On the communicative significance of whistles in wild killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) use pulsed calls and whistles in underwater communication. Unlike pulsed calls, whistles have received little study and thus their function is poorly known. In this study, whistle activities of groups of individually known killer whales were compared quantitatively across behavioural categories. Acoustic recordings and simultaneous behavioural observations were made of northern resident killer whales off Vancouver Island in 1996 and 1997. Whistles were produced at greater rates than discrete calls during close-range behavioural activities than during long-range activities. They were the predominant sound-type recorded during socializing. The number of whistles per animal per minute was significantly higher during close-range behavioural activities than during long-range activities. Evidently, whistles play an important role in the close-range acoustic communication in northern resident killer whales.     

Tracing the diet of the monitor lizard Varanus mabitang by stable isotope analyses (delta(15)N,delta(13)C)

In this study, we used analyses of stable isotopes of nitrogen ('¹⁵N) and carbon ('¹³C) to determine the trophic ecology of the monitor lizard Varanus mabitang. Stable isotopes from claws, gut contents, and soft tissues were measured from the type specimen. Samples from Varanus olivaceus, Varanus prasinus, Varanus salvator, the herbivorous agamid lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus, and some plant matter were included for comparison. Our data show a rapid decrease in '¹³C (about10‰) from food plants towards gut contents and soft tissues of herbivorous species. For the varanids, we found a significant linear correlation of decreasing '¹³C and increasing '¹⁵N from herbivorous towards carnivorous species. In terms of trophic isotope ecology, the type specimen of V. mabitang is a strict herbivore. Thus it differs significantly in its isotopic composition from the morphologically next closest related species V. olivaceus. The most highly carnivorous species is V. salvator, while '¹⁵N values for V. prasinus and V. olivaceus are intermediate. Claws provide very valuable samples for such measurements, because they can be sampled from living animals without harm. Additionally, their range of variability is relatively small in comparison with measurements from soft tissues.     

Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 mosaicism

Trisorny 18 mosaicism was found in multiple primary cultures of amniotic fluid cells and subsequently confirmed by chromosome analysis of several tissues derived from the aborted fetus. The overall frequency of the minority cell line was 25 per cent in the amniotic fluid cultures and 28 per cent in the fetal tissues although much intertissue variations were noted.     

土壤理化特性对稻田CH4排放的影响

为了研究土壤理化特性对稻田CH4 排放的影响 ,室外盆栽试验于 2 0 0 0年水稻生长季在南京农业大学实施 ,1 8个供试水稻土分别取自江苏宜兴、江宁、六合、仪征及宝应等地 .所有供试土壤的季节性CH4 平均排放通量为 6 42± 2 70mg·(m2 ·h) - 1,最低和最高值分别为 1 96mg·(m2 ·h) - 1和 1 1 0 6mg·(m2 ·h) - 1,两者相差约 5 6倍 .单相关分析结果表明 :影响CH4 排放的主要土壤参数为质地、氮素状况及铜含量 .CH4 排放与土壤砂粒含量呈正相关 (r =0 5 2 8,p =0 0 2 4) ,与粘粒含量呈负相关 (r =-0 484,p =0 0 42 ) .氮素含量高的土壤CH4 排放较低 ,CH4 排放与土壤全氮、速效氮和铵态氮含量的线性相关系数分别为 -0 449(p =0 0 62 )、-0 61 1 (p =0 0 0 7)和 -0 649(p =0 0 0 4) .土壤铜含量直接影响CH4 的排放 ,CH4 排放与有效态铜和全铜含量的线性相关系数分别为 -0 5 94(p =0 0 0 9)和 -0 5 47(p =0 0 1 9) .本研究并未观测到CH4 排放与土壤有机碳含量有相关关系 ,这与前人报道的实验室培养测定结果及稻田CH4 排放随土壤有机质含量提高而增加的假设完全不同 .逐步回归分析表明 ,不同土壤间CH4 排放的变异性有 75 5 %可由土壤有效态铜含量、镁 (全量 )含量及有效铁含量与全量铁之     

In vitro establishment of continuous cell cultures and cell lines from ten colonial cnidarians

