An early Miocene deep‐water decapod crustacean faunule from the Vienna Basin (Western Carpathians,Slovakia)

Abstract: A decapod crustacean faunule from the lower Miocene (upper Burdigalian, ‘Karpatian’) of the Slovakian part of the Vienna Basin comprise five new species: Callianopsis marianae (Ctenochelidae), Crosniera schweitzerae (Thomassiniidae), Agononida cerovensis and Munidopsis lieskovensis (both Galatheidae) plus Mursia harnicari (Calappidae). The new species of Callianopsis is the first undoubted member of the genus to be recorded from Europe; it is based on sexually dimorphic major and minor chelae as well as on portions of carapace and abdomen. Crosniera schweitzerae sp. nov. and Agononida cerovensis sp. nov. constitute the first fossil members of these genera. Additional material of an enigmatic crab, Styrioplax exiguus, and a re‐examination of the type material, confirms assignment of that genus to the subfamily Rhizopinae (family Pilumnidae). Palaeoecological data suggest that deposition of the levels (Lak?árska Nová Ves Formation) from which these taxa were collected took place under generally low‐energy, deep‐water conditions that were conducive to the preservation of delicate structures. Palaeobiogeographical affinities of the described taxa suggest a trans‐Atlantic migration during the early Miocene.     

Fossil record and dynamics of Late Miocene small mammal faunas of the Vienna Basin and adjacent basins,Austria

The Late Miocene small mammal assemblages of the hinterland of Lake Pannon in Austrian Basins are represented by 99 species-level taxa and 30,400 specimens. The fossil-bearing localities can be grouped into eight intervals spanning about three million years from the Early Vallesian to the Middle Turolian. Each time slice is characterised by the occurrence and/or dominance of certain species. The retreat of Lake Pannon is reflected by a distinct diversification. This pattern may be a regional signal due to increasing habitat availability but may also be taphonomically biased due to a rather poor Earliest Vallesian record. Nevertheless, the overall community structure is quite stable throughout the Vallesian and no indication of a Vallesian Crisis can be detected. Instead, a moderate turnover occurs with the onset of the Turolian, reflected by the increasing abundance of xerophilic taxa.     

Living Precisely in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna

Vienna’s Institute of Experimental Biology, better known as the Vivarium, helped pioneer the quantification of experimental biology from 1903 to 1938. Among its noteable scientists were the director Hans Przibram and his brother Karl (a physicist), Paul Kammerer, Eugen Steinach, Paul Weiss, and Karl Frisch. The Vivarium’s scientists sought to derive laws describing the development of the individual organism and its relationship to the environment. Unlike other contemporary proponents of biological laws, however, these researchers created an explicitly anti-deterministic science. By “laws” they meant statistical regularities or “patterns.” They interpreted their experimental results in ways that forged a “third way” between determinism and pure spontaneity, aiming to capture the complexity of the interaction between the organism and its environment. This common feature of their research was made possible by the availability at the Vivarium of the latest in climate-control technology and of methods borrowed from statistical physics. The deeper roots of this search for a “third way” lay, I suggest, in the shared educational, social, and aesthetic experiences of the laboratory’s workers.     

Gefiederf?rbungen bei der Stra?entaube (Columba livia)

Zusammenfassung Straßentauben zeigen in ihrer Gefiederfärbung die wohl größte bekannte Variabilität unter den frei lebenden Vögeln. Der größte Teil der von der Wildform abweichenden Gefiederfärbungen läßt sich auf die Haustaubenvorfahren unserer Straßentauben zurückführen. Von den 60 bekannten und 52 in Mitteleuropa bei Straßentauben möglichen Erbfaktoren traten bei Wiener Straßentauben 23 in 100 Erbfaktorenkombinationen und bei Basler Straßentauben 15 in 30 Kombinationen auf. Für die größere Zahl an Erbfaktoren und Erbfaktorenkombinationen in Wien könnte die absolute Größe der Bestände, das unterschiedliche rezente Einfließen an Haustaubengenen in Wien und Basel sowie die relativ kleine Stichprobe in Basel verantwortlich sein. In Basel traten signifikant mehr Tiere mit der Grundfarbe Dominant Rot auf als in Wien. Dazu werden verschiedene Erklärungen diskutiert. In der Verteilung der Zeichnungsanlagen und der Gruppen der Blaubindigen, Melanisierten und Anderen traten zwischen Wien und Basel keine signifikanten Unterschiede auf. In der Verteilung der Zusatzfaktoren hingegen unterscheiden sich die beiden Populationen signifikant voneinander. Der in Basel häufigere Scheckfaktor könnte auf einen stärkeren Brieftaubeneinfluß, der in Wien häufigere Schimmelfaktor auf entflohene Tümmler zurückgehen. Die unterschiedlichen Selektionsregimes in Wien und Basel, vor allem der Feinddruck und die Ernährungssituation, werden in ihren möglichen Auswirkungen auf die Verteilung der Gefiederfärbungen diskutiert.

