The flightless period of free-living male Teal Anas crecca in northern Sweden

A total of 126 flightless adult male Teal was caught in 1982 and 1983 in a moulting area in northern Sweden (63° 53'N). The birds were weighed and the stage of development of their primaries and secondaries measured. During the flightless period, the weight of the birds decreased by an average of 10% in 1982 and 19% in 1983. This weight decrease allows the birds to fly before their primaries and secondaries are full-grown. The weight loss is considered to be an adaptation making it possible, for example, for lighter birds to escape predators sooner after moulting. Birds varied greatly in the dates at which they initiated their flightless period, that is, from the end of June to the end of July. Thus, it is probable that both local birds and birds from distant breeding grounds were present in the moulting area.     

Predation on Moose Calves by European Brown Bears

Abstract: In North America, brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be a significant predator on moose (Alces alces) calves. Our study in Sweden is the first in which brown bears are the only predator on moose calves. Bears and moose occurred at densities of about 30/1,000 km² and 920/1,000 km², respectively, and bears killed about 26% of the calves. Ninety-two percent of the predation took place when calves were <1 month old. Bear predation was probably additive to other natural mortality, which was about 10% in areas both with and without bears. Females that lost their calves in spring produced more calves the following year (1.54 calves/F) than females that kept their calves (1.11 calves/F), which reduced the net loss of calves due to predation to about 22%.     

Revision of the New Caledonian endemic genus Gracilipsodes (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae: Grumichellini)

The taxonomy and systematics of the New Caledonian endemic caddisfly genus Gracilipsodes Sykora, 1967 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae: Grumichellini) are reviewed. Seven new species represented by males are described and illustrated: Gracilipsodes aoupiniensis sp. nov. , Gracilipsodes aureus sp. nov. , Gracilipsodes aurorus sp. nov. , Gracilipsodes grandis sp. nov. , Gracilipsodes koghiensis sp. nov. , Gracilipsodes lanceolatus sp. nov. , and Gracilipsodes robustus sp. nov. Molecular phylogenetic analyses are applied to discern the relationships among the species of the genus and their closest relatives, based on sequence characters from the nuclear gene translation elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) and the three mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase I (COI), COII, and ribosomal large subunit (16S). The data are analyzed using parsimony and Bayesian inference, revealing a monophyletic Gracilipsodes with the eastern Australian monotypic genus Triplexa as its closest relative. Gracilipsodes is in turn divided into two major lineages.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 153 , 425–452.     

Effect of Light on the Response of Pea Seedling Roots to 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

White light increases the inhibition of growth in length of pea seedling roots caused by 2,4-D. This effect is most pronounced in the case of lateral root growth. The effect is obtained also if the shoots above the cotyledons are removed and is probably due to the direct influence of light on the roots. While light also weakly enhances the inhibition of pea root growth caused by 1-naphthylacetic acid, light does not increase the sensitivity of wheat roots to 2,4-D or naphthylacetic acid.     

Adaptation to Hypoxia by Increased HbO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Affinity and Decreased Red Cell ATP Concentration

THERE is a decrease in the O₂ affinity of mammalian haemoglobin (Hb) as the levels of 2,3-DPG or ATP are increased, which is explained by an allosteric effect on the HbO₂ binding^1,2. Similar observations on amphibians³ and fish⁴, which have molar ratios of ATP to Hb similar to those of DPG to Hb in mammals, suggest that red cell organic phosphates modulate Hb function in all vertebrates. The adaptation of mammals to various hypoxic stresses involves reduced HbO₂ affinity^5–9, the attendant increase in O₂ “unloading” capacity being mediated by an increase in the concentration of red cell 2,3-DPG. We have found the opposite response in hypoxic fish and suggest that an increased O₂ affinity results in increased O₂ transport for the fish.     

