Decompression syndrome and the evolution of deep diving physiology in the Cetacea

Whales repetitively dive deep to feed and should be susceptible to decompression syndrome, though they are not known to suffer the associated pathologies. Avascular osteonecrosis has been recognized as an indicator of diving habits of extinct marine amniotes. Vertebrae of 331 individual modern and 996 fossil whales were subjected to macroscopic and radiographic examination. Avascular osteonecrosis was found in the Oligocene basal odontocetes (Xenorophoidea) and in geologically younger mysticetes, such as Aglaocetus [a sister taxon to Balaenopteridae + (Balaenidae + Eschrichtiidae) clade]. These are considered as early "experiments" in repetitive deep diving, indicating that they independently converged on their similar specialized diving physiologies.     

Unexpected skeletal histology of an ichthyosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Patagonia: implications for evolution of bone microstructure among secondary aquatic tetrapods

During the Mesozoic, one of the most significant evolutionary processes was the secondary adaptation of tetrapods to life in water. Several non-related lineages invaded from the terrestrial realms and from the oceans of the entire world. Among these lineages, ichthyosaurs were particularly successful. Advance parvipelvian ichthyosaurs were the first tetrapods to evolve a fish-shaped body profile. The deep skeletal modifications of their bodies, as well as their biology, depict advance ichthyosaurs as the paradigm of secondary adaptation of reptiles to marine life. Functional inferences point to them as off-shore cruising forms, similar to a living tuna, and some of them were capable of deep diving. Bone histology of some genera such as Temnodontosaurus, Stenopterygius, Ichthyosaurus, and Caypullisaurus, characterized by overall cancellous bone, is consistent with the idea of a fish-shaped ichthyosaurs as fast and far cruisers. Here, we provide histological examination of the ribs of the Middle Jurassic parvipelvian Mollesaurus. Contrasting with the bone histology of other parvipelvian, Mollesaurus ribs are characterized by a compact and thick cortex. Our data indicate that the rib cage was heavy and suggest that not all advanced ichthyosaurs were fast cruisers. The compact and dense ribs in these parvipelvian show that advance ichthyosaurs were ecologically more diverse than previously thought and that the lightening of the skeleton reversed, as also occurred in the evolution of cetacean, at least once along the evolutionary history of ichthyosaurs.     

Vegaviidae,a new clade of southern diving birds that survived the K/T boundary

The fossil record of Late Cretaceous–Paleogene modern birds in the Southern Hemisphere includes the Maastrichtian Neogaeornis wetzeli from Chile, Polarornis gregorii and Vegavis iaai from Antarctica, and Australornis lovei from the Paleogene of New Zealand. The recent finding of a new and nearly complete Vegavis skeleton constitutes the most informative source for anatomical comparisons among Australornis, Polarornis, and Vegavis. The present contribution includes, for the first time, Vegavis, Polarornis, and Australornis in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. This analysis resulted in the recognition of these taxa as a clade of basal Anseriformes that we call Vegaviidae. Vegaviids share a combination of characters related to diving adaptations, including compact and thickened cortex of hindlimb bones, femur with anteroposteriorly compressed and bowed shaft, deep and wide popliteal fossa delimited by a medial ridge, tibiotarsus showing notably proximally expanded cnemial crests, expanded fibular crest, anteroposterior compression of the tibial shaft, and a tarsometatarsus with a strong transverse compression of the shaft. Isolated bones coming from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of South America, Antarctica, and New Zealand are also referred to here to Vegaviidae and support the view that these basal anseriforms were abundant and diverse at high southern latitudes. Moreover, vegaviids represent the first avian lineage to have definitely crossed the K–Pg boundary, supporting the idea that some avian clades were not affected by the end Mesozoic mass extinction event, countering previous interpretations. Recognition of Vegaviidae indicates that modern birds were diversified in southern continents by the Cretaceous and reinforces the hypothesis indicating the important role of Gondwana for the evolutionary history of Anseriformes and Neornithes as a whole.     

