Microsatellite loci for population and behavioural studies of grey‐crowned babblers (Pomatostomus temporalis: Aves)

Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated in the cooperatively breeding grey‐crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis). The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight, and observed heterozygosity from 0.07 to 0.88. Two loci showed a significant heterozygote deficiency, one of which appears to be sex‐linked. The exclusion probability for eight unlinked loci was 0.9996 with the other parent known. These loci will be used to analyse population genetic structure and the mating system of this vulnerable species.     

集成灰色分析和元胞自动机用于景观动态模拟

针对景观生态系统"复杂性"的特点,采用灰色局势确定邻域转换规则,构建元胞自动机,用于模拟和分析景观生态动态变化.在信息不完全的情况下,提高了元胞自动机景观生态动态模型的可靠性和可行性.以中国云南省怒江流域中段作为实例,确定影响元胞转换规则的三因素主要有元胞邻域的聚集程度,土地适宜程度和人类活动影响程度,根据景观这一类复杂系统的动态变化特征其权重随地理空间位置和时间而变化,同时用Monte Carlo法考虑了模拟时转换的随机性.通过计算显示模拟未来发展的情景总的趋势是符合实际的,不但模拟了微观的景观单元的自组织机制,而且在一定程度上反映了宏观的社会经济因素影响,因而更具有针对性、典型性及准确性.     

Effects of Stimulation of the Periaqueductal Gray and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Locus Coeruleus</Emphasis> on Postsynaptic Reactions of Cat Somatosensory Cortex Neurons Activated by Nociceptors

In cats, we studied the influences of stimulation of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and locus coeruleus (LC) on postsynaptic processes evoked in neurons of the somatosensory cortex by stimulation of nociceptive (intensive stimulation of the tooth pulp) and non-nociceptive (moderate stimulations of the infraorbital nerve and ventroposteromedial nucleus of the thalamus) afferent inputs. Twelve cells activated exclusively by nociceptors and 16 cells activated by both nociceptive and non-nociceptive influences (hereafter, nociceptive and convergent neurons, respectively) were recorded intracellularly. In neurons of both groups, responses to nociceptive stimulation (of sufficient intensity) looked like an EPSP-spike-IPSP (the latter, of significant duration, up to 200 msec) complex. Electrical stimulation of the PAG (which could itself evoke activation of the cortical neurons under study) resulted in long-term suppression of synaptic responses evoked by excitation of nociceptors (inhibition reached its maximum at a test interval of 600 to 800 msec). We observed a certain parallelism between conditioning influences of PAG activation and effects of systemic injections of morphine. Isolated stimulation of LC by a short high-frequency train of stimuli evoked primary excitatory responses (complex EPSPs) in a part of the examined cortical neurons, while in other cells high-amplitude and long-lasting IPSP (up to 120 msec) were observed. Independently of the type of the primary response to PAG stimulation, the latter resulted in long-term (several seconds) suppression of the responses evoked in cortical cells by stimulation of the nociceptive inputs. The mechanisms of modulatory influences coming from opioidergic and noradrenergic brain systems to somatosensory cortex neurons activated due to excitation of high-threshold (nociceptive) afferent inputs are discussed.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 61–73, January–February, 2005.     

Natal origin of Namibian grey whale implies new distance record for in-water migration

We use genomics to identify the natal origin of a grey whale found in the South Atlantic, at least 20 000 km from the species core range (halfway around the world). The data indicate an origin in the North Pacific, possibly from the endangered western North Pacific population, thought to include only approximately 200 individuals. This contributes to our understanding of Atlantic sightings of this species known primarily from the North Pacific, and could have conservation implications if grey whales have the potential for essentially global dispersion. More broadly, documenting and understanding rare extreme migration events have potential implications for the understanding of how a species may be able to respond to global change.     

新疆塔里木河下游土壤特性及其对物种多样性的影响

结合塔河下游大西海子至台特玛湖区段的8个地下水监测断面、31个土壤剖面的217个土样分析数据,利用非参数检验、单因素方差分析和灰色关联方法,分析了塔河下游土壤特性及其对物种多样性变化的影响.研究结果表明,塔河下游土壤除全磷外,有机质等指标存在垂直分布差异,出现显著差异的土层深度为50cm.塔河下游上段的土壤养分含量相对较高,下段较低;物种多样性指数自上段至下段的下降趋势与有机质等的变化相同,而植物群落退化则表现为从复合群落到单一群落的演变趋势,即从乔(胡杨为主)、灌(柽柳为主)、草复合群落演变到单一的柽柳灌丛群落.灰色关联分析表明塔河下游上层(0～50cm)土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾含量与物种多样性的相关性较高.塔河下游土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾等在一定程度上对物种多样性变化有一定影响.     

