Geographical distribution pattern and interisland movements of Orii’s flying fox in Okinawa Islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan

The study of mobile animals such as flying foxes in insular habitats involves clarifying the population status on each island and determining the factors affecting movement patterns among the islands in their distributional range. We visited 25 of the Okinawa Islands and documented the number of Orii’s flying foxes Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus from August 2005 to May 2006. We also conducted a monthly road census on the main island (Okinawa-jima Island) and six adjacent islands from June 2006 to January 2007 and counted the number of fruit-bearing trees of the bats’ four main food plants. The results of classification and regression tree analysis suggested that distance from the main island was a primary factor in determining the distribution pattern and population size of this flying fox, whereas island area, number of plant species, and food availability did not directly affect population size. The number of flying foxes on each island tended to decrease with an increase in distance from the main island; no flying foxes existed on islands >30 km away from the main island. On the other hand, the results of the monthly census showed that the population size on each island fluctuated seasonally. Individuals may move between islands in response to seasonal changes in food availability. In conclusion, the distribution and abundance of Orii’s flying foxes in the Okinawa Islands may be determined by the rate of immigration/emigration, depending on each island’s distance from the main island. Seasonal changes in food availability may act as a trigger for interisland movement, but that movement may be restricted by island connectivity.     

云南罗平中三叠世意外裸鱼的再研究

意外裸鱼(Gymnoichthys inopinatus)于2010年由Tintori等首次记述并归入基干新鳍鱼类。依据在云南省曲靖地区罗平县大凹子村中三叠世关岭组二段发现的新材料,对意外裸鱼进行了补充描述,并重新讨论了其系统发育关系。在意外裸鱼的新标本上,可见其续骨前端很可能与关节骨相关节,并有确切无疑的单一辅上颌骨,表明意外裸鱼应为鲱亚部(Halecomorphi)鱼类。此外,意外裸鱼的体表无鳞、椎体未骨化、髓棘和髓弓的结构和排列方式以及牙齿和尾脉棘的形状都与金尾鱼超科鱼类(caturoids)一致。系统发育分析结果表明意外裸鱼属于金尾鱼超科的基干类群。之前金尾鱼类主要见于欧洲和北美的侏罗系,现在公认的金尾鱼超科鱼类主要包括Liodesmidae中的Liodesmus属和金尾鱼科(Caturidae)中的Caturus和Amblysemius两属。意外裸鱼的发现不仅使金尾鱼类的出现提前了40Ma,而且填补了我国相关材料的空缺。     

帚霉属的一个新种

从云南省哀牢山土样分离到一株帚霉属(Scopulariopsis Bainier)菌株 Y82-922,进行了它的形态学研究。它兼具瓶形和柱形并且可以层出的环痕瓶梗,分生孢子小,多为球形,直径2—3μm,有1—3个芽孔,可在原位上产生短侧分生孢子链并以其末端与亲本主链相接合。它的分类学位置介于细微帚霉(Scopulariopsis parvula Morton et Smith)与寡见拟沃德霉(Wardomycosis inopinatus Udagawa et Furuya,)之间,但具有不同于二者的特性,故定名为新种,云南帚霉 Scopulariopsts yunnanensis Chen et Jiang,sp nov.