In vitro regeneration from leaf explants of Neoregelia cruenta (R. Graham) L.B. Smith,an endemic bromeliad from Eastern Brazil

An efficient plant regeneration system was developed for the induction of direct shoot formation from leaves derived from seedlings of Neoregelia cruenta, an endemic Bromeliaceae of Eastern Brazil. Shoot differentiation occurred directly from the leaf bases. In vitro responses were influenced by seedling age and growth regulator combinations. Highest regeneration rates were obtained from explants excised from 7-week-old seedlings cultured in the presence of 22 μM BA and 2.5 μM NAA. Shoot conversion to whole plants was most effective in shoots formed in response to 4.4 or 8.8 μM BA combined with 2.5 μM NAA. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DEVELOPMENT OF DISPERSAL, MOVEMENT PATTERNS, AND HAUL-OUT USE BY PUP AND JUVENILE STELLER SEA LIONS (EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS) IN ALASKA

Population declines of Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias juhatus ) in western Alaska (west of 144°W) may be a result of reduced juvenile survival. We used satellite telemetry to study the at-sea distribution and movement patterns of pup (1.6–11.9 mo) and juvenile (12.0–35.1 mo) Steller sea lions. We studied trip distance, duration, and interhaul-out movements of sea lions in relation to age, sex, and month of year in the decreasing western population (WP; Prince William Sound, Kodiak, Aleutian Islands, Alaska) and the increasing eastern population (EP; Southeast Alaska). We deployed 103 satellite transmitters (29 WP; 74 EP) on sea lions between 1998 and 2001. Round trip distance and duration increased with age, trip distance was greater in the WP than the EP, trip duration was greater for females than males, and haul-out use was clustered. Changes in round trip distance and duration occurred from April to June for all age classes studied indicating that the annual timing of weaning may be less variable than the age of weaning. Overall, 90% of round trips were ≤ 15 km from haul-outs and 84% were <20 h, indicating nearshore areas adjacent to haulouts are critical to the developing juvenile.     

From phenotyping towards breeding strategies: using in vivo indicator traits and genetic markers to improve meat quality in an endangered pig breed

In endangered and local pig breeds of small population sizes, production has to focus on alternative niche markets with an emphasis on specific product and meat quality traits to achieve economic competiveness. For designing breeding strategies on meat quality, an adequate performance testing scheme focussing on phenotyped selection candidates is required. For the endangered German pig breed ‘Bunte Bentheimer’ (BB), no breeding program has been designed until now, and no performance testing scheme has been implemented. For local breeds, mainly reared in small-scale production systems, a performance test based on in vivo indicator traits might be a promising alternative in order to increase genetic gain for meat quality traits. Hence, the main objective of this study was to design and evaluate breeding strategies for the improvement of meat quality within the BB breed using in vivo indicator traits and genetic markers. The in vivo indicator trait was backfat thickness measured by ultrasound (BF_iv), and genetic markers were allele variants at the ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) locus. In total, 1116 records of production and meat quality traits were collected, including 613 in vivo ultrasound measurements and 713 carcass and meat quality records. Additionally, 700 pigs were genotyped at the RYR1 locus. Data were used (1) to estimate genetic (co)variance components for production and meat quality traits, (2) to estimate allele substitution effects at the RYR1 locus using a selective genotyping approach and (3) to evaluate breeding strategies on meat quality by combining results from quantitative-genetic and molecular-genetic approaches. Heritability for the production trait BF_iv was 0.27, and 0.48 for backfat thickness measured on carcass. Estimated heritabilities for meat quality traits ranged from 0.14 for meat brightness to 0.78 for the intramuscular fat content (IMF). Genetic correlations between BF_iv and IMF were higher than estimates based on carcass backfat measurements (0.39 v. 0.25). The presence of the unfavorable n allele was associated with increased electric conductivity, paler meat and higher drip loss. The allele substitution effect on IMF was unfavorable, indicating lower IMF when the n allele is present. A breeding strategy including the phenotype (BF_iv) combined with genetic marker information at the RYR1 locus from the selection candidate, resulted in a 20% increase in accuracy and selection response when compared with a breeding strategy without genetic marker information.     

Rampant drift in artificially fragmented populations of the endangered tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi)

Habitat fragmentation and its genetic consequences are a critically important issue in evaluating the evolutionary penalties of human habitat modification. Here, we examine the genetic structure and diversity in naturally subdivided and artificially fragmented populations of the endangered tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), a small fish restricted to discrete coastal lagoons and estuaries in California, USA. We use five naturally fragmented coastal populations from a 300‐ km spatial scale as a standard to assess migration and drift relative to eight artificially fragmented bay populations from a 30‐ km spatial scale. Using nine microsatellite loci in 621 individuals, and a 522‐base fragment of mitochondrial DNA control region from 103 individuals, we found striking differences in the relative influences of migration and drift on genetic variation at these two scales. Overall, the artificially fragmented populations exhibited a consistent pattern of higher genetic differentiation and significantly lower genetic diversity relative to the naturally fragmented populations. Thus, even in a species characterized by habitat isolation and subdivision, further artificial fragmentation appears to result in substantial population genetic consequences and may not be sustainable.     