Continuous cell cultures from the ten taxa of sedentary colonial marine cnidariansStylophora pistillata, Porites lutea, Favia favus (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia, Madeporaria),Parerythropodium fulvum fulvum, Dendronephthya hemprichi, Nephthya sp.Heteroxenia fuscescence (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea),Clathraria rubrinoides, Plexaura A (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Gorgonacea) andMillepora dichotoma (Hydrozoa) were established in vitro. Primary cultures of various cell types (5 to 20 m) were obtained from colony fragments and/or planula larvae (collected in 1993 from coral reefs at Eilat, Red Sea and from the San Blas islands, Panama) using three dissociation approaches: a mechanical approach, chemical approach and a novel approach, spontaneous dissociation. Cells were cultured in a modified Leibowitz L15 medium, with 5 to 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, diluted in seawater. Cell proliferation was observed in primary cultures within 7 to 20 d following dissociation. When developed to secondary cultures, spindle-shaped cells (5 to 10 m) gradually replaced all other cell types seen in primary cultures ofS. pistillata, C. rubrinoides, P.f. fulvum andM. dichotoma. The spindle-shaped cells differentiated to several cell types when the diluted medium was replaced with a concentrated one, or when microbial contamination occurred. Secondary cultures of spindle-shaped cells from three species (S. pistillata, C. rubrinoides andM. dichotoma) were cloned. They gave rise to continuously proliferating cell lines (NIO-SPP-1, NIO-CR-1 and NIO-MD-1, respectively). A clone fromPlexaura planula, originated from one rounded cell, started to differentiate and gave rise to a heterogeneous culture. Samples of the above four cultures were frozen for future work. Rounded cells of various sizes (5 to 30 m) dominated secondary cell cultures ofH. fuscescence, D. hemprichi, Nephthya sp.,P. f. fulvum andF. favus. Several cell cultures fromP. lutea developed flattened cell interconnected by ectoplasmic networks characteristic of the eukaryotic unicellular organisms of the phylum Labyrinthulomycota. We propose that this culture methodology may be used as a ubiquitous protocol for producing tissue cultures from other cnidarians. The established cell lines may be used in a variety of disciplines in cnidarian biology and ecology.     

The Genetic Diversity of Native, Stocked, and Hybrid Populations of Brook Trout in the Southern Appalachians

Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction analysis and starch-gel electrophoresis of the CK-A2 locus product, we examined genetic variation in 311 brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from 11 native, 5 hatchery-derived, and 8 hybrid populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Native southern Appalachian fish were genetically distinct from hatchery-derived fish. Southern and hatchery-derived fish were reliably distinguished based on three mtDNA restriction sites. Native southern haplotypes differed from hatchery-derived haplotypes by an average of 0.84%. Northern hatchery-derived haplotypes varied little in mtDNA compared to native southern haplotypes. Introgression of mtDNA haplotypes and the CK-A2 locus varied among populations, and introgression of allozyme and mtDNA markers was positively correlated. Continued introductions of nonnative strains of brook trout in the southern Appalachians could simplify the genetic structure of native brook trout populations and eliminate unique genotypes.     

The effect of export to the deep sea on the long-range transport potential of persistent organic pollutants

Background

Export to the deep sea has been found to be a relevant pathway for highly hydrophobic chemicals. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of this process on the potential for long-range transport (LRT) of such chemicals.

Methods

The spatial range as a measure of potential for LRT is calculated for seven PCB congeners with the multimedia fate and transport model ChemRange. Spatial ranges for cases with and without deep sea export are compared.

Results and Discussion

Export to the deep sea leads to increased transfer from the air to the surface ocean and, thereby, to lower spatial ranges for PCB congeners whose net deposition rate constant is similar to or greater than the atmospheric degradation rate constant. This is fulfilled for the PCB congeners 101, 153, 180, and 194. The spatial ranges of the congeners 8, 28, and 52, in contrast, are not affected by deep sea export. With export to the deep sea included in the model, the spatial ranges of the heavier congener are similar to those of the lighter ones, while the intermediate congeners 101 and 153 have the highest potential for long-range transport.

Conclusions

Transfer to the deep ocean affects the mass balance and the potential for LRT of highly hydrophobic chemicals and should be included in multimedia fate models containing a compartment for ocean water.