The cuticular scales of Lynx spiders (Araneae,Oxyopidae)

An examination of the cuticular scales of the lynx spiders Oxyopes aglossus, O. salticus, and Peucetia viridans using scanning electron microscopy revealed that scales in these spiders are morphologically distinct, yet similar to the scales of the jumping spiders Eris militaris and Hentzia mitrata. Like the cuticular scales of jumping spiders, the cuticular scales of lynx spiders exhibit morphological differentiation in regard to location of occurrence on the body, with scales near the eyes tending to have more numerous and larger spines on the superior surface than scales on other regions of the prosoma and opisthosoma. The functional significance of this differentiation in scale morphology is unknown. Sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic variation in scale morphology and color were observed in the genus Oxyopes,but not in Peucetia. In addition, the scales of P. viridans were distinguishable from the scales of Oxyopes spp. on the basis of the number of apical spines (1 in P. viridans instead of 3–7 in Oxyopesspp.) and on the presence of spines on the inferior surface (many in P. viridans and none in Oxyopesspp.). J. Morphol. 236:223-231, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Last lynxes in Portugal? Molecular approaches in a pre-extinction scenario

The Iberian lynx is the most threatened felidin the world and has suffered a declinethroughout its range. Effective monitoring ofthe species' presence is essential. Fieldwork inpreviously identified areas of lynx occurrencein Portugal has resulted in the collection of104 possible lynx scats. Recently, there hasbeen little or no evidence of lynx presence andscats could be confused with others from moreabundant carnivores such as wildcat, fox anddog. In order to confirm or not exclude thepresence of the species, identification ofscats was performed through the amplificationof lynx-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences.Two samples collected in Malcata NaturalReserve in 1997 were identified as lynx. Thisis the most recent and reliable proof of lynxpresence in Portugal^*. Given the territorialbehavior of lynx, stable resident populationswould have produced a higher proportion ofpositively identified scats. Local extinctionsmight have taken place, and this genetic datasupports a suspected national pre-extinctionscenario for the species. Genetic analysisusing a non-invasive approach has proved to bean informative part of the lynx monitoringprogram. Technical problems faced and overcomeare also presented.     

The effects of hoarding habitat selection of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on natural regeneration of the Korean pines

Cone-cores discarded by Eurasian red squirrels were used to study the habitat selection of Korean pine-seeds hoarding, in forest patch Nos. 16 and 19 in Liangshui Nature Reserve, China. Ten transects with a total length of 15 km were uniformly set, and data from 343 valid samples were collected in a 369 hm² area. One hundred and eighty four were hoarding samples which were determined according to the cluster analysis based on the number of the cone-cores, while the other 159 were control samples. The principal component analysis, using 11 habitat factors, suggested that the distance from Korean pine forest, forest type, number of Korean pine seedlings, density and type of bush significantly influenced the habitat selection of hoarding by Eurasian red squirrels. The results of Bailey’s method indicated that the squirrels showed (1) preference for natural coniferous forest, natural fir and spruce forest and planted spruce forest; (2) avoidance of planted Korean pine forest and planted larch forest; and (3) random use of natural Korean pine forest. Moreover the distance from the Korean pines in the range of 150–600 m showed no effect on the habitat selection of hoarding by the Eurasian red squirrels. More than 50% of the cone-cores were discarded in either fringe or gap of the Korean pine forest with more cone-cores found at <300 m than at 300 m away (One-Way ANOVA; df = 3, 183, F = 5.76, p = 0.0009). This demonstrated that the Eurasian red squirrels could take the cone-cores out of the Korean pine forest. The density of bushes in samples of hoarding area was significantly lower than that in control samples (Kruskal–Wallis test; df = 1, χ² = 83.99, p < 0.0001). The number of the Korean pine seedlings in samples of hoarding area was significantly higher than that in the control samples (Kruskal–Wallis test; df = 1, χ² = 104.13, p < 0.0001). This illustrated that the hoarding habitat favoured the germination of the Korean pine seedlings. In conclusion the behavior of hoarding Korean pine seeds by the Eurasian red squirrels can promote the regeneration and dispersal of the Korean pines.     

