Systematics and phylogeny of Vasseuromys (Mammalia,Rodentia, Gliridae) with a description of a new species from the late Miocene of eastern Europe

Vasseuromys is a species‐rich genus of small‐ to medium‐sized glirids spanning the latest Oligocene to late Miocene of Europe and western Asia. Despite extensive discoveries over the past 50 years, little phylogenetic work has been done on Vasseuromys. This study presents the first phylogenetic analysis of the genus that includes all the described species and a new taxon Vasseuromys tectus sp. nov. from the late Miocene of eastern Europe, providing the first insights into the evolutionary relationships within the clade. Results suggest that the genus is clearly paraphyletic. Two strongly supported genus‐level clades are recognized within ‘Vasseuromys’: a restricted Vasseuromys clade (containing the three species, V. pannonicus, V. rugosus and V. tectus) and the Glirulus clade that includes ‘Vasseuromys’ duplex. The remaining ‘Vasseuromys’ species are found to constitute a set of paraphyletic taxa, with the polyphyletic ‘Ramys’ nested within it. The genus Gliruloides is synonymized with Glirulus. Vasseuromys tectus sp. nov. is the most derived member of the genus in having a greater number of cheek teeth ridges including constantly present anterotrope, centrotrope, second prototrope on M1–2, third metatrope on M2, two to three posterotropids on p4 and strong ectolophids on lower molars. The results of the study confirm a European origin for Vasseuromys while suggesting that the late Miocene species of the genus dispersed from the east in the early Turolian.     

Palaeoecological evolution of a spring-fed fen in Pawłów (eastern Poland)

A continuous record of sedimentation in spring-fed fens makes them suitable for detailed palaeoenvironmental studies. A newly investigated cupola spring-fed fen (Paw?ów site), located in the Lublin chalkland, eastern Poland, was the object of our study. This special karst region is characterised by the occurrence of Upper Cretaceous carbonate rocks in the substratum. Sedimentological observations indicated strong variability of biogenic-carbonate series in the deposits (=peat-tufa rhythmite), reflects changes of accumulation conditions (oxidising versus reducing), resulting from alternate occurrence of warmer and cooler periods. Difficulties in pollen analysis due to oxidising conditions necessitate a multidisciplinary approach for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. We used a multidisciplinary approach (sedimentological, palaeobotanical, geochemical analyses and radiocarbon dating) to determine the main evolutionary stages of this unique fen ecosystem and to discuss the role of local or/and regional factors in its development. Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses, supported by radiocarbon dating, proved that the bottom part of the cores represents the Late Glacial–Early Holocene stages of the fen development. A comparative analysis of palaeoenvironmental data showed close resemblance between the Paw?ów fen and the earlier studied fens in eastern Poland and Central-Eastern Europe, and the connection between their development and supraregional hydrological-climatic factors. The results indicated also the influence of the morphological position of such a type of ecosystem on the development of a continuous deposit succession. The occurrence of a river valley in close proximity of the Paw?ów site resulted in the lack of tufa deposits from the Atlantic period, because of an erosional phase in the river valley.     

中国东部海岛植物功能性状及其影响因子

研究海岛植物功能性状及其影响因子,有助于理解植物在海岛环境中的适应策略。以中国东部近海7个海岛典型植物群落为研究对象,测定群落内每种植物的6个功能性状(胸径、株高、平均单叶面积、比叶面积、小枝密度和小枝含水率),比较植物功能性状在不同气候带间的差异,探讨功能性状对气候因子(年均温、年降水和年平均风速)和土壤因子(土壤含水率、土壤总碳、土壤总氮和土壤总磷)的响应关系,并分析影响这些性状的主要驱动因子。研究结果表明:(1)所测功能性状中除比叶面积外,其他性状在不同气候带间差异显著,但常绿和落叶植物的功能性状在不同气候带间的差异不同,表明不同生活型植物对环境的响应程度和适应能力不同。(2)海岛植物功能性状对气候和土壤因子均有不同程度的响应,气候因子是影响中国东部海岛植物功能性状的重要因子,其中水热条件(年均温和年降水)是主导因子,在水热资源丰富的南方海岛,植物具有较大的胸径和小枝含水率、较小的叶片和小枝密度,北方海岛反之。此外,海岛植物的小枝性状(小枝密度和小枝含水率)受年平均风速的影响显著。该研究结果可为海岛植被恢复重建中物种的选择及植被布局规划提供一定的参考。     

Stomatal and photosynthetic responses to shade in sorghum, soybean and eastern gamagrass

We studied photosynthetic and stomatal responses of grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench cv. Pioneer 8500), soybean ( Glycine max L. cv. Flyer) and eastern gamagrass ( Tripsacum dactyloides L.) during experimental sun and shade periods simulating summer cloud cover. Leaf gas exchange measurements of field plants showed that short-term (5 min) shading of leaves to 300–400 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ photosynthetic photon flux density reduced photosynthesis, leaf temperature, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency and increased intercellular CO₂ partial pressure. In all species, photosynthetic recovery was delayed when leaves were reilluminated, apparently by stomatal closure. The strongest stomatal response was in soybean. Photosynthetic recovery was studied further with soybeans grown indoors (maximum photosynthetic photon flux density 1 200 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Plants grown indoors had responses to shade similar to those of field plants, except for brief nonstomatal limitation immediately after reillumination. These responses indicated the importance of the light environment during leaf development on assimilation responses to variable light, and suggested different limitations on carbon assimilation in different parts of the soybean canopy. Photosynthetic oxygen evolution recovered immediately upon reillumination, indicating that the light reactions did not limit soybean photosynthetic recovery. While shade periods caused stomatal closure and reduced carbon gain and water loss in all species, the consequences for carbon gain/water loss were greatest in soybean. The occurrence of stomatal closure in all three species may arise from their shared phenologies and herbaceous growth forms.     

