Neighbours, strangers and male-male aggression as a determinant of lek size

Interactions between males on leks may play an influential role in lek formation and the regulation of lek size. In this paper I present the results of a playback experiment that simulated de novo settlement at sites adjacent to currently existing display territories of the ochre-bellied flycatcher, Mionectes oleagineus. In the study population, males displayed both solitarily and at small leks. A large proportion of males held no display territory at all. A stranger's song was played to both solitary and lekking males from 10 m outside their territorial boundaries. In separate playbacks, lekking males were also played neighbour's song. Both lekking and solitary territorial males reacted to the playback by decreasing their song rate, approaching the playback speaker and, on occasion, attacking the model. Solitarily displaying males responded more aggressively to playback of stranger's song than did lek males. Lek males were able to distinguish between their neighbour's and a stranger's song and did so irrespective of whether it was played from the neighbour's territory or from outside the lek. In addition to distinguishing between neighbours and strangers, lek males modified their responses to these different playbacks depending on where the playback originated. These results suggest that male-male interactions can be influential in structuring leks. In M. oleagineus, interactions between males are aggressive and act to limit rather than augment lek size. Received: 6 March 1996 / Accepted after revision: 9 December 1996     

A Comparison of Corridors and Intrinsic Connectivity to Promote Dispersal in Transient Successional Landscapes

Low-vagility organisms that specialize on transitory successional habitats may be especially dependent upon habitat connectivity to maintain population viability. We analyzed the theoretical intrinsic connectivity of successional landscapes (i.e., the natural juxtaposition of similar habitats that allows dispersal) as a function of patch geometry coupled with the disperser's habitat specificity. Habitat specialists living in poorly connected landscapes (approximating hexagonal patches) have only a 26.5% chance of colonizing a new site when their resident patch becomes unsuitable. In contrast, generalists living in well connected landscapes can virtually always colonize a new site when needed. We infer from our simulation that for some habitat specialists, such as the rare, endemic Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi), anthropogenic control of successional dynamics for commercial logging may significantly reduce intrinsic connectivity. Lizard population viability may now depend upon the extrinsic connectivity provided by artificial corridors. However, the use of corridors will not serve as a general solution to the problem of anthropogenically reduced intrinsic connectivity until key logistical design problems have been resolved. Moreover, efforts to enhance intrinsic connectivity by modifying patch geometry may produce undesirable edge effects and conflict with old-growth preservation. Future research should focus on developing spatially explicit corridor models, documenting natural levels of intrinsic connectivity, quantifying anthropogenic disruption of natural connectivity, and describing species-specific mechanisms of inter-patch dispersal.     

马氏甲烷八叠球菌S－6的一个染色体区段的表达、序列分析和结构分析

用一组多克隆抗体对马氏甲烷八叠球菌（Ｍｅｔｈａｎｏｓａｒｃｉｎａｍａｚｅｉ）Ｓ－６菌株的基因组ＤＮＡ文库进行了筛选．仅选出ｐ６０Ａ克隆能对马氏甲烷八叠球菌中可发生细胞形态学变化菌株的抗血清发生阳性反应．对ｐ６０Ａ克隆的双链ＤＮＡ进行了序列分析．识别出一开式阅读框架（ｏｐｅｎｒｅａｄｉｎｇｆｒａｍｅＰ，ＯＲＦＰ）．表达的蛋白是ＯＲＦＰ编码的蛋白的３倍，并得到ＯＲＦＰ蛋白的三聚体，在ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ中表现出整体蛋白的迁移行为．同时，此表达蛋白抗１０％ＳＤＳ，６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ尿素及热处理．基因结构分析表明，ＯＲＦＰ具有与Ｍ．ｂａｒｋｒｉｍｃｒＡ有同源性的核糖体结合位点和一个与甲烷细菌启动子共有序列相似度达７７％的启动子序列．使用参照序列分析表明，由ＯＲＦＰ演绎的氨基酸序列，具有高密度的带电荷的氨基酸和占优势的β－层迭构型．对此表达蛋白作了Ｎｅｕｒｏｓｒｏｒａｃｒａｓｓａ的ｐｏｒｉｎ蛋白抗血清试验，以研究其可能功能．检验了Ｍ．ｍａｚｅｉＳ－６细胞的蔗糖梯度制备物，对此原细胞中的ＯＲＦＰ蛋白作了定位．结果表明，ＯＲＦＰ蛋白可能是一种古细菌Ｐｏｒｉｎ，其在Ｍ．ｍａｚｅｉＳ－６中的表达，可能象大肠杆菌那样与渗透压调节有关．     

