螺形龟甲轮虫形态结构对环境变化的响应

以螺形龟甲轮虫为研究对象,于2015年7月至2018年12月,选取广东南澳岛及湖南常德中营养至中度富营养水体共14个样点进行采样,对螺形龟甲轮虫进行了形态特征测量分析.结果表明,水温是螺形龟甲轮虫形态变化最主要影响因子,且与背甲长、背甲宽、棘刺长度均呈显著负相关（P<0.01）.不同纬度条件下螺形龟甲轮虫形态参数差异显著,常德地区螺形龟甲轮虫个体显著大于南澳地区（P<0.05）.螺形龟甲轮虫形态存在显著季节性变化,各形态参数随季节波动呈现夏秋、冬春分化模式.螺形龟甲轮虫后棘刺长随水体营养程度增加而减小（F=159.4,P<0.01）,富营养条件下后棘刺长度占全长的比例减小（F=167.5,P<0.01）.研究结果表明,螺形龟甲轮虫棘刺长度可作为水质生物监测指标,并为研究全球气候变暖提供重要参考.     

Reproductive status influences group size and persistence of bonds in male plains zebra (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Equus burchelli</Emphasis>)

Animal groups arise from individuals’ choices about the number, characteristics, and identity of associates. Individuals make these choices to gain benefits from their associations. As the needs of an individual change with its phenotype, so too we expect the nature of its associations to vary. In this paper, we investigate how the social priorities of male plains zebra (Equus burchelli) depend on reproductive state. An adult male is either a bachelor, and lacking mating access, or a stallion defending a harem. Multiple harems and bachelor males aggregate in larger herds. Herds frequently split and merge, affording males opportunities to change associates. Over a 4-year period, we sampled the herd associations in a population of 500–700 zebras. To isolate the effects of reproductive state on male social behavior, we account for potential confounding factors: changes in population size, grouping tendencies, and sampling intensity. We develop a generally applicable permutation procedure, which allows us to test the null hypothesis that social behavior is independent of male status. Averaging over all individuals in the population, we find that a typical bachelor is found in herds containing significantly more adults, bachelors, and stallions than the herds of a typical stallion. Further, bachelors’ bonds with each other are more persistent over time than those among stallions. These results suggest that bachelors form cohesive cliques, in which we may expect cooperative behaviors to develop. Stallion–stallion associations are more diffuse, and less conducive to long-term cooperation. This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau and R. James).     

Melanin-based colorations signal strategies to cope with poor and rich environments

One hypothesis for the maintenance of genetic variation states that alternative genotypes are adapted to different environmental conditions (i.e., genotype-by-environment interaction G×E) that vary in space and time. Although G×E has been demonstrated for morphological traits, little evidence has been given whether these G×E are associated with traits used as signal in mate choice. In three wild bird species, we investigated whether the degree of melanin-based coloration, a heritable trait, covaries with nestling growth rate in rich and poor environments. Variation in the degree of reddish-brown phaeomelanism is pronounced in the barn owl (Tyto alba) and tawny owl (Strix aluco), and variation in black eumelanism in the barn owl and Alpine swift (Apus melba). Melanin-based coloration has been shown to be a criterion in mate choice in the barn owl. We cross-fostered hatchlings to test whether nestlings sired by parents displaying melanin-based colorations to different extent exhibit alternative growth trajectories when raised by foster parents in poor (experimentally enlarged broods) and rich (experimentally reduced broods) environments. With respect to phaeomelanism, barn owl and tawny owl offspring sired by redder parents grew more rapidly in body mass only in experimentally reduced broods. With respect to eumelanism, Alpine swift offspring of darker fathers grew their wings more rapidly only in experimentally enlarged broods, a difference that was not detected in reduced broods. These interactions between parental melanism and offspring growth rate indicate that individuals display substantial plasticity in response to the rearing environment which is associated with the degree of melanism: at least with respect to nestling growth, phaeomelanic and eumelanic individuals are best adapted to rich and poor environments, respectively. It now remains to be investigated why eumelanism and phaeomelanism have a different signaling function and what the lifelong consequences of these melanism-dependent allocation strategies are. This is important to fully appraise the role played by environmental heterogeneity in maintaining variation in the degree of melanin-based coloration.     

