Fetal karyotype following ascertainment of fetal anomalies by ultrasound

Data pooled from contributors to a Registry for Cytogenetic Abnormalities and PKU (ReCAP) shows an unbalanced chromosome abnormality rate of 27 per cent (29 fetuses) for 107 fetuses with ultrasonically diagnosed fetal anomalies. Of the abnormal, 12 were trisomic, 6 were monosomy X and 6 were structural abnormalities, 4 were mosaics and one triploid.     

Ecological constraints on the behaviour of mother long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Summary The ecological consequence of the effects of different social conditions on the behaviour of females with infants were examined in two different-sized groups of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that inhabited adjacent home ranges in Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia. This study aims to test predictions of the within-group competition/predation avoidance hypothesis of social organization. Females, particularly those carrying an infant, are considered to experience the most direct effects of environmental constraints on fitness prospects. Data on maintenance behaviour, height in canopy and spatial position were collected for five mothers in a small group and eight mothers in a large group. Comparisons were made on the basis of group size and dominance rank. Mothers from the large group spent less time feeding on clumped fruits and more time foraging on dispersed food items. Lower-ranking mothers, undergoing the highest rate of within-group competition, foraged most. For macaques in the study area, predation risk is considered to decrease with height in the canopy. Mothers in the small group, assumed to be more susceptible to predation, remained substantially higher in the canopy than mothers in the large group. In both groups, mothers adjusted their height to their spatial position in the group. Lower-ranking mothers were more often found without neighbours, presumably to avoid feeding competition. As a result they stay higher in the canopy than higher-ranking mothers. The results clearly demonstrate that individual females in the same reproductive state and living in the same area, but in different social environments, adapted their behaviour according to the hypothesis. Correspondence to: D.R. Vos     

Armoured spiderman: morphological and behavioural adaptations of a specialised araneophagous predator (Araneae: Palpimanidae)

In a predator–prey system where both intervenients come from the same taxon, one can expect a strong selection on behavioural and morphological traits involved in prey capture. For example, in specialised snake-eating snakes, the predator is unaffetced by the venom of the prey. We predicted that similar adaptations should have evolved in spider-eating (araneophagous) spiders. We investigated potential and actual prey of two Palpimanus spiders (P. gibbulus, P. orientalis) to support the prediction that these are araneophagous predators. Specific behavioural adaptations were investigated using a high-speed camera during staged encounters with prey, while morphological adaptations were investigated using electron microscopy. Both Palpimanus species captured a wide assortment of spider species from various guilds but also a few insect species. Analysis of the potential prey suggested that Palpimanus is a retreat-invading predator that actively searches for spiders that hide in a retreat. Behavioural capture adaptations include a slow, stealthy approach to the prey followed by a very fast attack. Morphological capture adaptations include scopulae on forelegs used in grabbing prey body parts, stout forelegs to hold the prey firmly, and an extremely thick cuticle all over the body preventing injury from a counter bite of the prey. Palpimanus overwhelmed prey that was more than 200% larger than itself. In trials with another araneophagous spider, Cyrba algerina (Salticidae), Palpimanus captured C. algerina in more than 90% of cases independent of the size ratio between the spiders. Evidence indicates that both Palpimanus species possesses remarkable adaptations that increase its efficiency in capturing spider prey.     

The frontal gland in workers of Neotropical soldierless termites

The presence of the frontal gland is well established in termite soldiers of Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae, and Termitidae. It is one of their main defensive adaptations or even an exclusive weapon. The gland was also occasionally reported in alate imagoes, but never in the worker caste. Here, we report the first observation of a frontal gland in workers of several Neotropical and one African species of Apicotermitinae. The ultrastructure of Aparatermes cingulatus and Anoplotermes nr. subterraneus is described in detail. In these two species, the gland is well-developed, functional and consists of class 1 secretory cells. The presence of envelope cells, wrapping the gland, is an unusual feature, as well as the presence of several zonulae adherens, connecting neighbouring glandular cells. The frontal gland of workers is homologous to this organ in soldiers and imagoes, as evidenced by the same position in the head and its connection to the same muscle. However, the defensive role of the frontal gland in workers remains to be confirmed.     

Feeding the world's increasing population while limiting climate change impacts: linking N2O and CH4 emissions from agriculture to population growth

The global demand for agricultural products, including food, is rapidly increasing due to population growth and shifts in consumption patterns. The required increase in agricultural production is predominantly to be achieved in countries with relatively low agricultural production levels at present. These are mainly developing countries and countries in transition, the so-called non-Annex I countries of the UNFCCC. However, intensification of agricultural production systems is currently closely linked to high emissions of greenhouse gases notably nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). In this paper the relations between population growth, agricultural development and emissions of N₂O and CH₄ were assessed for 10 non-Annex I countries, viz. China, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa. We combined FAO data on agricultural production levels, CENSUS data on population statistics and EDGAR data on N₂O and CH₄ emissions. The projected trends in agricultural production indicate that emissions of N₂O and CH₄ are expected to increase rapidly in the coming years and will level off from 2040 onwards. The results confirm the positive relation between population increase and increased emissions from agricultural activities for most countries. However, for some countries (South Africa, China and Mexico) this relation was weak or absent. Although numerous factors (e.g. changes in international trade) may have scattered the relation and we were unable to explain this decoupling, it suggests that population growth can be possible without additional emissions. The variation between the different countries and farming systems is however large and mitigation measures at farm-level should be tailored to the wide diversity in environmental conditions, regional customs and farming systems.     