Abundance and arm loss of the infaunal brittlestar Ophiophragmus filograneus (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), with an experimental determination of regeneration rates in natural and planted seagrass beds

The regeneration rate of arms of the infaunal brittlestar Ophiophragmus filograneus was determined in natural and planted beds of the seagrass (Halodule wrighttii) in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA in 1990. Annually, brittlestar densities did not differ on average between the two beds, but they did show marked differences on individual dates. Rates of arm loss could not be determined for the two sites separately, but were estimated for the entire area. Between 52 and 94% of the brittlestars collected showed evidence of arm regeneration. Approximately one-third of those collected were regenerating one arm, with smaller proportions regenerating two or more arms. Regeneration rate was greater overall for individuals that had lost more tissue; however, the rate of soft-tissue regeneration per arm regenerated was significantly greater for those that had lost one arm compared to those that had lost three arms. The rate of soft-tissue regeneration did not differe between individuals from the two seagrass beds, and regeneration rate was lower than reported for other infaunal brittlestars. Skeletal regeneration per arm was similar in both arm-removal treatments. This result supports the hypothesis that echinoderm skeleton is energetically inexpensive and may help to lengthen arms during early regeneration. The rate of skeletal production was three-fold greater in individuals from the planted seagrass than in those from the natural. bed. As increased skeletal regeneration requires some additional energy, this indicates a greater energy expenditure and differential allocation by brittlestars regenerating in the planted seagrass areas.     

Long-term mate and territory fidelity in neotropical buff-breasted wrens (Thryothorus leucotis)

Among sedentary species, mate and site fidelity may be imposed by year-round territoriality and high annual survivorship, both of which theoretically lead to few opportunities to move between mates and breeding territories. We examined mate and territory fidelity in sedentary neotropical buff-breasted wrens (Thryothorus leucotis) in relation to the opportunities to divorce (vacancies on neighbouring territories), breeding experience and site of origin (within vs outside local breeding population). Overall, buff-breasted wrens showed high rates of mate and territory fidelity between years, with individuals significantly more faithful to their territories than to their partners. Mate and territory fidelity was not forced upon buff-breasted wrens, as most individuals had opportunities to switch mates and territories. However, this was not uniform among all individuals. Individuals that had bred together displayed 100% mate and territory fidelity despite the fact that males and females in almost all experienced pairs had opportunities to switch mates and territories. Local recruits (philopatric offspring that acquired territories in the local breeding population) also displayed mate and territory fidelity, but fidelity occurred because recruits rarely had the opportunity to divorce prior to initiating their first breeding attempt. By contrast, almost half of all territorial individuals that originated outside the local breeding population (immigrants) had opportunity to divorce, with approximately two thirds of them switching mates and territories. Divorces occurred within the first 5 months of pairing, suggesting that immigrants may have sampled mates and territories before forming permanent partnerships.     

Self-fertilization and maternal enzymes in the planulae of the coral Goniastrea favulus

Electrophoretic analysis of planulae obtained from controlled breeding experiments with the coral Goniastrea favulus during spawning events in 1986 and 1987 on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, shows that offspring are produced equally frequently by outcrossing or self-fertilization, leading to a genetically determined rate of selfing of around 50%. Field rates of selfing may be greater than this as a consequence of the limited dispersal of gametes within this species. However, the level of heterozygote depression found in one population is well below that which would be predicted for such levels of selfing. In one enzyme system, glucosephosphate isomerase, the maternal phenotype continues to be expressed in the planula larva for between 11 and 17 d after fertilization. This effect is postulated to result from a residual of maternal enzyme and RNA derived from a relatively large egg.     

Mother-infant behavior in vervet monkeys

Summary Mother-infant behavior of 9 vervet monkey mothers who had failed in their last pregnancy were compared to the behavior of 14 mothers who had been successful in the prior year and to 11 primiparous mothers. The results indicated that females responded to the loss of one infant by increasing their level of care for their next infant. Females who had failed in their last pregnancy encouraged ventral contact and were more restrictive of their infant's movements, they gave more care and attention to their infants, and they played a greater part in keeping their infants near, compared to mothers who had been successful in their last pregnancy. Mothers who had failed in their last pregnancy were also more attentive and protective toward their infants than primiparous mothers who had had no prior reproductive experience. The increase in maternal care by females who had failed in their last pregnancy was accompanied by an increase in the interval to the birth of their next infant. These differences could not be completely explained by differences in the mothers' age or in the presence of other immature offspring. They suggest that vervet mothers can adjust their level of parental care based on the quality of their past experience, and that these adjustments have an effect on the mother's future reproductive potential.