Insight into the growth dynamics and systematic affinities of the Late Cretaceous Gargantuavis from bone microstructure

Enigmatic avialan remains of Gargantuavis philoinos from the Ibero-Armorican island of the Late Cretaceous European archipelago (Southern France) led to a debate concerning its taxonomic affinities. Here, we show that the bone microstructure of Gargantuavis resembles that of Apteryx, the extinct emeids and Megalapteryx from New Zealand, and indicates that like these slow-growing terrestrial birds, it took several years to attain skeletal maturity. Our findings suggest that the protracted cyclical growth in these ornithurines may have been in response to insular evolution.     

Isotopic and anatomical evidence of an herbivorous diet in the Early Tertiary giant bird Gastornis. Implications for the structure of Paleocene terrestrial ecosystems

The mode of life of the early Tertiary giant bird Gastornis has long been a matter of controversy. Although it has often been reconstructed as an apex predator feeding on small mammals, according to other interpretations, it was in fact a large herbivore. To determine the diet of this bird, we analyze here the carbon isotope composition of the bone apatite from Gastornis and contemporaneous herbivorous mammals. Based on ¹³C-enrichment measured between carbonate and diet of carnivorous and herbivorous modern birds, the carbonate δ¹³C values of Gastornis bone remains, recovered from four Paleocene and Eocene French localities, indicate that this bird fed on plants. This is confirmed by a morphofunctional study showing that the reconstructed jaw musculature of Gastornis was similar to that of living herbivorous birds and unlike that of carnivorous forms. The herbivorous Gastornis was the largest terrestrial tetrapod in the Paleocene biota of Europe, unlike the situation in North America and Asia, where Gastornis is first recorded in the early Eocene, and the largest Paleocene animals were herbivorous mammals. The structure of the Paleocene terrestrial ecosystems of Europe may have been similar to that of some large islands, notably Madagascar, prior to the arrival of humans.     

First direct evidence of hibernation in an eastern dwarf lemur species (Cheirogaleus crossleyi) from the high-altitude forest of Tsinjoarivo, central-eastern Madagascar

The nocturnal dwarf lemurs of Madagascar (genus Cheirogaleus) are the only primates known to be obligate hibernators. Although the physiology of hibernation has been studied widely in the western, small-bodied species, Cheirogaleus medius, no direct evidence of hibernation, i.e., body temperature recordings, has been reported for any of the three recognized eastern dwarf lemur species. We present skin temperature data collected by external collar transmitters from two eastern dwarf lemur individuals (Cheirogaleus crossleyi) captured in the high-altitude forest of Tsinjoarivo, central-eastern Madagascar. Our study species is larger in body size than western dwarf lemurs and inhabits much colder environments. We present the first evidence of hibernation in an eastern dwarf lemur species, and we compare the results with data available for the western species. Although the hibernation period is shorter in dwarf lemurs from Tsinjoarivo, minimum body temperatures are lower than those reported for C. medius. Both individuals at Tsinjoarivo showed limited passive and extended deep hibernation during which they did not track ambient temperature as observed in most western dwarf lemurs. Because ambient temperatures at Tsinjoarivo never exceed 30°C, dwarf lemurs have to experience arousals to maintain homeostasis during periods of hibernation. We show that large dwarf lemurs (>400 g) are capable of undergoing deep hibernation and suggest that cold, high-altitude forests may render hibernation highly advantageous during periods of food scarcity. This study has implications for understanding the physiology of hibernation in small-bodied lemurs.     

Unusual intraosseous fossilized soft tissues from the Middle Triassic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothosaurus</Emphasis> bone

Fossilized soft tissues, occasionally found together with skeletal remains, provide insights to the physiology and functional morphology of extinct organisms. Herein, we present unusual fossilized structures from the cortical region of bone identified in isolated skeletal remains of Middle Triassic nothosaurs from Upper Silesia, Poland. The ribbed or annuli-shaped structures have been found in a sample of partially demineralized coracoid and are interpreted as either giant red blood cells or as blood vessel walls. The most probable function is reinforcing the blood vessels from changes of nitrogen pressure in air-breathing diving reptiles. These structures seem to have been built of extensible muscle layers which prevent the vessel damage during rapid ascent. Such suspected function presented here is parsimonious with results of previous studies, which indicate rarity of the pathological modification of bones associated with decompression syndrome in Middle Triassic nothosaurs.     

