Vertebral evolution and ontogenetic allometry: The developmental basis of extreme body shape divergence in microcephalic sea snakes

Snakes exhibit a diverse array of body shapes despite their characteristically simplified morphology. The most extreme shape changes along the precloacal axis are seen in fully aquatic sea snakes (Hydrophiinae): “microcephalic” sea snakes have tiny heads and dramatically reduced forebody girths that can be less than a third of the hindbody girth. This morphology has evolved repeatedly in sea snakes that specialize in hunting eels in burrows, but its developmental basis has not previously been examined. Here, we infer the developmental mechanisms underlying body shape changes in sea snakes by examining evolutionary patterns of changes in vertebral number and postnatal ontogenetic growth. Our results show that microcephalic species develop their characteristic shape via changes in both the embryonic and postnatal stages. Ontogenetic changes cause the hindbodies of microcephalic species to reach greater sizes relative to their forebodies in adulthood, suggesting heterochronic shifts that may be linked to homeotic effects (axial regionalization). However, microcephalic species also have greater numbers of vertebrae, especially in their forebodies, indicating that somitogenetic effects also contribute to evolutionary changes in body shape. Our findings highlight sea snakes as an excellent system for studying the development of segment number and regional identity in the snake precloacal axial skeleton.     

Elaborations of the basal surface of the cells of the Malpighian tubules of an insect

Electrical measurements of membrane potential and resistance using intracellular microelectrodes showed that the fluid-secreting parts of the Malpighian tubules of Rhodnius have superficial regions different in electrical properties from the main body of the cell. The membrane potential in these superficial regions was smaller by 30-40 mV, but showed a standard depolarization on changing the potassium concentration of the bathing medium. The response to changes in the external chloride concentration also differed in the two regions, a finding that was reinforced by different responses to the drug, furosemide. Electron microscopy of the basal regions of the cells revealed many long cellular projections that run parallel to the cell surface and interdigitate with similar projections from neighbouring cells. The degree of interdigitation was examined by marking individual cells with alcian blue or by horseradish peroxidase injection. A survey of the published micrographs of insect Malpighian tubules shows that most have similar projections on their basal surfaces and not the simple basal infoldings previously supposed.     

动态适应性生态经济区划模型及其应用

提高城市生态经济区划的精确性和动态性,对科学指导城市化发展具有重要的理论意义和应用价值。利用夜间灯光数据与人口密度建立线性模型,探索了以往用行政区域为最小统计单元数据的模拟细化问题;然后通过引入可变参数构建了动态适应性生态经济区划模型,在增强模型动态适应性的同时,将一级区划结果统一划分为生态管控区域、生态优先区域、优化开发区域和重点开发区域4个区域。以广州市增城区为典型案例,通过改进的动态适应性生态经济区划模型,运用GIS将增城区在两种情景下进行了模拟和对比,并提出了政策建议。区划结果符合当地发展特征,也为其他城市与区域的生态经济区划研究提供了科学方法。     

云南西双版纳甲壳动物分布及区系特点(节肢动物门:甲壳动物总纲)

根据以往多年及近期对西双版纳甲壳动物包括介形类,枝角类,挠足类,陆生等足类,虾类,蟹类等的研究结果,将其种类组成,地理分布及区系特点予以分析探讨,指明该地区在世界动物地理区划中,应归入南亚－东南亚亚区中的印支－巽他分区,在中国动物地理区划占应为一个独立的小区。     

生态地理区划研究进展

生态地理区划是国内外地理学和宏观生态学研究的热点问题之一.国外学者对生态地理区划概念、原则和指标体系和方法等进行了大量的研究和讨论,并就全球、国家和区域尺度的生态地域系统进行划分.其研究经历了从单生态因子分异的规律性认识、生态系统聚合、人类作为生态系统一部分的单要素划分到层次约束、相互包容与不包容的等级斑块思维的整体性功能、过程和结构性划分的发展路线.我国生态地理区划在借鉴自然区划的基础上发展较为迅速,并在区划的原则、方法、理论等方面取得重要进展,就全国或地区的生态地理综合区划及要素区划等进行了深入的探讨.但仍然处于探索阶段,理论方法和技术体系不完善.中国未来生态地理区划应重点展开基础理论研究,构建严密的区划体系和理论体系,更加关注人文要素在区划中的重要影响,注重新方法和技术的应用,并加强对典型生态地域系统区划研究.为区域经济发展与生态环境保护、改良和合理利用提供科学依据.     

