The dilemma of a low rate of chromosomal mosaicism found in fetal blood sampling

We report a case in which mosaicism of trisomy 13 was detected in 4/10 cells (40 per cent) in amniotic fluid cell cultures, followed by a low rate of mosaicism (1/160 cells) detected in a fetal blood sample. This finding presents a dilemma both for the genetic counsellor and for the parents in determining whether or not to terminate the pregnancy.     

Coral calcification: Sources of error in radioisotope techniques

Isotopic exchange occurs between coral skeleton and ⁴⁵Ca⁺⁺ and H¹⁴CO ₃ ^- in seawater. Exchange of ¹⁴C onto skeletons is more rapid than exchange of ⁴⁵Ca⁺⁺. Exchange of ¹⁴C from skeletons to seawater takes place more slowly than exchange of ⁴⁵Ca⁺⁺ to seawater. When living coral is incubated in the dark with radioisotopes for 1 h, the tissues contain considerably more radioactivity than is associated with the skeleton. The tissue radioactivity reflects permeation of tissues and coelenteron by radioactive compounds from the incubation seawater. Addition of alkalis to cardioactive seawater results in a radioactive precipitate, part of which becomes associated with any coral skeleton present, and part of which forms on the wall of the containing vessel. Strong alkali removes biologically-deposited radioisotope from coral skeletons. Deposition, of ¹⁴C from H¹⁴CO ₃ ^- in skeletons of living coral incubated in the dark is greater than in dead coral. The reverse situation occurs with ⁴⁵Ca⁺⁺.     

Overgrowth competition in encrusting bryozoan assemblages of the intertidal and infralittoral zones of Alaska

Almost 2000 cheilostomatid–cheilostomatid (bryozoan) interactions were recorded from 110 rocks from intertidal and infralittoral zone locations at Kodiac Island in the Alaskan Boreal–Arctic. Intraspecific interactions were unusually rare; this may have resulted from inhibition of con-specific settlement by adult colonies. In one species, rank did vary as a function of depth. The proportion of determinate-species encounter-pairings (a pairing in which one competitor/species wins all encounters) and tied outcomes (whereby neither competitor/species wins or loses but are involved in a “standoff” or mutual overgrowth) increased from the upper midlittoral to the lower infralittoral. The assemblage of bryozoans formed a clear hierarchy, with a score of 0.83 on Tanaka and Nandakumar's transitivity index. Overgrowth dominants did not monopolise the assemblage. The most abundant species were mid- or lower-ranked competitors. The identity of the competitive species had a major influence on the outcome of encounters. Zooidal height and colony growth morphology were important factors determining overall overgrowth rank. The greatest number of interaction types was recorded on medium-sized (surface area >300 and <600 cm²) rocks, and the overall diversity of intertidal species was very high compared with studies conducted elsewhere. The high interaction and species diversity recorded may both have resulted from intermediate levels of disturbance. Received: 16 July 1998 / Accepted: 14 December 1999     

Latitudinal patterns of diversity and abundance in North Atlantic intertidal boulder-fields

In order to study taxon richness, biodiversity and abundance patterns in the North Atlantic from temperate latitudes through Arctic to high Arctic latitudes, we recorded the faunas (at ELWS level) colonizing 20 cobbles from three sites at each of seven boulder-field localities (south-west England, 50°N; Wales, 51°N; west Scotland, 56°N; Iceland, 64°N; Tromsø, 70°N; Svalbard, 77°N, 79°N). Inverse correlations were found between latitude and all measures of richness (species, orders, and phyla numbers) and biodiversity (S–W, P). However, these correlations were driven mostly by the consistently impoverished Arctic sites; an even cline of decreasing diversity from south to north did not exist. Multidimensional scaling revealed two communities, temperate–subarctic species-rich and high arctic species-poor. Evenness as measured by Pielou’s index was similar across all latitudes. Abundance data exhibited a similar trend to the species richness and diversity data with a significant negative correlation with latitude, but when Arctic data were excluded the correlation vanished.