Microanatomy and life history in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Palaeopleurosaurus</Emphasis> (Rhynchocephalia: Pleurosauridae) from the Early Jurassic of Germany

The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) from New Zealand is often—erroneously—identified as a ‘living fossil’, although it is the lone survivor of a large, successful radiation of Rhynchocephalia, sister taxon to squamates (lizards and snakes), that thrived through the Mesozoic and Cenozoic and experienced an intricate evolution of life histories and feeding habits. Within Rhynchocephalia, only Pleurosauridae are thought to be marine and piscivorous. Here, we present bone histological data of the Jurassic pleurosaurid Palaeopleurosaurus, showing osteosclerosis (i.e. bone mass increase) in its gastralia, and some osteosclerosis in its rib but no increase in bone mass in the femur, supporting a gradual skeletal specialization for an aquatic way of life. Similar to Sphenodon, the bone tissue deposited in Palaeopleurosaurus is lamellar zonal bone. The femoral growth pattern in Palaeopleurosaurus differs from that of terrestrial Sphenodon in a more irregular spacing of growth marks and deposition of non-annual (i.e. non-continuous) rest lines, indicating strong dependency on exogenous factors. The annual growth mark count in adult but not yet fully grown Palaeopleurosaurus is much lower when compared to adult individuals of Sphenodon, which could indicate a lower lifespan for Palaeopleurosaurus. Whereas the gastral ribs of Palaeopleurosaurus and Sphenodon are similar in composition, the ribs of Sphenodon differ profoundly in being separated into a proximal tubular rib part with a thick cortex, and an elliptical, flared ventral part characterised by extremely thin cortical bone. The latter argues against a previously inferred protective function of the ventral rib parts for the vulnerable viscera in Sphenodon.     

南海水域不同深度非光合微生物的固碳潜能及其对不同电子供体的响应

通过对南海水域多个区域不同深度的海水分别以H2、Na2S2O3、Na NO2为电子供体经过一定时间的驯化培养后,测定其中非光合微生物的固碳潜力,并统计南海水域不同深度非光合微生物在不同电子供体条件下固碳潜力的差异性,最后结合不同深度海水的主要固碳基因丰度差异,分析南海水域不同深度海洋非光合微生物在不同电子供体条件下固碳潜能差异的原因.结果发现以Na NO2为电子供体时,海洋非光合微生物固碳能力普遍较低,各深度之间没有显著差异;以H2为电子供体时,表层海水中的非光合微生物的固碳潜力显著高于深层海水中的;而以Na2S2O3为电子供体时,深层海水中的非光合微生物的固碳潜力显著高于表层海水中的.基因分析结果表明,固碳基因cbb L在表层海水中的丰度高于深层海水,而cbb M基因在深层海水中的丰度高于表层海水.硫细菌大多以拥有cbb M基因为主,而氢细菌大多以拥有cbb L基因为主.因此不同海洋深度非光合微生物对不同电子供体响应的差异性可能和优势菌群结构的差异有关.海洋表层和深层溶解氧、无机碳含量的差异是导致菌群结构差异,乃至固碳潜力差异的重要原因.     

Uptake of radioiodide by Paenibacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Burkholderia sp. and Rhodococcus sp. isolated from a boreal nutrient-poor bog

Radionuclides, like radioiodine(~(129)I), may escape deep geological nuclear waste repositories and migrate to the surface ecosystems. In surface ecosystems, microorganisms can affect their movement. Iodide uptake of six bacterial strains belonging to the genera Paenibacillus,Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Rhodococcus isolated from an acidic boreal nutrient-poor bog was tested. The tests were run in four different growth media at three temperatures. All bacterial strains removed iodide from the solution with the highest efficiency shown by one of the Paenibacillus strains with 99% of iodide removed from the solution in one of the used growth media. Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and one of the two Paenibacillus strains showed highest iodide uptake in 1% yeast extract with maximum values for the distribution coefficient(K_d) ranging from 90 to 270 L/kg DW. The Burkholderia strain showed highest uptake in 1% Tryptone(maximum K_d170 L/kg DW). The Paenibacillus strain V0-1-LW showed exceptionally high uptake in 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth(maximum K_d 1,000,000 L/kg DW). Addition of 0.1% glucose to the 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth reduced iodide uptake at 4℃ and 20℃ and enhanced iodide uptake at 37℃ compared to the uptake without glucose. This indicates that the uptake of glucose and iodide may be competing processes in these bacteria. We estimated that in in situ conditions of the bog,the bacterial uptake of iodide accounts for approximately 0.1%–0.3% of the total sorption of iodide in the surface, subsurface peat, gyttja and clay layers.     