Ecological commonalities among pelagic fishes: comparison of freshwater ciscoes and marine herring and sprat

Systematic comparisons of the ecology between functionally similar fish species from freshwater and marine aquatic systems are surprisingly rare. Here, we discuss commonalities and differences in evolutionary history, population genetics, reproduction and life history, ecological interactions, behavioural ecology and physiological ecology of temperate and Arctic freshwater coregonids (vendace and ciscoes, Coregonus spp.) and marine clupeids (herring, Clupea harengus, and sprat, Sprattus sprattus). We further elucidate potential effects of climate warming on these groups of fish based on the ecological features of coregonids and clupeids documented in the previous parts of the review. These freshwater and marine fishes share a surprisingly high number of similarities. Both groups are relatively short-lived, pelagic planktivorous fishes. The genetic differentiation of local populations is weak and seems to be in part correlated to an astonishing variability of spawning times. The discrete thermal window of each species influences habitat use, diel vertical migrations and supposedly also life history variations. Complex life cycles and preference for cool or cold water make all species vulnerable to the effects of global warming. It is suggested that future research on the functional interdependence between spawning time, life history characteristics, thermal windows and genetic differentiation may profit from a systematic comparison of the patterns found in either coregonids or clupeids.     

Strengthening recruitment of exploited scallops Pecten maximus with ocean warming

There is evidence that ocean warming has effects on the ecology, including recruitment dynamics, of marine organisms. In association with rising mean spring temperatures in the Irish Sea, a time-series of juvenile scallop Pecten maximus density around the Isle of Man showed a significant increasing trend since 1991. Favorable conditions (warmer water and correspondingly greater food availability) during gonad development can increase scallop gamete production. We examined the possibility that ocean warming has directly increased recruitment of exploited P. maximus around the Isle of Man by enhancing gonad development. From 1991–2007, there was a significant positive correlation between scallop recruitment and mean spring (the main period of gonad development) temperature in the year of larval settlement. Detrended (i.e., accounting for a time effect) recruitment data showed a marginally non-significant correlation to temperature. Gonadal somatic index of adult scallops and temperature were positively correlated. These relationships support the hypothesis that greater gamete production associated with ocean warming may be primarily responsible for observed increases in recruitment success and CPUE in a commercially important shellfish stock.     

Small-scale genetic structure in a marine population in relation to water circulation and egg characteristics

Until the last decade it was assumed that most marine species have pronounced gene flow over vast areas, largely because of their potential for dispersal during early life stages. However, recent genetic, modeling, and field studies have shown that marine populations may be structured at scales that are inconsistent with extensive dispersal of eggs and larvae. Such findings have stimulated the birth of new studies explaining the mechanisms that promote population structure and isolation in the oceans, in the face of high potential for dispersal. Here we study the vertical and horizontal distribution of cod (Gadus morhua) eggs in relation to small-scale circulation and water column hydrography in a coastal location of southern Norway. Previous studies conducted in this region have shown that cod populations inhabiting fjord locations, which are on average 30 km apart, are genetically differentiated, a remarkable outcome considering that Atlantic cod have pelagic egg stages and long pelagic larval duration. We document that cod eggs are found in greater abundance in shallow water layers, which on average are flowing up the fjord (away from the open ocean), and in the inner portion of the fjord, which is subject to lower current speeds compared to the outer or mouth of the fjord. Eggs were found to be neutrally buoyant at shallow depths, a trait that also favors local retention, given the local circulation. The same patterns held during two environmentally contrasting years. These results strongly suggest that population structure of Atlantic cod is favored and maintained by a balance between water circulation and egg characteristics.     

Development of novel environmental friendly polyurethane foams

To prepare materials with improved recycling capability, new flexible biodegradable polyurethane foams, in which non-degradable polyether polyol was partly substituted by the bio-polyols based on cellulose or starch derivatives were synthesized. The incorporation of bio-polyols into the foams’ structures as well as their influence on the foam thermal stability was assessed by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis analyses. The ecotoxicological aspects of the newly synthesized foams were investigated by extracting the samples using freshwater as a solvent followed by applying the microbiotest screening toxkit under trade name “Thamnotoxkit F?” with larvae of freshwater shrimps Thamnocephalus platyurus.     

Declining extra-pair paternity with laying order associated with initial incubation behavior,but independent of final clutch size in the blue tit

Although functional explanations for female engagement in extra-pair copulation have been studied extensively in birds, little is known about how extra-pair paternity is linked to other fundamental aspects of avian reproduction. However, recent studies indicate that the occurrence of extra-pair offspring may generally decline with laying order, possibly because stimulation by eggs induces incubation, which may suppress female motivation to acquire extra-pair paternity. Here we tested whether experimental inhibition of incubation during the laying phase, induced by the temporary removal of eggs, resulted in increased extra-pair paternity, in concert with a later cessation of laying, in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). As expected, experimental females showed a more gradual increase in nocturnal incubation duration over the laying phase and produced larger clutches than controls. Moreover, incubation duration on the night after the first egg was laid predicted how extra-pair paternity declined with laying order, with less incubation being associated with more extra-pair offspring among the earliest eggs in the clutch. However, incubation duration on this first night was unrelated to our experimental treatment and independent of final clutch size. Consequently, the observed decline in extra-pair paternity with laying order was unaffected by our manipulation and larger clutches included proportionally fewer extra-pair offspring. We suggest that female physiological state prior to laying, associated with incubation at the onset of laying, determines motivation to acquire extra-pair paternity independent of final clutch size. This decline in proportion of extra-pair offspring with clutch size may be a general pattern within bird species.