Virtual cranial endocast of the oldest giant panda (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ailuropoda microta</Emphasis>) reveals great similarity to that of its extant relative

Recent development of computed tomography and three-dimensional visualization techniques has enabled the non-destructive inspection of the endocast morphology of fossil neurocranium, the basic material for paleoneurological study. A virtual cranial endocast was reconstructed based on the first skull of the oldest giant panda, Ailuropoda microta, discovered recently and dated at more than 2 Myr (million years) ago. It was compared with that of the extant giant panda (A. melanoleuca) and that of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), as well as CT slices of the late Pleistocene A. baconi. The overall endocast morphology of A. microta is more similar to that of A. baconi and A. melanoleuca than to that of U. maritimus. The absolute endocast size is the smallest in A. microta, largest in A. baconi, and intermediate in A. melanoleuca. However, the proportion of cerebral volume to total endocast size is very close to each other between the oldest and extant giant panda, as well as the sulcal length per unit area of cerebral endocast surface. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

气候变化对大熊猫分布的潜在影响

分析气候变化对动物分布影响,对气候变化下保护生物多样性具有重要意义。文章利用CART(classification and regression tree),分类和回归树模型,采用A1、A2、B1和B2气候变化情景,模拟分析了气候变化对大熊猫分布范围及空间格局的影响。结果显示:气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜分布范围将缩小,新适宜和总适宜分布范围在1991~2020年时段较大,从1991~2020年到2081~2100年时段呈现缩小趋势,其中A1情景下变化最大,B1情景下最小。气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜分布区的东部、东北和南部一些适宜范围将不再适宜,新适宜分布区将主要向目前适宜分布区西部一些区域扩展,并且适宜分布区破碎化,在2051~2080年时段程度最高。另外,气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜、新适宜和总适宜分布区范围与我国年均气温和年降水量变化呈负相关性。多元回归分析表明,大熊猫目前适宜、新适宜和总适宜分布范围随我国年均气温和年降水量增加而减少,其中气温变化影响比降水量变化影响要大。结果说明,气候变化后,近期将使大熊猫目前适宜分布范围减小,新适宜分布范围增加,随气候变化程度增加,新适宜和总适宜分布范围又将减小。     

卧龙野生大熊猫种群监测期间的生境动态分析

综述和分析了卧龙自然保护区野生大熊猫的生境结构与动态特征及大熊猫的适应性 ,冷箭竹的不同竹林阶段 ,其种群密度、生物产量、生长习性和竹丛盖度截然不同 ,从而导致乔木树种的更新 ,数量的涨落 ,草本地被层植物组分的增减 ,以及大熊猫觅食行为的改变。     

基于生境适宜度的成都震后大熊猫生境评价

通过分析大熊猫生境适宜度指标,评价“5\512汶川大地震”对成都地震灾区大熊猫生境的影响并提出恢复措施. 结合大熊猫生境的物理环境、生物环境和压力三方面因素建立评价指标体系,运用层次分析法确定评价指标权重,并利用GIS空间叠加分析对大熊猫生境适宜度进行综合评价,将结果分为最适宜、适宜、较不适宜和不适宜4种类型. 对比地震前后大熊猫生境适宜度变化显示:震后大熊猫生境的景观破碎化程度明显增加,生态廊道受到不同程度的破坏,大熊猫适宜生境面积减少,其中,彭州市龙门山镇变化最大,适宜生境减少2 729.5 hm2;其次为都江堰市虹口乡、龙池镇与彭州市小鱼洞镇,其适宜生境分别减少1 760.4,303.5和241.1 hm2. 针对研究结果,提出恢复重建的优先次序以及需要生态修复的重点区域,给出优先采取工程和生物措施,并辅助以自然恢复的修复手段.      