军用车辆自然环境区划研究

根据自然环境条件对军用车辆影响和我国自然环境特点,探讨了我国军用车辆自然环境区域的划分方法。通过对各典型严酷自然环境地区的特点、现象及对车辆性能影响研究,分析并确定了各典型严酷自然环境地区的原则和划分标准;利用“主导环境因素”、“地区特征值”和“区划指标”等新概念,将我国军用车辆使用地区划分成严寒、湿热、高原、沙漠、近海5类地区的区划方案。     

黄土丘陵区土地利用变化对深层土壤有机碳储量的影响

通过研究黄土丘陵子午岭林区5种典型土地利用类型土壤剖面有机碳分布特征,分析了天然乔木林转变为人工乔木林、天然乔木林转变为农田、天然灌木林转变为农田及撂荒后土壤有机碳变化特征.同时,以浅层(0~100 cm)土壤为对照,探讨了土地利用变化对深层(100~200cm)土壤有机碳储量的影响.结果表明,在0~200 cm剖面上,天然乔木林、天然灌木林、人工乔木林、撂荒地、农田土壤有机碳含量分别为5.85、3.96、4.98、3.09、3.20 g·kg-1,天然乔木林、人工乔木林土壤有机碳含量显著高于天然灌木林、撂荒地和农田(p0.05).各土地利用类型下浅层和深层土壤有机碳含量分别占0~200 cm土壤有机碳含量的58%~73%和27%~42%,不同土地利用类型间浅层土壤有机碳含量差异显著,但深层土壤有机碳含量差异不大.土地利用变化对土壤有机碳储量影响显著.天然乔木林转变为人工乔木林、天然乔木林转变为农田、天然灌木林转变为撂荒地、天然灌木林转变为农田4种土地利用转变方式0~200 cm土壤有机碳储量分别减少了9.68、52.90、20.20、12.49 t·hm-2,减幅为7%、39%、21%、13%,其中,浅层土壤减少了2%~48%,深层土壤减少了12%~22%.相对于林地开垦为农田而言,农田退耕还林后土壤有机碳的恢复要慢得多.研究结果揭示了浅层和深层土壤有机碳对土地利用变化的敏感性,反映了深层土壤有机碳具有较大的稳定性.     

Biochemical and ecological similarities in marsh plants and diving animals

Higher plants which can survive flooding have certain ecological and biochemical similarities with diving reptiles, birds, and mammals. The ecological similarities arise from the fact that these wet-land plants and diving animals are all terrestrial organisms which have re-entered the aquatic habitat as a retreat or ecological refuge free from interference by dry-land species. To survive in the wet-land or aquatic habitat species of terrestrial origin have to restrict their metabolic rate in the absence of oxygen and exploit a wide range of metabolic products to aid proton disposal and avoid the dangers of cell toxicity due to the accumulation of an excessive oxygen debt. In some plants metabolic adaptation to anoxia (low oxygen supply) resembles that found in animal parasites. It is a striking example of metabolic co-evolution that the retreat of so many terrestrial species of both plants and animals back to the low-oxygen habitat has been made possible by the exploitation of similar biochemical control mechanisms and pathways.     