濒危植物都支杜鹃雄蕊数目描述的修正

通过对都支杜鹃5个种群（包括模式产地）的雄蕊数目进行统计、对馆藏标本进行查询和对模式标本采集人进行采访,修正了现有文献对都支杜鹃雄蕊数目（一个关键鉴别特征）的描述——应是12~15枚,而非10枚;本文还对同地点栽培的都支杜鹃和云锦杜鹃的形态进行观察,发现都支杜鹃与云锦杜鹃诸多形态特征差异显著,支持都支杜鹃是一个独立的“好种”。     

A multiplex PCR assay to distinguish among three sympatric marsupial taxa from Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, using the mitochondrial control region

Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal macropodid marsupial that is difficult to locate in the wild. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program noninvasively collected D. matschiei faecal samples, but a high percentage of samples were misidentified and belonged to two terrestrial macropods, New Guinea pademelon (Thylogale browni) and small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni). We developed species-specific primers that produced a unique sized mitochondrial DNA control region gene product for each taxon and achieved an 89% correct assignment rate. The species-specific primers can increase the accuracy of D. matschiei density estimates and facilitate additional genetic analyses of wild D. matschiei.     

中国苦苣苔科植物濒危现状与多样性保护(附表)

截至2021年12月31日，中国已知苦苣苔科植物共有805种(含种下等级，下同),隶属于45个属，主要分布在我国西南至华南地区，其中特有种和狭域种十分丰富。由于苦苣苔科大部分种类仅适应于某些特化的微生境，因此极易因自身原因和外界因素的干扰而致危。为更好地了解中国苦苣苔科已知物种的濒危风险，该研究在查阅相关文献且结合最近发表的新分类群中关于濒危等级评估的相关内容，辅以近年来实地调查掌握的第一手资料，对中国苦苣苔科已知物种的濒危等级进行了统计分析和重新评估。同时，依托中国野生植物保护协会苦苣苔专业委员会、广西植物研究所国家苦苣苔科种质资源库和中国苦苣苔科植物保育中心平台，首次创新了从新种发现和发表到濒危状况评估、即时启动保育和园艺新品种培育同步进行的物种保护新模式。分析结果表明，有必要提高政府相关部门对苦苣苔科植物多样性保护的重视程度。因此，建议：(1)进一步加强对中国苦苣苔科植物种质资源保护紧迫性的认识；(2)针对濒危的尤其是被评估为极危(CR)和濒危(EN)的类群开展“抢救性”保护、迁地与就地保护和野外回归；(3)积极开展新品种培育等方面的研究。以上结果和建议是将来苦苣苔科植物多样性保...     

Colored plastic and metal leg bands do not affect survival of Piping Plover chicks

ABSTRACT Leg bands are commonly used to mark shorebird chicks as young as 1‐d old, but little is known about the possible impacts of bands on survival of prefledging shorebirds. We used a mark‐recapture framework to assess the impact of bands and banding‐related disturbance on prefledging survival in a federally endangered population of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) breeding in the Great Lakes region from 2000 to 2008. We banded approximately 96% of all surviving chicks hatched prior to fledging, typically between 5 and 15 d of age. We used a multistate approach in program MARK whereby individuals contributed data as unbanded chicks before capture (N= 1073) and as banded chicks afterward (N= 780). The cumulative probability of surviving through 24 d of age was 0.63 and did not differ between banded and unbanded chicks. In addition, we found a positive effect of banding‐related disturbance on survival up to 3 d following banding (β= 0.60 CI: 0.17–1.02), possibly due to increased postbanding vigilance on the part of chicks and adults. Our results indicate that banding has no detrimental effect on survival of Piping Plover chicks prior to fledging and that current capture and banding methods are appropriate for this endangered species.     

Is topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva responsible for the decline in sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus populations?

In England, a severe decline of introduced sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus populations has been attributed to the introduction of the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva . In France, however, after 4 years of P. parva colonization in a large natural lake, no demonstrated impacts on the native L. delineatus populations have been observed. This suggests that the original impacts observed in England, such as spawning inhibition and high mortality, were the result of an emerging pathogen, the rosette-like agent, hosted by L. delineatus rather than P. parva .