Low frequency of observed cowbird parasitism on eastern kingbirds: host rejection, effective nest defense, or parasite avoidance?

Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) nests rarely are parasitizedby brown-headed cowbirds (Molotrus ater). Kingbirds are oneof a dozen or so species known to eject cowbird eggs from theirnests. We hypothesized that either kingbirds eject cowbird eggsso quickly that researchers normally do not detect the eggsduring daily nest inspections, or that cowbirds avoid parasitizingkingbirds. We tested these alternative hypotheses by experimentallyintroducing real cowbird eggs into eastern kingbird nests duringthe pre-egg, early laying, late laying, and incubation stages.We recorded the interval between "parasitism" and ejection ofthe cowbird eggs. Although kingbirds ejected 87 of 88 cowbirdeggs placed in their nests, about 40% of the eggs remained innests for more than 24 h. Thus, during daily nest inspectionswe should have observed cowbird eggs if nests were parasitizedat all. In fact, we detected only one parasitized nest amongthe 402 inspected daily. The time for ejection was longest atnests parasitized early in laying, and shorter at nests parasitizedbefore and after. This variation in ejection times may reflectthe time kingbirds require to learn to recognize their own eggs.Although kingbirds defend their nests aggressively, they donot respond to female cowbirds as unique threats and do notguard their nests before sunrise when cowbirds lay. We concludethat cowbirds avoid parasitizing eastern kingbirds because theireggs most likely will be wasted. The rejection behavior persistspossibly because it is almost cost-free (a maximum of 0.07 kingbirdegg lost or damaged per cowbird egg ejected), or it evolvedin response to conspecific rather than cowbird parasitism. Foreignkingbird eggs introduced into nests at different nest stageswere ejected only during the pre-egg stage. This result supportsthe hypothesis that rejection behavior in eastern kingbirdsevolved in response to cowbird parasitism.     

Morphological and molecular comparisons ofCampsis grandiflora andC. radicans (Bignoniaceae), an eastern Asian and eastern North American vicariad species pair

Morphological and molecular comparisons were made forCampsis grandiflora (Thunb.)K. Schumann (Bignoniaceae) from eastern Asia andC. radicans (L.)Seemann from eastern North America. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) variation was surveyed with 20 restriction endonucleases. The cpDNA divergence between the two vicariad species was 2.44%, which is the highest reported among North Temperate disjunct taxa and one of the highest reported for infrageneric taxa. Detailed morphological comparisons also suggest a high level of divergence. Cluster analyses based on 22 morphological characters and 39 OTUs revealed two distinct groups corresponding with the two species. The average taxonomic distance between the two species was 1.806. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) revealed that 12 of the 18 quantitative characters differed significantly ( 0.01) betweenC. grandiflora andC. radicans. Divergence time based on cpDNA data was estimated as 24.4 million years. The Bering land bridge hypothesis was favored over the North Atlantic land bridge hypothesis based on the estimated divergence time and the geological history of the North Temperate region. The high levels of morphological and cpDNA divergence are not consistent with morphological stasis, which has been proposed as a common mode of evolution for North Temperate disjunct taxa.     

New Potential for Classical Biological Control ofEucallipterus tiliae(Homoptera: Drepanosiphidae)

Biological control efforts in California directed against the linden aphid (Eucallipterus tiliae) have been predicated on the basis that the aphid is native to Europe. Although several European parasitoids have become established and attackE. tiliaein California, complete control has not been achieved; the aphid is a problem in Europe as well. New records ofE. tiliaefrom eastern Asia suggest that the aphid may be native there. This area has the greatest species diversity of both the host genus (Tilia) and the other linden-feeding drepanosiphid aphids. It is recommended that any further efforts for locating importable natural enemies be focused in this region.     

Comparison of reproductive parameters for populations of eastern North Pacific common dolphins: Delphinus capensis and D. delphis

Reproductive parameters were estimated and compared for eastern North Pacific populations of common dolphins using specimen and photogrammetric data. Age and length data for Delphinus capensis and D. delphis specimens recovered as bycatch or strandings were used to estimate the postnatal growth rates needed to estimate age for calves measured in aerial photographs. Bayesian methods propagated uncertainty among models and revealed that the 2009 cohort of calves had birth dates centered on 6 March 2009 for D. capensis and 12 December 2008 for D. delphis. The evidence for discrete calving seasons suggests a mechanism of reproductive isolation has evolved between species. Photogrammetric data and Bayesian methods were also used to estimate the average length at which calves swim independently: 145.1 cm (≈ 11.1 mo) in D. capensis and 140.1 cm (≈ 14.0 mo) in D. delphis, and the proportion of calves (calves/dolphins counted): 0.045 in D. capensis and 0.069 in D. delphis. The latter parameter was converted to an index of calf production (calf/female dolphin) that was >50% lower than pregnancy rates suggesting few births occurred during the study year. Comparisons of regional differences in calf production suggest variability in habitat use patterns within the study area.