Isotopic evidence for niche partitioning and the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on endemic and introduced rodents in central Madagascar

We applied a multi-isotope approach to examine aspects of niche partitioning, competition, and mobility for rodents in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Specifically, we used carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N), and strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotope ratios in bone to investigate diet and mobility for endemic tufted tail rats (Eliurus spp.), and introduced black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) within and outside a fragment of montane humid forest in the Ambohitantely Special Reserve. There was a clear spatial segregation in trapping success for different species: Eliurus was only in the forest interior and edge, Mus only outside of the fragment in a marsh and park housing complex, and Rattus in all habitats except the housing complex. We find only moderate support for mobility of rodents among habitats. Mus may routinely move between the marsh and housing complex. However, regular movement between the forest edge and interior, or between the forest fragment and surrounding grassland is not supported. Taxa appear to target different foods: Rattus tends to feed at a higher trophic level than Eliurus, and Mus consumes some C₄ resources. To date, strontium isotopes have been underutilized in ecological research. Here, we show that they are highly complementary to carbon and nitrogen isotope data. Even in localities with relatively uniform underlying geology, it may be possible to distinguish individuals that regularly forage in different habitats.     

Potential feeding deterrents found in hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae

The nonnative hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand, Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Adelgidae) has been a significant mortality agent of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis Carriere) throughout a large portion of its geographic range. During a study investigating adelgid vigor in relation to host health, it was noted that adelgid extracts ranged from a yellow to a deep red color. Analysis by GC–MS identified the presence of the anthraquinone, chrysophanol and its anthrone precursor, chrysarobin in the extract. These compounds are predator deterrents in several other insects, including chrysomelid beetles. It is hypothesized that these compounds serve a similar purpose in the hemlock woolly adelgid.     

基于复杂网络的城市湖库藻类水华形成识别研究

在对城市湖库藻类水华形成机理深入研究的基础上,将提取的影响水华暴发的关键因子总磷(TP)、总氮(TN)、温度(T)、pH值、溶解氧(DO)、光照(I)、叶绿素a浓度(chl_a)作为网络节点,将影响因素间的关系抽象成网络的边,构建了藻类水华形成的有向网络模型.同时,计算了复杂网络的统计特征参数,构建了节点的关键度模型,并进行修正,进而构建了水华形成的复杂网络统计特征参数模型G,对其进行半定量分级,从而实现对水华暴发的有效识别,最后采用北京城市河湖水质的实验数据对模型进行了验证.结果表明,复杂网络统计特征参数G与叶绿素a浓度有显著的相关性,能够较好地表征水华形成过程.     

Role of sampling for crop-loss assessment and nematode management

Reliable sampling of nematode communities in crop-loss assessment provides basic characterization of the population dynamics and damage potential of given species in a particular host—cultivar environment. Loss assessments for annual plants may be based on samples taken at: (1) time of planting; (2) mid-season (where nematicide or resistant-cultivar treatments are used); and (3) at harvest. Population levels at, or shortly after, harvest are most useful in projecting nematode hazards for a subsequent crop, especially where survival rates are known. Root symptoms, root-gall or root-necrosis indices, taken at mid-season or at harvest also can be correlated with yield losses caused by Meloidogyne spp. and associated fungi. A composite sample of 20 to 50 soil cores (2.5 cm diameter × 20 cm deep) collected in a stratified or systematic pattern over a 1- to 2-ha area provides nematode population estimates within about 30–50% of the mean. The major problems encountered in relating these estimates to potential hazards and eventual crop losses are related to the striking variation in crop-nematode responses as influenced by environment, cultivar, and general crop-management practices. Relative precision in crop-loss assessment should be improved as more research on crop-nematode responses and sampling methodology is completed.     

Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences

The fossil record of Late Cretaceous–Paleogene modern birds in the Southern Hemisphere includes the Maastrichtian Neogaeornis wetzeli from Chile, Polarornis gregorii and Vegavis iaai from Antarctica, and Australornis lovei from the Paleogene of New Zealand. The recent finding of a new and nearly complete Vegavis skeleton constitutes the most informative source for anatomical comparisons among Australornis, Polarornis, and Vegavis. The present contribution includes, for the first time, Vegavis, Polarornis, and Australornis in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. This analysis resulted in the recognition of these taxa as a clade of basal Anseriformes that we call Vegaviidae. Vegaviids share a combination of characters related to diving adaptations, including compact and thickened cortex of hindlimb bones, femur with anteroposteriorly compressed and bowed shaft, deep and wide popliteal fossa delimited by a medial ridge, tibiotarsus showing notably proximally expanded cnemial crests, expanded fibular crest, anteroposterior compression of the tibial shaft, and a tarsometatarsus with a strong transverse compression of the shaft. Isolated bones coming from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of South America, Antarctica, and New Zealand are also referred to here to Vegaviidae and support the view that these basal anseriforms were abundant and diverse at high southern latitudes. Moreover, vegaviids represent the first avian lineage to have definitely crossed the K–Pg boundary, supporting the idea that some avian clades were not affected by the end Mesozoic mass extinction event, countering previous interpretations. Recognition of Vegaviidae indicates that modern birds were diversified in southern continents by the Cretaceous and reinforces the hypothesis indicating the important role of Gondwana for the evolutionary history of Anseriformes and Neornithes as a whole.

     

Evolution through cold and deep waters: the molecular phylogeny of the Lithodidae (Crustacea: Decapoda)

The objectives of this work are to use gene sequence data to assess the hypothesis that the Lithodinae arose from ancestors with uncalcified abdomens in shallow waters of the North-East Pacific, investigate the monophyly and interrelationships of genera within the Lithodinae and to estimate the scale and minimum number of biogeographic transitions from the shallow environment to the deep sea and vice versa. To do this, phylogenetic analysis from three mitochondrial and three nuclear markers was conducted using minimum evolution, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. The Lithodinae as defined to include North Pacific genus Cryptolithodes may be paraphyletic, with the Hapalogastrinae and Cryptolithodes as sister taxa. This implies that the soft-bodied abdomen of the Hapalogastrinae might not be plesiomorphic for the Lithodidae. Paralomis, Lopholithodes, Phyllolithodes, Lithodes and Neolithodes share a common ancestor, from which the North Pacific Hapalogastrinae did not descend. Lithodid ancestors are likely to have had a north Pacific, shallow water distribution and to have had planktotrophic larvae. North Pacific genus Paralithodes is paraphyletic; P. brevipes is the most basal member of the genus (as sampled) while P. camtschaticus and P. platypus are more closely related to the genera Lithodes and Neolithodes. Genera Lithodes, Neolithodes and Paralomis (as sampled) are monophyletic if Glyptolithodes is included within Paralomis. Lopholithodes is closely related to, but not included within, the Paralomis genus. Paralomis is divided into at least two major lineages: one containing South Atlantic, West African, and Indian Ocean species, and the other containing Pacific and South American species. Several species of Paralomis do not resolve consistently with any other groups sampled, implying a complex and possibly rapid global evolution early in the history of the genus. Relationships within the Lithodes genus vary between analytical methods, suggesting that conclusions may not be stable. Consistently, however, Indian Ocean and Pacific forms—L. murrayi, L. longispina and L. nintokuae form a group separated from Atlantic species such as L. santolla, L. confundens, L. maja and L. ferox.     

深层灰岩裂隙含水层的微生物种群特征及多样性分析

淄博深层灰岩裂隙含水层遭受石油污染已有30年,含水层中微生物降解对污染物的去除起到重要的作用,目前有关深层灰岩裂隙含水层中微生物群落结构和多样性的相关研究较少。本文采用高通量测序技术对研究区灰岩岩溶裂隙介质表面及地下水中的微生物种群结构进行了研究,对石油降解菌的种群特征及多样性进行了探讨,并利用RDA对典型石油降解菌与理化因子的相关性进行了分析。结果表明,含水层中的菌群主要属于变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和子囊菌门(Ascomycota),且地下水比灰岩岩溶裂隙介质表面呈现出更高的生物多样性;含水层中石油降解细菌主要属于脱硫弧菌属(Desulfovibrio)、类诺卡氏菌属(Nocardioides)、假黄色单胞菌属(Pseudoxanthomonas)等,石油降解真菌主要来自煤炱目(Capnodiales)、座囊菌目(Dothideales)、银耳目(Tremellales)中的菌种;地下水中的石油降解细菌、真菌与总石油烃(TPH)、全磷(TP)和全氮(TN)的相关性比灰岩岩溶裂隙介质更高。