近20 a中国省会及以上城市空间形态演变

以多时相、多波段的Landsat TM/ETM+遥感影像为数据源,利用NDBI-SAVI指数提取1990-2010年中国35个省会及以上城市的建设用地信息,通过计算紧凑度和形状指数,研究城市扩张状况,并借助雷达图来分析城市扩张的方向。结果表明:从城市扩张速度来看,东部城市总体上扩张速度高于中部和西部,其中4个直辖市的扩张速度普遍高于其它城市;扩张速度相对较慢的城市多分布在华北和西北等重工业或河谷型城市。从空间形态变化上看,两时期35个城市的形状大都集中于正方形与矩形之间,只有少数城市形状为菱形、星形、H形或X形。综合来看,近20 a中35个城市形状指数的平均值增加,而标准差减小,城市形态趋于复杂;同时,城市紧凑度的平均值减小。有15个城市的紧凑度增加,20个城市的紧凑度减小。城区往往趋向于少数几个方向扩张,"摊大饼"式的扩张不多见。     

The role of spatial processes and environmental determinants in microgeographic shell variation of the freshwater snail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chilina dombeyana</Emphasis> (Bruguière, 1789)

Wildlife data often show spatial organization, demonstrating positive correlations either as a result of processes occurring over the landscape or due to the influence of spatially structured environmental variables. It is, thus, essential to consider non-random spatial structure when evaluating the underlying causes of biological variation. In this study, we analyzed the population structure of Chilina dombeyana shell morphology of 14 populations that are close geographically and belong to the same hydrographic basin. We utilized a variation partitioning approach to evaluate the importance of spatial processes, such as migration, acting over the landscape, and environmental characteristics, including habitat and hydrologic characteristics, and the occurrence of aquatic predators in promoting between population variation. Our results demonstrate spatially structured variation in C. dombeyana shell morphology, with populations living near each other having more similar shell sizes than populations living farther apart. The shell size variation partition indicated that both spatially structured environmental factors and genetic relationships resulting from migration or shared common ancestry may explain this pattern. Shell shape variation, in contrast, was found to be essentially under the influence of non-spatially structured environmental factors, with habitat and water characteristics accounting for about half of the total variation among populations. The large proportion of the variation in shell size that is spatially structured demonstrates that spatial structure on morphological traits might be strong and highlights the need to consider such phenomenon in intraspecific studies of phenotypic evolution.     

The skull of the giant predatory pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni: implications for plesiosaur phylogenetics

The predatory pliosaurs were among the largest creatures ever to inhabit the oceans, some reaching gigantic proportions greater than 15 m in length. Fossils of this subclade of plesiosaurs are known from sediments all over the world, ranging in age from the Hettangian (approximately 198 Myr) to the Turonian (approximately 92 Myr). However, due to a lack of detailed studies and because only incomplete specimens are usually reported, pliosaur evolution remains poorly understood. In this paper, we describe the three dimensionally preserved skull of the giant Jurassic pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni. The first phylogenetic analysis dedicated to in-group relationships of pliosaurs allows us to hypothesise a number of well-supported lineages that correlate with marine biogeography and the palaeoecology of these reptiles. Rhomaleosaurids comprised a short-lived and early diverging lineage within pliosaurs, whose open-water top-predator niche was filled by other pliosaur taxa by the mid-late Jurassic. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Aggressions and size-related fecundity of queenless workers in the ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cataglyphis cursor</Emphasis>

In social hymenoptera, the reproductive division of labor is often linked to differences in individual body size with the reproductive caste (the queen) being larger than the workers. Likewise, the reproductive potential may vary with size within the worker caste and could affect the evolution of worker size in social insects. Here, we tested the relationship between worker size and reproductive potential in the facultative parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor. Colonies are headed by a multiply mated queen, but workers can produce gynes (virgin queens) and workers by thelytokous parthenogenesis after the queen's death. We observed the behaviour of workers (n = 357) until the production of gynes (212 h over 3 months) in an orphaned colony (mated queen not present). The size of workers was measured, and their paternal lineage determined using six microsatellite markers, to control for an effect of patriline. Larger workers were more likely to reproduce and lay more eggs indicating that individual level selection could take place. However, paternal lineage had no effect on the reproductive potential and worker size. From the behavioural and genetic data, we also show for the first time in this species, evidence of aggressive interactions among workers and a potential for nepotism to occur in orphaned colonies, as the five gynes produced belonged to a single paternal lineage.     

