors determining resilience on a global scale. Here, we quantified the temporal trends of two key components of resilience—resistance and recovery—in >2000 population time-series of >1000 vertebrate species globally. We show that the number of threats to which a population is exposed is the main driver of resilience decline in vertebrate populations. Such declines are driven by a non-uniform loss of different components of resilience (i.e. resistance and recovery). Increased anthropogenic threats accelerating resilience loss through a decline in the recovery ability—but not resistance—of vertebrate populations. These findings suggest we may be underestimating the impacts of global change, highlighting the need to account for the multiple components of resilience in global biodiversity assessments.     

Strontium stratigraphy of the Oligocene–Early Miocene shellbeds of the Kutch Basin,western India,and its implications

The Kutch Basin is unique among the western Indian sedimentary basins because of its near-complete sequence of post-Palaeozoic rocks. Due to extensive marine influence, the Oligocene–Early Miocene formations of the basin, namely Maniyara Fort, Khari Nadi and Chhasra, contain numerous shellbeds. Although age assignments of these formations exist based on foraminiferal biostratigraphy, detailed numerical age of the lithounits are yet to be established. We have identified a total of eleven distinct shellbeds (oldest SB 01 to youngest SB11) from this interval primarily containing bivalve fossils. Using ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of selected oyster and pectinid shells with pristine shell characteristics, we report the age of four shellbeds. The ages of SB 01, SB 04, SB 06 and SB 10 are 24.37, 17.31, 16.85 and 15.38 Ma, respectively. Our dates suggest a Chattian (24.37 Ma) age for SB 01 from the Bermoti Member, validating the previous biostratigraphical estimates from the Maniyara Fort Formation. The Chhasra Formation, however, shows a younger range of ages (17.31–15.38 Ma) characterized by a transition from the Burdigalian (SB 04–SB 06) to the Langhian (SB 10) stages. These dates have important implications in the study of sequence stratigraphy, Palaeobiogeography and tectonic history of the Kutch Basin. A surface with subaerial exposure is found in SB 08 (between 16.85 and 15.38 Ma) that corresponds to a global eustatic sea-level decrease (Mi2). Our new dates will also help evaluate the response of marine fauna to the closure of the Tethyan seaway around 19 Ma due to the formation of ‘Gomphotherium Landbridge’. The dated shellbeds enable us to identify pre- and post-closure fauna and assess the effect of biogeographical separation on these fauna. These dates have important implications in evaluating the regional geological record of western India in the context of various global events.     

早期节肢动物化石对演化发育生物学的启示

基于特定遗传机制而发生的生物演化过程是生命本质所在,是一个能引起争论和激励思维的研究领域。我国帽天山页岩动物群保存的“中间环节”化石不仅为揭示节肢动物和脊椎动物等重大生物类群起源和早期演化之谜提供可供追溯的实证,而且可能成为探索基因调控机制演化与形态发生的模型动物。生物发育调控基因及其调控机制的变化是导致形态变异的根本原因。因此新的研究领域——演化发育生物学的产生使地质学和生物学联合研究动物起源和演化机制以及某些调控基因的起源和演化成为可能。本研究依据古生物学新的化石发现和研究成果,其中包括最新提出的关于节肢动物头、眼柄、前附肢的原型及其演化模式,分析其对演化发育生物学的影响和启示,并尝试为发育生物学提出新的前瞻性研究课题。因此,早期节肢动物化石的研究不仅将古生物学、演化生物学和发育生物学研究融为一体,而且为发育生物学基因层面研究和古生物学演化层面研究的融合找到切入点。     

大型土壤动物群落对短花针茅草原荒漠化过程的响应

土壤动物是草地生态系统的重要组分,对维持草地生态系统结构与功能的稳定性具有重要作用,研究土壤动物群落对草地荒漠化的响应有助于揭示地下与地上生态过程的联系,全面认识荒漠化的本质。选取鄂尔多斯高原西部未荒漠化(Ⅰ)、轻度荒漠化(Ⅱ)、中度荒漠化(Ⅲ)、重度荒漠化(Ⅳ)及极重度荒漠化(Ⅴ)5种短花针茅荒漠草原生境,采用手拣法对大型土壤动物群落进行了野外调查。共获得1门2纲6目25个土壤动物类群,优势类群为蚁科和金龟子总科幼虫,常见类群8个。结果显示,短花针茅荒漠草原大型土壤动物群落具有温带草原土壤动物群落的基本特征。在荒漠化进程中,大型土壤动物群落优势类群(蚁科和金龟子总科幼虫)未发生变化,但群落总个体密度和类群数显著下降(P0.01,P0.01),群落香浓多样性、丰富度和均匀度降低(P0.01,P0.01,P0.05),群落结构趋于简单。不同荒漠化生境土壤动物群落显示出明显的退化梯度,各土壤动物类群的分布揭示了它们对生境因子的偏好和响应模式的差异。短花针茅草原荒漠化对土壤动物垂直分布的影响具有由个体到类群、由表土层到下层的变化规律,但未改变土壤动物分布的表聚性。荒漠化导致的食物资源减少是蚁科动物个体密度变化的主要原因,轻度荒漠化(Ⅱ)最适宜蚁科动物生存,土壤全氮、有机质和地上生物量对步甲科和象甲科幼虫个体密度影响较大,重度荒漠化(Ⅳ)和极重度荒漠化(Ⅴ)生境将严重影响步甲科和象甲科幼虫的生存,但对金龟子总科和蜘蛛目动物个体密度影响不大。土壤动物与生境因子、生境及荒漠化进程之间的关系综合反应了草地生态系统退化过程。