A molecular and karyological approach to the taxonomy of Nautilus

Nautiloids, the externally shelled cephalopods of Cambrian origin, are the most ancient lineage among extant cephalopods. Their ancestral characters are explored based on morphological and molecular data (18S rDNA sequence) to investigate the evolution of present cephalopod lineages. Among molluscs, nautilus 18S rDNA gene is the longest reported so far, due to large nucleotidic insertions. By comparison with other 18S sequences, the complete gene of N. macromphalus helps to clarify the taxonomic status of the three universally recognised Nautilus species. The range of interspecific molecular differences supports separation of the present species into two surviving ectocochleate genera, Nautilus and Allonautilus. Nautiloid 18S is considered as corresponding to the ancestral form of 18S as is the number of chromosomes in Nautilus (52), the lowest among cephalopods. Comparison of karyological characteristics amongst cephalopods in a phylogenetic context suggests a possible correlation between duplication events and lineage divergence.     

Human development and log-periodic law

We suggest applying the log-periodic law formerly used to describe various crisis phenomena, in biology (evolutionary leaps), inorganic systems (earthquakes), societies and economy (economic crisis, market crashes) to the various steps of human ontogeny. We find a statistically significant agreement between this model and the data.     

The Eocene Juncitarsus – its phylogenetic position and significance for the evolution and higher-level affinities of flamingos and grebes

The Early Eocene Juncitarsus was described as one of the earliest fossil flamingos, and played a critical role in the hypothesis of a charadriiform origin of Phoenicopteriformes. It has been noted that phoenicopteriform affinities of Juncitarsus conflict with the recently proposed sister group relationship between flamingos and the morphologically very divergent grebes (Podicipediformes), but a detailed assessment of the evolutionary significance of Juncitarsus in light of this new hypothesis has not yet been performed. Here, the affinities of Juncitarsus are reviewed, and its position as sister group of the clade (Phoenicopteriformes + Podicipediformes) is affirmed. The osteology of Juncitarsus suggests that swimming adaptations evolved in the stem lineage of this latter clade after the divergence of Juncitarsus. Charadriiformes remain among the candidate taxa for the closest extant relatives of flamingos and grebes, but more data are needed for well-supported phylogenetic hypotheses.     

First fossil Calopterygoidea (Odonata: Zygoptera) from Southeastern Asia: A new genus and species from the Paleogene of China

Sinocalopteryx shangyongensis nov. gen., nov. sp., the first fossil calopterygoid from eastern Asia, is described from the earliest Eocene of Southwest China. Although the new genus has the principle synapomorphies of Calopterygoidea, it possesses a unique structure (possible reversal) in the pattern of vein RP1/2.     

First partial cranium of Togocetus from Kpogamé (Togo) and the protocetid diversity in the Togolese phosphate basin

Earliest cetaceans (whales) originated from the early Eocene of Indo-Pakistan, but the group dispersed through most of the oceans of the planet by the late middle to late Eocene. This late Eocene global distribution indicates that important dispersal events took place during the middle Eocene (Lutetian), a globally undersampled time interval that is well documented in the Togolese phosphate series. We report here the first discovery of a partial cetacean cranium from middle Eocene deposits of Togo (West Africa). A 3D model of the cranium and teeth was reconstructed in order to reveal hidden anatomical features. The dental and cranial characteristics of the Togolese specimen recall those of protocetid taxa described in Africa, Asia, and North America, but also display significant differences. In particular, we show that the new specimen shares a number of morphological features with the Togolese taxon Togocetus. Such a hypothesis is further supported by a cladistic analysis including 45 taxa and 167 morphological characters, which recovers the new specimen close to Togocetus as the first offshoot of protocetids. Phylogenetic analysis including all the protocetids remains of Kpogamé confirms the singular diversity of the Togolese phosphate basin, and enables to examine potential connections with faunas from contemporaneous localities in Africa.     

SuperTRI: A new approach based on branch support analyses of multiple independent data sets for assessing reliability of phylogenetic inferences

Supermatrix and supertree are two methods for constructing a phylogenetic tree by using multiple data sets. However, these methods are not a panacea, as conflicting signals between data sets can lead to misinterpret the evolutionary history of taxa. In particular, the supermatrix approach is expected to be misleading if the species-tree signal is not dominant after the combination of the data sets. Moreover, most current supertree methods suffer from two limitations: (i) they ignore or misinterpret secondary (non-dominant) phylogenetic signals of the different data sets; and (ii) the logical basis of node robustness measures is unclear.To overcome these limitations, we propose a new approach, called SuperTRI, which is based on the branch support analyses of the independent data sets, and where the reliability of the nodes is assessed using three measures: the supertree Bootstrap percentage and two other values calculated from the separate analyses: the mean branch support (mean Bootstrap percentage or mean posterior probability) and the reproducibility index.The SuperTRI approach is tested on a data matrix including seven genes for 82 taxa of the family Bovidae (Mammalia, Ruminantia), and the results are compared to those found with the supermatrix approach. The phylogenetic analyses of the supermatrix and independent data sets were done using four methods of tree reconstruction: Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and unweighted and weighted maximum parsimony. The results indicate, firstly, that the SuperTRI approach shows less sensitivity to the four phylogenetic methods, secondly, that it is more accurate to interpret the relationships among taxa, and thirdly, that interesting conclusions on introgression and radiation can be drawn from the comparisons between SuperTRI and supermatrix analyses. To cite this article: A. Ropiquet et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009).     

Stabilité de l'espèce et évolution: La théorie de l'équilibre intermittent («Punctuated equilibrium)

Paleontologists' traditional conceptions on evolution do not seem to be in perfect accord with these of biologists. The gradual phyletism is compatible neither with E. Mayr's model of the Founder, nor with the actual stability of most of the paleontological species. The punctuated equilibrium model proposed by N. Eldredge & S.J. Gould offers a solution which integrates both paleontological observations and the data of modern biology.     

金龙胆草提取液体外抑菌活性分析

金龙胆草是传统道地中药材,但目前受到材料来源不足的限制,其应用和研究均受到很大限制,为更好地开发和应用该道地中药材,本研究以实验室野生金龙胆草和组培金龙胆草出发,分别采用热水浴和索式提取法对金龙胆草有效成份进行了提取和体外抑菌活性研究。结果表明,热水浴浸提法的抑菌效果优于索式提取法,均表现出对金黄色葡萄球菌和枯草芽孢杆菌这类革兰氏阳性菌有很好的抑制效果,最小抑菌浓度分别达到12.5 mg/mL和50 mg/mL。野生型提取液和组培型的提取液体外抑菌比较实验显示,野生型金龙胆草的抑菌效果要显著优于组培型金龙胆草提取液。这将为金龙胆草作为中药抗菌药的合理利用提供一定的指导作用,同时为减少抗生素的滥用造成的环境污染作出一定的贡献。     

卡介苗荚膜阿拉伯甘露聚糖的提纯鉴定及其免疫调节功能的初步研究

确定卡介苗(BCG)中荚膜中糖成分阿拉伯甘露聚糖(AM)的功能。

本研究从我国目前普遍使用的BCG中, 利用氯仿甲醇抽提方法分离纯化荚膜AM, 经AM单克隆抗体鉴定后, 腹腔注射BCG致敏小鼠, 体内外评价AM的免疫调节功能。

AM能在小鼠体内增强BCG诱导的迟发型超敏反应(P < 0.01), 体外免疫指标检测发现AM提高小鼠脾细胞Th1类细胞因子IFN-γ和TNF-α的表达水平(P < 0.05)。

BCG的荚膜AM是潜在的保护性抗原, 并为优化BCG提供理论依据。