心脏基因转录潜能的区域化

心脏基因在心肌中的区域化表达是一个非常普遍的现象,通过转基因动物研究心肌中的转录潜能的区域化已取得了重大的进展.房室转录区域化最早是在线状心管形成时开始出现的.之后,在胚胎心脏的各个部分均可以发现转基因区域化表达.对于转基因在心肌中区域化表达的分子机理的研究,现在主要集中在对转基因调控区域的顺式调控元件和反式调控元件的解析,以及在心肌细胞中对于转录很重要的基因或是已被证明会介导位置信息的基因的表达模式和功能的研究上.     

2001-2009年中国碳排放与碳足迹时空格局

碳排放引发的全球变暖给自然环境及人类社会都带来了显著影响,而碳足迹可以衡量自然生态系统对人类活动碳排放的响应。为研究自然-社会二元系统碳动态,基于MODIS(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)数据和统计资料计算2001—2009年中国陆地植被净初级生产力、能源消费碳排放、碳足迹和碳赤字;在GIS(Geographic Information System)技术支持下,运用空间自相关分析方法讨论其时空格局;据此划分生态经济区。结果表明:(1)2001—2009年全国植被净初级生产力(Net Primary Production,NPP)平均值为3.32 Pg C/a(1 Pg=1015g),呈西南地区东南沿海华中、华东地区东北、华北地区西北地区的空间格局;(2)2001—2009年全国能源消费碳排放逐年增加,年均增长率16.7%,多年平均值2.53 Pg C/a,呈东部中部西部的空间格局;(3)2001—2009年全国碳足迹逐年增加,年均增长率14.7%,多年平均值6.98×106km2;具有正碳赤字(即碳源)的省份为山西、环渤海地区各省、长三角地区各省、广东;相邻省份碳赤字的相对大小由于互相影响而改变;(4)全国分为中东部、南部、北部、西部四个生态经济大区。研究结果直观揭示了中国碳排放和碳足迹的时空动态,为实现自然-社会二元系统的可持续发展提供科学依据。     

A retinoic acid-Hox hierarchy controls both anterior/posterior patterning and neuronal specification in the developing central nervous system of the cephalochordate amphioxus

Retinoic acid (RA) mediates both anterior/posterior patterning and neuronal specification in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). However, the molecular mechanisms downstream of RA are not well understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we used the invertebrate chordate amphioxus, in which the CNS, although containing only about 20,000 neurons in adults, like the vertebrate CNS, has a forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord and is regionalized by RA-signaling. Here we show, first, that domains of genes with expression normally limited to diencephalon and midbrain are generally not affected by altered RA-signaling, second, that contrary to previous reports, not only Hox1, 3, and 4, but also Hox2 and Hox6 are collinearly expressed in the amphioxus CNS, and third, that collinear expression of all these Hox genes is controlled by RA-signaling. Finally, we show that Hox1 is involved in mediating both the role of RA-signaling in regionalization of the hindbrain and in specification of hindbrain motor neurons. Thus, morpholino knock-down of the single amphioxus Hox1 mimics the effects of treatments with an RA-antagonist. This analysis establishes RA-dependent regulation of collinear Hox expression as a feature common to the chordate CNS and indicates that the RA-Hox hierarchy functions both in proper anterior/posterior patterning of the developing CNS and in specification of neuronal identity.     

秦岭种子植物区系分区研究

在吴征镒1983年中国植物区系分区的基础上,依据秦岭山地的自然环境特点,并结合植被优势种及区系特有种和特征种的分布情况,按照发生学原则,将秦岭种子植物区系划分为两大植物地区,五个植物亚地区,七个植物省,并对每个植物省区系的特点进行了分析,结果进一步证明秦岭是我国植物区系南北分异的一条主要界限。     

Fate mapping study of the endoderm in the posterior part of the 1.5-day-old chick embryo

Various endodermal sites posterior to the caudal-most somite were marked in ovo with the vital dye Dil, and the fate of marked endoderm was analyzed after 2 or 3 days' reincubation. The endoderm in this area became gut epithelium posterior to the caudal jejunum and yolk sac. The area occupied by the cells that were to contribute to the dorsal part of the digestive tube lay centrally around the area overlaid by axial and paraxial mesoderm, with the preventral digestive area lying outside with considerable overlapping, which was surrounded by the preyolk sac area. During the formation of the posterior digestive tube, the endoderm was elongated anteroposteriorly to a considerable degree. Cells that contributed to the cloaca and those that produced descendants in the large intestine occupied similar areas posterior to the center of the sinus rhomboidalis, which were included in the pre-ileal area extending more anteriorly. Prejejunal cells generally localized in a more anterior position than pre-ileal cells. Pre-allantoic cells were located in a rather small area around the posterior primitive streak.