Olfactory cues,genetic relatedness and female mate choice in the agile antechinus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Antechinus agilis</Emphasis>)

Females show mate preferences for males that are genetically dissimilar to themselves in a variety of taxa, but how females choose these males is not clearly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of olfactory stimuli and genetic relatedness on female mate choice in a small carnivorous marsupial, the agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), during two breeding seasons. Captive female antechinus in oestrus were provided with a combination of male urine and body scent from two novel males, one more genetically similar and one more dissimilar to the females, in a Y-maze olfactometer. Genetic relatedness between females and pairs of males was determined using highly polymorphic, species-specific, microsatellite markers. Females consistently chose to visit the scents of males that were genetically dissimilar to themselves first, spent significantly more time near the source of those scents and showed more sexual and non-exploratory behaviours near those scents. These data demonstrate that chemosensory cues are important in mate choice in the agile antechinus and that females prefer males that are genetically dissimilar to themselves.     

High degree of polyandry in Apis dorsata queens detected by DNA microsatellite variability

Workers of six colonies of the giant honeybee Apis dorsata from Sabah, Malaysia (five colonies) and Java (one colony) were genotyped using single locus DNA fingerprinting. The colonies from Sabah nested in colony aggregations of 5 and 28 nests respectively on two trees. Three DNA microsatellite loci (A14, A76, A88) with a total of 27 alleles provided sufficient genetic variability to classify the workers into distinct sub-families revealing the degree of polyandry of the queens. Queens mated on average with 30.17 ± 5.98 drones with a range from 19 to 53. The average effective number of matings per queen was 25.56 ± 11.63. In the total sample of 192 workers, 22 individuals were found that were not offspring of the colony's queen. Three of these were potentially drifted offspring workers from genotyped queens of colonies nesting on the same tree.     

Use of genetic algorithms to select input variables in decision tree models for the prediction of benthic macroinvertebrates

Predicting freshwater organisms based on machine learning is becoming more and more reliable due to the availability of appropriate datasets, advanced modelling techniques and the continuously increasing capacity of computers. A database consisting of measurements collected at 360 sampling sites in non-navigable watercourses in Flanders was applied to predict the absence/presence of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa by means of decision trees. The measured variables were a combination of physical–chemical (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, conductivity, total organic carbon, Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus), structural (granulometric analysis of the sediment, width, depth and flow velocity of the river) and two ecotoxicological variables. The predictive power of decision trees was assessed on the basis of the number of Correctly Classified Instances (CCI). A genetic algorithm was introduced to compare the predictive power of different sets of input variables for the decision trees. The number of input variables was reduced from 15 to 2–8 variables without affecting the predictive power of the decision trees significantly. Furthermore, reducing the number of input variables allowed to ease the identification of general data trends.     

云南粳稻耐低磷特性的主基因加多基因遗传分析

磷高效水稻培育是提高土壤潜在磷利用效率的一种途径,通过对云南粳稻耐低磷特性的主基因加多基因遗传分析,可以明确耐低磷特性主基因的存在、对数及遗传效应的大小,为磷高效育种提供理论依据。本试验通过云南主栽粳稻品种合系35(Oryza sativa)与耐低磷极强早旱谷(Oryza sativa)配制P1、P2、F1、F2或F3世代,在云南省农科院进行低磷胁迫试验,对耐低磷鉴定和主基因加多基因联合遗传分析,结果表明:早旱谷的分蘖和株穗产量基因受两对主效基因 多基因相互配合遗传控制的,两对主基因间存在上位性效应,两主基因间效应差异较大。分蘖力F2主基因遗传率为58.82%~72.13%,F3主基因遗传率为45.88%~57.96%;株穗产量F2主基因遗传率60.94%~83.08%,F3主基因遗传率为62.20%~75.80%。因此育种中应当充分重视主基因的利用,利用主基因应以第一对主基因的加性效应为主,对后代耐低磷性状的选择宜从F2代开始,杂交的后期世代也要注意耐性的选择。     

Optimisation algorithms for spatially constrained forest planning

We compared genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and hill climbing algorithms on spatially constrained, integrated forest planning problems. There has been growing interest in algorithms that mimic natural processes, such as genetic algorithms and simulated annealing. These algorithms use random moves to generate new solutions, and employ a probabilistic acceptance/rejection criterion that allows inferior moves within the search space. Algorithms for a genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, and random hill climbing are formulated and tested on a same-sample forest-planning problem where the adjacency rule is strictly enforced. Each method was randomly started 20 times and allowed to run for 10,000 iterations. All three algorithms identified good solutions (within 3% of the highest found), however, simulated annealing consistently produced superior solutions. Simulated annealing and random hill climbing were approximately 10 times faster than the genetic algorithm because only one solution needs to be modified at each iteration. Performance of simulated annealing was essentially independent of the starting point, giving it an important advantage over random hill climbing. The genetic algorithm was not well suited to the strict adjacency problem because considerable computation time was necessary to repair the damage caused during crossover.     