Les relations entre l’Extrême-Orient eurasien et le nord de l’archipel du Japon au Paléolithique

The aim of this paper is to present a review of current knowledge concerning the Paleolithic records and the related natural environmental setting in the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido, located at the northern tip of the Japanese islands. At present, it is quite difficult to answer whether the archaic humans dispersed from Siberia and northern China across the Amur River basin and Sakhalin into Hokkaido or not, because there is no reliable evidence indicating the Lower and Middle Paleolithic in Hokkaido. We demonstrate that the Upper Paleolithic assemblages in Hokkaido can be divided into at least three phases such as the early Upper Paleolithic (EUP), the middle Upper Paleolithic (MUP), and the late Upper Paleolithic (LUP), based on a synthesis of available radiocarbon dates and the techno-typological characteristics of lithic assemblages. It is reasonable to suggest that the lithic assemblage from the Rubenosawa site, located in northern Hokkaido, and some of lithic assemblages at the transition from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic or the initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) in Siberia share the relative similarities of techno-typological attributes in the reduction sequences, although the reliable radiocarbon dates have not been obtained from the Rubenosawa site unfortunately. Also, the emergence of microblade technology at the MUP in Hokkaido, such as represented by the microblade assemblage recovered from the Kashiwadai-1 site, central Hokkaido, indicates a close interaction between the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido. As a result, the comparison of archaeological evidence in these regions provides us with a suggestion that the appearance and development of the Upper Paleolithic assemblages in Hokkaido were sometimes associated with the human dispersions and the mutual contacts crossing between the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido.     

Spatial Ecology of a Canada Lynx Population in Northern Maine

Abstract Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) were listed as a federally threatened species in 14 states at the southern extent of their geographic range in March 2000, with Maine being the only state in the northeastern United States known to support a resident population. Relatively little information is known about the ecology of lynx living at the southern edge of their range, including range requirements, movements, and spatial organization. Basic knowledge of lynx ecology is needed for federal recovery planning efforts. Between 1999 and 2004, we trapped and radiocollared 43 lynx (21 M, 22 F) in northern Maine in an intensively managed and predominantly early successional forested landscape. We estimated diurnal annual and seasonal home-range size for male and female lynx using the 85% fixed-kernel home-range estimator. Annual home ranges of adult male lynx (x̄ = 53.6 km²) were more than twice the size of adult female home ranges (x̄ = 25.7 km²). Home ranges of adult females during snow periods (x̄ = 38.3 km²) were nearly 3 times larger than their snow-free-period ranges (x̄ = 14.3 km²), whereas, snow-free ranges of adult males (x̄ = 58.8 km²) were slightly larger than their snow-period ranges (x̄ = 45.2 km²). We observed a limited amount of home-range overlap among lynx of the same sex (F: x̄ = 17.2%; M: x̄ = 11.8%). Lynx of opposite sex showed more extensive overlap (x̄ = 24.3%). Most home-range shifts of resident lynx were typically not extensive. Based on territory mapping, we estimated a minimum lynx density of 9.2–13.0 lynx/100 km². We observed lynx spatial ecology and densities that were more similar to northern lynx populations when hares were abundant than to other southern lynx populations, suggesting that region-specific studies under varying habitat conditions and hare densities are needed to ensure realistic recovery goals and effective management of lynx at the southern extent of their range.     

Biogeographical study of West Siberian hemiboreal forest associations with species range overlay methods