Morphological distinctness despite large-scale phenotypic plasticity��analysis of wild and pond-bred juveniles of allopatric populations of Tropheus moorii

Cichlids are an excellent model to study explosive speciation and adaptive radiation. Their evolutionary success has been attributed to their ability to undergo rapid morphological changes related to diet, and their particular breeding biology. Relatively minor changes in morphology allow for exploitation of novel food resources. The importance of phenotypic plasticity and genetically based differences for diversification was long recognized, but their relationship and relative magnitude remained unclear. We compared morphology of individuals of four wild populations of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Tropheus moorii with their pond-raised F(1) offspring. The magnitude of morphological change via phenotypic plasticity between wild and pond-bred F(1) fish exceeds pairwise population differences by a factor of 2.4 (mean Mahalanobis distances). The genetic and environmental effects responsible for among population differentiation in the wild could still be recognized in the pond-bred F(1) fish. All four pond populations showed the same trends in morphological change, mainly in mouth orientation, size and orientation of fins, and thickness of the caudal peduncle. As between population differentiation was lower in the wild than differentiation between pond-raised versus wild fish, we suggest the narrow ecological niche and intense interspecific competition in rock habitats is responsible for consistent shape similarity, even among long-term isolated populations.     

What drove reversions to quadrupedality in ornithischian dinosaurs? Testing hypotheses using centre of mass modelling

The exceptionally rare transition to quadrupedalism from bipedal ancestors occurred on three independent occasions in ornithischian dinosaurs. The possible driving forces behind these transitions remain elusive, but several hypotheses—including the development of dermal armour and the expansion of head size and cranial ornamentation—have been proposed to account for this major shift in stance. We modelled the position of the centre of mass (CoM) in several exemplar ornithischian taxa and demonstrate that the anterior shifts in CoM position associated with the development of an enlarged skull ornamented with horns and frills for display/defence may have been one of the drivers promoting ceratopsian quadrupedality. A posterior shift in CoM position coincident with the development of extensive dermal armour in thyreophorans demonstrates this cannot have been a primary causative mechanism for quadrupedality in this clade. Quadrupedalism developed in response to different selective pressures in each ornithischian lineage, indicating different evolutionary pathways to convergent quadrupedal morphology.     

安徽省经济增长与环境污染水平的关系研究

环境库兹涅兹曲线(KEC)是描述污染问题与经济发展之间关系的常用模型,一般情况下呈倒U形。本文通过对安徽省l987—2000年的人均GDP与工业三废排放量之间的关系分析,建立了一种新型的环境库兹涅兹曲线模型。研究发现,安徽省的环境库兹尼兹曲线特征为“U型＋倒U型”,不同于传统的环境库兹涅兹曲线。同时分析了产生这一现象的原因,从环境保护成效、环境政策成本和经济增长模式三个方面评述了安徽省环境经济政策。     

Juvenile morphology in baleen whale phylogeny

Phylogenetic reconstructions are sensitive to the influence of ontogeny on morphology. Here, we use foetal/neonatal specimens of known species of living baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti) to show how juvenile morphology of extant species affects phylogenetic placement of the species. In one clade (sei whale, Balaenopteridae), the juvenile is distant from the usual phylogenetic position of adults, but in the other clade (pygmy right whale, Cetotheriidae), the juvenile is close to the adult. Different heterochronic processes at work in the studied species have different influences on juvenile morphology and on phylogenetic placement. This study helps to understand the relationship between evolutionary processes and phylogenetic patterns in baleen whale evolution and, more in general, between phylogeny and ontogeny; likewise, this study provides a proxy how to interpret the phylogeny when fossils that are immature individuals are included. Juvenile individuals in the peramorphic acceleration clades would produce misleading phylogenies, whereas juvenile individuals in the paedomorphic neoteny clades should still provide reliable phylogenetic signals.     