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Plumage polymorphism of the Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)

Summary Feral pigeons probably show greater variation in plumage colouration than any other free-living bird species. The different colour patterns are linked to ethological and physiological characteristics which in turn show different fitness under different urban selection pressures. The majority of the colouration types diverging from the wild type may be attributed to the domestic ancestors of our feral pigeons. Additionally, spontaneous mutations may occur as shown for the Vienna population. So far, rare colouration types have often been ignored, confounded or not correctly determined. In this paper, we consider all colouration types found in the feral pigeons of Basle and Vienna. We also list and compare the different corresponding hereditary factors.Two samples (n₁=153, n₂=174) were taken of the feral pigeon population of Basle and compared with a sample of 7682 birds in Vienna (3.6%, 3.5% of the estimated populations). In total, there are 60 hereditary factors influencing the plumage colouration inColumba livia. Of these, 23 were found in Vienna and 13 in Basle. One bird of the Vienna population showed a hitherto unknown hereditary factor (rusty, ry). The hereditary factors resulted in 100 combinations in Vienna and 30 in Basle. There were significant differences in plumage colouration between the birds in the two study sites. In Basle, the dominant pigmentation Dominant Red (B^A) was found nearly twice as often as in Vienna (9.2% vs 4.8%, ²=13.1, p=0.0015). Significant difference emerged neither in the distribution of the primary patterns nor in the groups of Blue-bars (Wild), Melanics (Urban) and Others (Domestics). There were, however, significant differences in the additional factors (²=27.9, p=0.0058). The factor Pied appeared more frequently in Basle (G²=8.924, p=0.0028). This could be explained by the presence of a higher proportion of escaped carrier-pigeons. The factor Grizzle occurred more frequently in Vienna (G²=11.975, p=0.0005) owing to the influence of escaped tumblers. The different selection systems in Vienna and Basle are discussed with regard to their influence on the distribution of the plumage polymorphism.

     

The “Dispersion Staining” Method for the Selective Coloration of Tissue

A method has been developed for the selective coloration of fixed tissue without the use of dyes. Microtome sections of formalin-fixed material are mounted under a cover glass in a mixture of two liquids such as diethylene glycol monobutyl ether with cin-namaldehyde and examined with the dark-field microscope. The refractive index of the liquid used for mounting must be of high dispersion and equal or close to the index of the specimen.

Tissue elements, dependent on their refractive index, whether slightly lower, the same as, or slightly above the mounting medium appear colored in shades of blue, red or yellow.

The optical principles involved in this optical dispersion method are similar to those involved in the production of colored light by the Christiansen filter.     

Treatment of chronic kidney transplant rejection with prostacyclin — reduction of platelet deposition in the transplant; Prolongation of platelet survival and improvement of transplant function

8 patients with chronic kidney transplant rejection were treated intravenously with prostacyclin during 5 days. This treatment seemed to have a beneficial effects as measured by platelet deposition in the transplant and prolongation of platelet survival. In the majority of cases the transplant function improved. A longer duration of this therapeutic effect could be a new way for the long-term treatment of chronic kidney transplant rejection.     

Sensitivity of platelets to prostaglandins in coronary heart disease and angina pectoris

The platelet sensitivity to the antiaggregatory protaglandins (PGI₂, PGE₁ and PGD₂) was studied in patients with angiographically verified coronary heart disease. The sensitivity was tested in vitro by inhibiting the APD-induced platelet aggregation by various concentrations of these prostaglandins. Beside the age dependent alterations of platelet sensitivity reported earlier, there is a statistically significant decrease in sensitivity for PGI₂ and PGE₁ in patients with coronary heart disease. In contrast, no significant change for the PGD₂-sensitivity could be observed. In angina pectoris a further significant decrease in sensitivity (again only for PGE₁ and PGI₂) was found which returned back to starting values within a few hours. In patients with maturity onset diabetes and coronary heart disease the sensitivity was always lower than in those patients with coronary heart disease alone. Changes in platelet sensitivity might play a key role in initiating and progressing atherosclerosis by an immediate disturbance of hemostatic balance. The studies further support the hypothesis that PGI₂ and PGE₁ share the same receptor on the platelet surface.     

Effects of prostacyclin on ultrastructural features of human platelets in vitro

Examining platelets plasma-membrane by freeze-etching (FE)-technique irregularly placed among the “particles”, some larger formations, called by us “protuberances” can be seen. These protuberances may represent the stomata of the open canalicular system (OCS) and the morphological aspect of an exocytotic process. Addition of prostacyclin to platelet rich plasma (PRP) leads to a decrease of the average value of protuberances which is statistically significant in comparison to control platelets.