The evolutionary history of Trichoptera (Insecta): A case of successful adaptation to life in freshwater

The insect order Trichoptera (caddisflies) forms the second most species‐rich monophyletic group of animals in freshwater. So far, several attempts have been made to elucidate its evolutionary history with both morphological and molecular data. However, none have attempted to analyse the time frame for its diversification. The order is divided into three suborders – Annulipalpia, Integripalpia and ‘Spicipalpia’. Historically, the most problematic taxon to place within the order is ‘Spicipalpia’, whose larvae do not build traditional cases or filtering nets like the majority of the caddisflies. They have previously been proposed to be the sister group of all other Trichoptera or more advanced within the order, with equivocal monophyly and with different interordinal placements among various studies. In order to resolve the evolutionary history of the caddisflies as well as timing their diversification, we utilized fragments of three nuclear (carbamoylphosphate synthethase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and RNA polymerase II) and one mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) protein coding genes, with 16 fossil trichopteran taxa used for time calibration. The ‘spicipalpian’ families are recovered as ancestral to all other caddisflies, though paraphyletic. We recover stable relationships among most families and superfamilies, resolving many previously unrecognized phylogenetic affinities amongst extant families. The origin of Trichoptera is estimated to be around 234 Ma, i.e. Middle – Late Triassic.     

Molecular phylogeny of Sericostomatoidea (Trichoptera) with the establishment of three new families

We inferred the phylogenetic relationships among 58 genera of Sericostomatoidea, representing all previously accepted families as well as genera that were not placed in established families. The analyses were based on five fragments of the protein coding genes carbamoylphosphate synthetase (CPSase of CAD), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), Elongation factor 1a (EF‐1a), RNA polymerase II (POL II) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI). The data set was analysed using Bayesian methods with a mixed model, raxml , and parsimony. The various methods generated slightly different results regarding relationships among families, but the shared results comprise support for: (i) a monophyletic Sericostomatoidea; (ii) a paraphyletic Parasericostoma due to inclusion of Myotrichia murina, leading to synonymization of Myotrichia with Parasericostoma; (iii) a polyphyletic Sericostomatidae, which is divided into two families, Sericostomatidae sensu stricto and Parasericostomatidae fam.n. ; (iv) a polyphyletic Helicophidae which is divided into Helicophidae sensu stricto and Heloccabucidae fam.n. ; (v) hypothesized phylogenetic placement of the former incerta sedis genera Ngoya, Seselpsyche and Karomana; (vi) a paraphyletic Costora (Conoesucidae) that should be divided into several genera after more careful examination of morphological data; (vii) reinstatement of Gyrocarisa as a valid genus within Petrothrincidae. A third family, Ceylanopsychidae fam.n. , is established based on morphological characters alone. A hypothesis of the relationship among 14 of the 15 families in the superfamily is presented. A key to the families is presented based on adults (males). Taxonomic history, diagnosis, habitat preference and distribution data for all sericostomatoid families are presented. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF6A6B9F‐6A72‐4265‐BD09‐3A710DFCD7B1 .     

Mating systems and territory in Lapwings Vanellus vanellus

In a population of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus studied for 5 years near Bergen, southwester Norway, 23–41% of the males were polygynous, having two and sometimes three mates, whereas 50–77% were monogamous and 0–21% remained unmated. Bachelors held territories in or immediately adjacent to the study area each of the years. As predicted from the Polygyny Threshold model, primary females generally laid eggs earlier than monogamous females, but the overlap in laying dates was substantial between these two classes. The number of females and start of breeding on the territories were analysed in relation to nine variables pertaining to safety from predation and to food. Of these, territory size correlated most consistently with number of females (positively) and the laying of first egg (negatively). Numbers of females observed were not significantly different from numbers expected from territory size in 4 out of 5 years; however, earlier start of breeding on large territories indicated that females did not settle according to the Neutral Mate Choice model. The Female-biased Sex Ratio hypothesis was refuted, unmated territorial males being available throughout the breeding seasons.