Millennium-old farm breeding of Chinese softshell turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelodiscus</Emphasis> spp.) results in massive erosion of biodiversity

Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus spp.) are widely distributed, ranging from the Amur and Ussuri Rivers in the Russian Far East through the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and eastern, central, and southern China to southern Vietnam. In East and Southeast Asia, Chinese softshell turtles are traditionally exploited for food and have been farm-bred in China since the Spring and Autumn Period, more than 2400 years ago. Currently, the annual production of Pelodiscus amounts to 340,000 t in China alone. Using mitochondrial DNA (2428 bp) and five nuclear loci (3704 bp), we examined broad sampling of wild and farm-bred Pelodiscus to infer genetic and taxonomic differentiation. We discovered four previously unknown mitochondrial lineages, all from China. One lineage from Jiangxi is deeply divergent and sister to the mitochondrial lineage of Pelodiscus axenaria. The nuclear loci supported species status for P. axenaria and the new lineage from Jiangxi. Pelodiscus maackii and P. parviformis, both harboring distinct mitochondrial lineages, were not differentiated from P. sinensis in the studied nuclear markers. The same is true for two new mitochondrial lineages from Zhejiang, China, represented by only one individual each, and another new lineage from Anhui, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, China. However, Vietnamese turtles yielding a mitochondrial lineage clustering within P. sinensis were distinct in nuclear markers, suggesting that these populations could represent another unknown species with introgressed mitochondria. Its species status is also supported by the syntopic occurrence with P. sinensis in northern Vietnam and by morphology. In addition, we confirmed sympatry of P. axenaria and P. parviformis in Guangxi, China, and found evidence for sympatry of P. sinensis and the new putative species from Jiangxi, China. We also discovered evidence for hybridization in turtle farms and for the occurrence of alien lineages in the wild (Zhejiang, China), highlighting the risk of genetic pollution of native stock. In the face of the large-scale breeding of Pelodiscus, we claim that the long-term survival of distinct genetic lineages and species can only be assured when an upscale market segment for pure-bred softshell turtles is established, making the breeding of pure lineages lucrative for turtle farms. Our findings underline that the diversity of Pelodiscus is currently underestimated and threatened by anthropogenic admixture. We recommend mass screening of genetic and morphological variation of Chinese softshell turtles as a first step to understand and preserve their diversity.     

Run for your life,but bite for your rights? How interactions between natural and sexual selection shape functional morphology across habitats

A central issue in evolutionary biology is how morphology, performance, and habitat use coevolve. If morphological variation is tightly associated with habitat use, then differences in morphology should affect fitness through their effect on performance within specific habitats. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary forces mold morphological traits and performance differently given the surrounding environment, at the intraspecific level. For this purpose, we selected populations of the lizard Podarcis bocagei from two different habitat types, agricultural walls and dunes, which we expected to reflect saxicolous vs ground-dwelling habits. In the laboratory, we recorded morphological traits as well as performance traits by measuring sprint speed, climbing capacity, maneuverability, and bite force. Our results revealed fast-evolving ecomorphological variation among populations of P. bocagei, where a direct association existed between head morphology and bite performance. However, we could not establish links between limb morphology and locomotor performance at the individual level. Lizards from walls were better climbers than those from dunes, suggesting a very fast evolutionary response. Interestingly, a significant interaction between habitat and sex was detected in climbing performance. In addition, lizards from dunes bit harder than those from walls, although sexual differentiation was definitely the main factor driving variation in head functional morphology. Taking into account all the results, we found a complex interaction between natural and sexual selection on whole-organism performance, which are, in some cases, reflected in morphological variation.     

基于草地畜牧业生产的三江源地区承载力多情景模拟分析

三江源地区是我国生态安全的重要屏障,同时也是我国最主要的畜牧业生产基地之一,在保证草地资源可持续利用前提下,探究合理的人口容量对该区的生态保护建设和可持续发展具有重要意义。通过模型模拟草地理论载畜量以估算畜牧业产值,设定三种居民生活水平情景,模拟不同情景不同时期下的适度人口容量,分析人口承载力的空间差异性。结果表明：“十五”期间,三种情景下全区人口承载力呈富余状态;“十一五”和“十二五”期间在当前居民和小康水平情景的人口容量尚有结余;到“十三五”期间,三种情景下人口承载力总体均超载,但空间分布不同,在当前居民、小康和富裕生活水平情景下,分别有11个、8个和2个县的人口容量尚有结余,人口承载力超载地区主要分布于三江源地区东部。应根据现有资源分布和符合主体功能要求的方向进行调整和优化人口结构,将对该地区可持续发展战略具有重要意义。     

植物对环境污染的适应代价

生物长期暴露在低浓度污染环境中会作自我调整来适应环境.适应继续, 其代价即可检测到.一般来讲,适应代价由进化代价和生态代价组成.进化代价主要集中在污染程度上,也就是说,适应于目前环境的植物群落会失去适应其他环境的能力,进化敏捷性减弱.尽管有一些学者并不赞成,但有大量科学数据支持这一观点.生态代价指的是生物适应寒冷、炎热、干燥和其他压力的能力降低,这些都是基于trade-offs理论产生的.     