Chronic parasitic infection alters reproductive output in deer mice

Parasitized animals may alter their life histories to minimize the costs of parasitism. Organisms are predicted to decrease investment in current reproduction when parasitism has the greatest impact on current reproductive ability. In contrast, if parasitism decreases residual reproductive value, hosts should increase current reproductive investment, referred to as fecundity compensation or terminal investment. In mammalian hosts, parasitic infection most often leads to reductions in current host reproduction, perhaps attributable to the emphasis on parasites that are unlikely to impact the host’s residual reproductive value. In this study, the life history response of a rodent, Peromyscus maniculatus, to infection with a parasite that should strongly impact the residual reproductive value of its host (Schistosomatium douthitti, Trematoda) was examined. Infection decreased survival for hosts exposed to a high dose of parasites and was chronic in survivors, confirming that infection had strong impacts for the residual reproductive value of the host. As predicted, infected mice increased their reproductive output, producing litters of greater mass due to heavier offspring. However, this increased output was observed after a greater delay to begin breeding in infected mice and was not observed in animals that suffered early mortality. The deer mouse S. douthitti system may provide a rare example of fecundity compensation in mammals.     

SO2 inhalation causes synaptic injury in rat hippocampus via its derivatives in vivo

SO₂ remains a common air pollutant, almost half of the world’s population uses coal and biomass fuels for domestic energy. Limited evidence suggests that exposure to SO₂ may be associated with neurotoxicity and increased risk of hospitalization and mortality of many brain disorders. However, our understanding of the mechanisms by which SO₂ causes harmful insults on neurons remains elusive. To explore the molecular mechanism of SO₂-induced neurotoxic effects in hippocampal neurons, we evaluated the synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus after exposure to SO₂ at various concentrations (3.5 and 7 mg m⁻³, 6 h d⁻¹, for 90 d) in vivo, and in primary cultured hippocampal neurons (DIV7 and DIV14) after the treatment of SO₂ derivatives in vitro. The results showed that SYP, PSD-95, NR-2B, p-ERK1/2 and p-CREB were consistently inhibited by SO₂/SO₂ derivatives in more mature hippocampal neurons in vivo and in vitro, while the effects were opposite in young hippocampal neurons. Our results indicated that in young neurons, SO₂ exposure produced neuronal insult is similar to ischemic injury; while in more mature neurons, SO₂ exposure induced synaptic dysfunctions might participate in cognitive impairment. The results implied that SO₂ inhalation could cause different neuronal injury during brain development, and suggested that the molecular mechanisms might be involved in the changes of synaptic plasticity.     

Plastic shaping of aqueous alumina suspensions with sucrose and maltodextrin additives

Traditional methods for the shape-forming of engineering ceramics entail plastic deformation of powder slurries containing hazardous organic liquids as suspending media. Replacing these organic with aqueous media requires the development of environmentally benign, water-soluble additives which serve as plasticizers and binders. Fundamental studies were performed with aqueous suspensions of colloidal-Al₂O₃ to evaluate the role of sucrose and maltodextrin on viscosity, sedimentation, and filtration characteristics, plastic flow behavior of filter cakes, and sinterability. Maltodextrin systems exhibited superior results, including filtration to high packing densities and clay-like plasticity with minimal cracking.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Third National Meeting, June 6–8, 1994, Boston, Massachusetts.Ames Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Iowa State University under Contract W-7405-Eng-82.     