The geographical distributions of plant communities are usually inferred from mapping relevés. Here, we study another approach to map the ranges of associations and higher syntaxa: the joint distribution of the constant species of the associations, i.e. those species most frequently found in the relevés. We ask whether the joint distribution of the species reflects the distribution of the associations and higher syntaxa. Because of limited availability of plant distribution maps we consider species occurring in more than 40% of the relevés of four associations belonging to Western and Central Siberian hemiboreal forests of the class Brachypodio pinnati–Betuletea pendulae. Those species are the most informative for syntaxonomic considerations. The joint distribution is established by overlaying the distribution maps of the species and numerically compared with the mapped distribution of the vegetation communities using Cohen's Kappa. Most species occurring in the associations have a small to mid-sized range. The range size distribution of the contributing species approaches a normal distribution after logarithmic transformation of the range sizes. The geographical extents of the associations are well reflected by the overlays of all constant species. Removing sequentially the species beginning with those having the smallest distribution ranges from the overlay leads to progressive loss of similarity between mapped and modelled range of the associations. For the higher syntaxa (order and class) the similarity between mapped and modelled range increases first but drops at the end of the removal procedure. The less widespread species are particularly important for the recognition of a local plant community, i.e. the association. In contrast, more widespread species allow the definition of the ranges of higher syntaxa and reveal more large-scale geographic relationships of the vegetation. From our quantitative assessment of mapped and modelled maps of the distribution of plant communities, we conclude that the overlay method is useful to infer the geographical extent of plant communities.     

Ecology and adaptation of stunted growth in fish

Dwarf individuals are observed in many species of freshwater fish. This paper studies the potential causes of such stunted growth. We present a model which describes the effect of growth conditions on the age- and size-structure of fish populations. The model parameters are chosen to characterize a Eurasian perch population. Two possible causes of stunting are identified: resource limitation and size- or age-dependent survival probabilities. While the former mechanism often arises from intraspecific density dependence, the latter is of particular relevance in the context of interspecific interactions and fishing. After evaluating the immediate ecological consequences of these factors, we examine the potential for life-history adaptations in stunted fish populations. Interactions between the ecological and adaptive mechanisms of stunting are shown to be intricate: not only does the age at maturity of individuals affect their growth trajectories, but, in addition, alterations in growth conditions can result in different adaptively stable ages at maturity. We show that such adaptive responses can either alleviate or amplify stunting caused by ecological factors. Life-history adaptation may also lead to the persistence of stunting when ecological factors alone would allow for normal growth. An appreciation of the interplay between ecological and adaptive factors therefore is critical for understanding the causes and mechanisms of stunted growth. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Co-Occurrence and Occupancy of Mourning Doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves

Understanding how land cover and potential competition with invasive species shape patterns of occupancy, extirpation, and colonization of native species across a landscape can help target management for declining native populations. Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) populations have declined throughout the United States from 1965–2015. The expansion of the Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto), an introduced species with similar food preferences, may further threaten mourning dove populations. We analyzed data from 2009–2016 from a large-scale monitoring program in the Western Great Plains of the United States in a 2-species occupancy model to assess the effects of collared-doves on mourning dove distributions, while accounting for imperfect detection and variation in land cover across the landscape. Mourning dove occupancy was stable or increasing across our study area, and despite overlap in resource use and co-occurrence between mourning doves and Eurasian collared-doves, we found no evidence that collared-doves are extirpating mourning doves from preferred habitat during the breeding season. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

Genetic diversity and phylogeography of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) across Eurasia

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is one of the world's oldest cultivated cereals, with several lines of recent evidence indicating that it was grown in northern China from at least 10,000 cal bp. Additionally, a cluster of archaeobotanical records of P. miliaceum dated to at least 7000 cal bp exists in eastern Europe. These two centres of early records could either represent independent domestications or cross-continental movement of this cereal that would predate that of any other crop by some 2 millennia. Here, we analysed genetic diversity among 98 landrace accessions from across Eurasia using 16 microsatellite loci, to explore phylogeographic structure in the Old World range of this historically important crop. The major genetic split in the data divided the accessions into an eastern and a western grouping with an approximate boundary in northwestern China. A substantial number of accessions belonging to the 'western' genetic group were also found in northeastern China. Further resolution subdivided the western and eastern genepools into 2 and 4 clusters respectively, each showing clear geographic patterning. The genetic data are consistent with both the single and multiple domestication centre hypotheses and add specific detail to what these hypotheses would entail regarding the spread of broomcorn millet. Discrepancies exist between the predictions from the genetic data and the current archaeobotanical record, highlighting priorities for investigation into early farming in Central Asia.