蒙古高原乌兰巴托—锡林浩特草地样带植物物种的空间分布

草原植物物种多样性分析是生物多样性研究及草原可持续发展研究的重要内容.基于2012 年野外实地调查数据,对蒙古高原乌兰巴托—锡林浩特草地样带上植物物种类型和数量的空间分布格局及变化规律行了分析,结果表明:①蒙古高原样带上共有33 科103 种植物,蒙古国有29 科87 种,中国内蒙古地区有22 科62 种.中国内蒙古境内植物物种数量的绝对数值低于蒙古国,但中国内蒙古境内的垂向百米物种数、百公里物种数及多年生物种占全部物种比例、可食性牧草物种占全部物种比例等指标均高于蒙古国境内的相应指标;②样带上植物物种总数呈现南北高、中间低的U字形;具体到不同物种,则其分布形态略有差异:禾本科物种数量由北向南逐渐增多,菊科植物物种数量由北向南逐渐减少,豆科植物及杂类草的物种数量呈现南北高、中间低的U字形;③多年生植物与可食性牧草数量呈现南北高、中间低的U字形;一年生植物则呈现不明显的倒U字形,非可食性植物在整个样带上则变化相对平稳,南北差异不明显.     

基于生态网络效用的昭通市“三生空间”碳代谢分析

解析“三生空间”碳代谢有助于实现区域“三生空间”要素整合和结构优化,是寻求城市绿色低碳发展的有效途径之一。以昭通市为例,通过计算垂直方向上碳通量,构建水平方向的碳流模型,系统分析了2010—2018年“三生空间”碳代谢的时空分布,利用生态网络分析方法评价了“三生空间”演化对城市碳代谢的综合影响。结果显示:（1）2010—2018年间昭通市垂直方向上净碳通量和水平方向上净碳流均为负值,“三生空间”演化对昭通市碳代谢平衡产生了消极作用,造成碳排放量的增加。（2）“三生空间”用地在碳代谢系统中的生态关系以限制掠夺关系为主,生态空间被生活空间和生产空间挤占,影响了昭通市的碳代谢平衡。（3）整体生态效用函数J的值为0.85,小于1,说明“三生空间”演化对区域整体碳代谢平衡的综合作用是消极的,这与净碳流显示的结果相同。研究结果可为昭通市国土空间利用优化与低碳发展提供理论依据,这种研究方法可为国土空间优化与“三生空间”优化提供前期支持。     

The riddle of “life,” a biologist’s critical view

To approach the question of what life is, we first have to state that life exists exclusively as the "being-alive" of discrete spatio-temporal entities. The simplest "unit" that can legitimately be considered to be alive is an intact prokaryotic cell as a whole. In this review, I discuss critically various aspects of the nature and singularity of living beings from the biologist's point of view. In spite of the enormous richness of forms and performances in the biotic realm, there is a considerable uniformity in the chemical "machinery of life," which powers all organisms. Life represents a dynamic state; it is performance of a system of singular kind: "life-as-action" approach. All "life-as-things" hypotheses are wrong from the beginning. Life is conditioned by certain substances but not defined by them. Living systems are endowed with a power to maintain their inherent functional order (organization) permanently against disruptive influences. The term organization inherently involves the aspect of functionality, the teleonomic, purposeful cooperation of structural and functional elements. Structures in turn require information for their specification, and information presupposes a source. This source is constituted in living systems by the nucleic acids. Organisms are unique in having a capacity to use, maintain, and replicate internal information, which yields the basis for their specific organization in its perpetuation. The existence of a genome is a necessary condition for life and one of the absolute differences between living and non-living matter. Organization includes both what makes life possible and what is determined by it. It is not something "implanted" into the living beings but has its origin and capacity for maintenance within the system itself. It is the essence of life. The property of being alive we can consider as an emergent property of cells that corresponds to a certain level of self-maintained complex order or organization.