Phenotype-dependent arrival time and its consequences in a migratory bird

Arrival times for migratory animals can be viewed as the result of an optimization process of costs and benefits of early arrival, and when the cost and benefit functions of early arrival depend on phenotypic quality, this will result in phenotype-dependent optimal arrival times. This hypothesis was tested for males of the migratory and sexually size-dimorphic barn swallow Hirundo rustica. The major cost of early arrival is poor environmental conditions which resulted in mortality of short-tailed early-arriving males in one year. The major benefits of early arrival are higher mating success, enhanced reproductive success, improved recruitment rates for offspring, and enhanced quality of the mate acquired. Annual variation in male arrival date is related to weather conditions at the breeding grounds, but also to some extent to weather conditions in the African winter quarters. Individual variation in arrival time can be explained by phenotype-dependent cost and benefit functions of early arrival. Male barn swallows with long tail ornaments arrived earlier than short-tailed males. The costs of early arrival should be particularly high under poor environmental conditions and lead to a stronger negative relationship between arrival date and phenotypic quality in years with poor environmental conditions. This prediction was confirmed by a stronger negative relationship between male tail length and date of arrival in years when arrival was relatively late because of poor weather. A female preference for early-arriving males may result in acquisition of good genes for optimal migratory behaviour, if migratory direction and extent have a genetic basis as shown in a number of different bird species.     

Regulation of honey bee division of labor by colony age demography

The age at which worker honey bees begin foraging varies under different colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that juvenile hormone (JH) mediates this behavioral plasticity, and that worker-worker interactions influence both JH titers and age at first foraging. These results also indicated that the age at first foraging is delayed in the presence of foragers, suggesting that colony age demography directly influences temporal division of labor. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether behavioral or physiological development can be accelerated, delayed, or reversed by altering colony age structure. In three out of three trials, earlier onset of foraging was induced in colonies depleted of foragers compared to colonies depleted of an equal number of bees across all age classes. In two out of three trials, delayed onset of foraging was induced in colonies in which foragers were confined compared to colonies with free-flying foragers. Finally, in three out of three trials, both endocrine and exocrine changes associated with reversion from foraging to brood care were induced in colonies composed of all old bees and devoid of brood; JH titers decreased and hypopharyngeal glands regenerated. These results demonstrate that plasticity in age-related division of labor in honey bee colonies is at least partially controlled by social factors. The implications of these results are discussed for the recently developed ‘‘activator-inhibitor” model for honey bee behavioral development. Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted after revision: 10 May 1996     

五爪金龙不同部位化感作用可塑性变化

为探讨五爪金龙化感作用可塑性,利用生物检测法研究了五爪金龙不同部分水提液对莴苣种子萌发的影响,结果表明:经过长期的适应和进化,五爪金龙不同部位化感作用变化幅度具有不同程度的差异;随水提液质量浓度的增加,五爪金龙植株整体化感作用变化范围增加,不同部位之间化感作用变化幅度差异加大。五爪金龙不同部位化感综合效应的质量浓度敏感性大小与其化感作用效率有关。五爪金龙不同部位化感综合效应平均值大小与其95%置信区间不存在协变关系,但其化感综合效应平均值的95%置信区间大小可以表征化感可塑性变化范围。五爪金龙较高的化感作用可塑性有利于增强其种间竞争能力。     

Reproductive plasticity in bumblebee workers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>)—reversion from fertility to sterility under queen influence

Worker sterility in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris is conditional and is linked to the social development of the colony. Workers refrain from reproducing or overtly challenging the queen until gyne production has initiated, at the so-called competition point (CP). It is not known whether this behavior is hard-wired or workers show reproductive plasticity. It also remains unclear whether worker reproductive decision is under queen and/or worker control. In this study, we tested worker reproductive plasticity in an attempt to assess whether and under which conditions worker sterility/fertility are reversible. We introduced egg-laying workers into colonies with different social structures for 1 week then monitored their reproductive status. We revealed a remarkable reproductive plasticity in the introduced workers that was social-condition-dependent. In the presence of a pre-CP queen, the introduced workers reverted to sterility, whereas in the presence of a post-CP queen, such workers remained egg-layer. Reversion to sterility does not occur when direct contact with the queen is prevented, as the introduced workers remained egg-layer in the queenright colonies with a confined queen. Egg-laying workers that were introduced into queenless colonies mostly maintained their fertility regardless of colony social phase. This shows that worker transition from cooperative to selfish behavior is reversible depending on the social context.