Behavioural responses of free‐ranging western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) to olfactory cues of historical and recently introduced predators

Predation risk influences foraging decisions and time allocation of prey species, and may result in habitat shifts from potentially dangerous to safer areas. We examined a wild population of western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) to test the efficacy of predator faecal odour in influencing time allocated to different behaviours and inducing changes in habitat use. Kangaroos were exposed to fresh faeces of a historical predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), a recently introduced predator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), a herbivore (horse, Equus caballus) and an unscented control simultaneously. Kangaroos did not increase vigilance in predator‐scented areas. However, they investigated odour sources by approaching and sniffing; more time was spent investigating fox odour than control odours. Kangaroos then exhibited a clear anti‐predator response to predator odours, modifying their space use by rapidly escaping, then avoiding fox and dingo odour sources. Our results demonstrate that wild western grey kangaroos show behavioural responses to predator faeces, investigating then avoiding these olfactory cues of potential predation risk, rather than increasing general vigilance. This study contributes to our understanding of the impact of introduced mammalian predators on marsupial prey and demonstrates that a native Australian marsupial can recognize and respond to the odour of potential predators, including one that has been recently introduced.     

稻田蜘蛛优势种对飞虱对叶蝉控制力的分析

系统调查结果表明,长沙地区早稻田中,蜘蛛优势种相对稳定,在水稻各生育期内均为拟水狼蛛和食虫沟瘤蛛,并无更替现象,采用灰色关联分析法,研究了长沙地区稻田蜘蛛优势种群对飞虱,叶蝉种群数量的控制程度,结果表明拟水狼蛛和食品沟瘤蛛对飞 虱,叶蝉种 数量影响最大,其次为锥腹肖蛸和八斑鞘腹蛛,当拟水狼蛛与飞虱之比为1：20．2,食虫沟瘤蛛与飞虱之比为1：14．5以上时,蜘蛛对飞虱显示出明显的控制力。     

Referential learning of French and Czech labels in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus): Different methods yield contrasting results

Some African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), the most famous being Pepperberg's parrot Alex, are able to imitate human speech and produce labels referentially. In this study, the aim was to teach ten African grey parrots from two laboratories to label items. Training three parrots from the first laboratory for several months with the Model/Rival method, developed by Pepperberg, in which two humans interact in front of the subject to demonstrate the use of a label, led to disappointing results. Similarly, seven parrots from the second laboratory, having been trained with several variants of Model/Rival attained little success. After the informal observation of the efficiency of other methods (i.e. learning to imitate labels either spontaneously or with specific learning methods and use of these labels referentially), four different teaching methods were tested with two birds: the Model/Rival; Repetition/Association which consisted of repeating a label and presenting the item only when the parrot produced the label; Intuitive in which the experimenter handled an item and repeated its name in front of the subject; Diffusion in which labels with either variable or flat intonation were played back daily to parrots. One bird learned three labels, one of which was used referentially, with the Repetition/Association method. He learned one label non-referentially with the Model/Rival but no labels were acquired using the other methods. The second bird did not learn any labels. This study demonstrates that different methods can be efficient to teach labels referentially and it suggests that rearing conditions and interindividual variability are important features when assessing learning ability of African grey parrots.     

广东省渔业资源可持续利用评价

渔业资源的可持续利用是渔业可持续发展的核心问题,对其可持续利用的评价则是目前世界海洋渔业可持续发展研究的前沿及热点问题.本文以可持续利用的有关理论为基础,构建了适用于广东省渔业资源可持续利用的评价指标体系,应用层次灰色综合评判模型分析了1978-2007年间广东省渔业资源的可持续利用状况.结果表明:渔业资源的可持续利用水平在整体上呈下降趋势,1998年降至最低,仅为1978年的37.3%;最近10年间开始出现波动上升,2007年升至1978年的55.1%.综合评价结果与现实情况较为符合,故认为将层次灰色综合评判模型应用于区域渔业资源可持续利用评价是可行的.     

脊髓中的甲啡肽和强啡肽参与吗啡下行镇痛

在大鼠中脑导水管周围灰质(PAG)注射吗啡10μg 可引起明显的镇痛作用,并有部位特异性。在脊髓蛛网膜下腔注射抗甲啡肽 IgG20μg 或抗强啡肽 IgG20μg,均能大部分对抗 PAG内注射吗啡引起的镇痛作用,这提示甲啡肽和强啡肽参与自 PAG 到脊随的下行抑制作用。本实验利用蛋白质 A-琼脂糖 CL-4B 亲和层析柱从血清中纯化 IgG,这种方法简单,提纯速度快,且 IgG 纯度高,为中枢微量注射抗体研究神经肽的生理功能提供了方便。