Seasonal polydomy and unicoloniality in a polygynous population of the red wood ant Formica truncorum

Ant colonies may have a single or several reproductive queens (monogyny and polygyny, respectively). In polygynous colonies, colony reproduction may occur by budding, forming multinest, polydomous colonies. In most cases, budding leads to strong genetic structuring within populations, and positive relatedness among nestmates. However, in a few cases, polydomous populations may be unicolonial, with no structuring and intra-nest relatedness approaching zero. We investigated the spatial organisation and genetic structure of a polygynous, polydomous population of Formica truncorum in Finland. F. truncorum shifts nest sites between hibernation and the reproductive season, which raises the following question: are colonies maintained as genetic entities throughout the seasons, or is the population unicolonial throughout the season? Using nest-specific marking and five microsatellite loci, we found a high degree of mixing between individuals of the population, and no evidence for a biologically significant genetic structuring. The nestmate relatedness was also indistinguishable from zero. Taken together, the results show that the population is unicolonial. In addition, we found that the population has undergone a recent bottleneck, suggesting that the entire population may have been founded by a very limited number of females. The precise causes for unicoloniality in this species remain open, but we discuss the potential influence of intra-specific competition, disintegration of recognition cues and the particular hibernation habits of this species.     

Effects of intracolony variability in behavioral development on plasticity of division of labor in honey bee colonies

There is a genetic component to plasticity in age polyethism in honey bee colonies, such that workers of some genotypes become precocious foragers more readily than do workers of other genotypes, in colonies lacking older bees. Using colonies composed of workers from two identifiable genotype groups, we determined that intracolony differences in the likelihood of becoming a precocious forager are a consequence of differences in rates of behavioral development that are also evident under conditions leading to normal development. An alternative hypothesis, that differences in the likelihood of becoming a precocious forager are due to differences in general sensitivity to altered colony conditions, was not supported. In three out of three trials, workers from the genotype group that was more likely to exhibit precocious foraging in single cohort colonies also foraged at relatively younger ages in colonies in which workers exhibited normal behavioral development. In contrast, in three out of three trials, workers from the genotype group that was more likely to exhibit precocious foraging in single-cohort colonies did not show disproportionately more overaged nursing in colonies in which workers exhibited delayed development. These results indicate that genotypic differences in plasticity in age-related division of labor are based on genotypic differences in rates of behavioral development.     

环太平洋陆缘成矿带区段对比及中国东南找矿思路

环太平洋陆缘弧系按其演化历史不同可分为挤压型、盆岭型和裂解型三种。不同类型弧系的不同区段金属成矿分带互有差别,甚至相反,其主要原因在于:1.构造演化历史不同,板块俯冲的势态不同;2.火山岩系列和火山岩组合,花岗岩成因类型及其发育程度和分布特征不同;3.地壳厚度和结构、基底杂岩的性质、基底构造特点和基底所赋存时代较老的金属矿化不同。在对比环太平洋成矿带各区段金属成矿特征的基础上,提出中国东南Au、Cu找矿的战略目标应在浙中闽西,江南古陆南缘和长江中下游;矽卡岩型Pb-Zn-Ag矿在浙闽沿海火山岩区有一定远景;裂谷式火山构造洼地可成为浅成热液贵金属和有色金属矿化的远景地段。     

卡林型金矿找矿新进展及其意义

在我国 ,卡林型金矿曾被当作典型层控矿床。但近年来在美国卡林型金矿带的一系列找矿新进展说明 ,地层对于成矿的意义不如构造和深源的成矿流体。对于第三纪热点活动、岩浆作用及卡林型金矿形成之间相互关系的新认识 ,为卡林型金矿的找矿突破提供了重要的理论依据。我国滇黔桂、陕甘川等卡林型金矿集中区在许多方面可与美国卡林型金矿对比 ,在找矿方面也应打破单一沿层找矿的旧框框 ,开拓新思路 ,注意在有利的构造部位及有岩浆或深源热液活动的部位找矿。     

基于生态系统对宝鸡传统乡村旅游新模式探究

基于生态系统对宝鸡传统乡村旅游新模式进行了探究。首先通过分析宝鸡部分传统乡村旅游的现状,对宝鸡传统乡村旅游现状进行了介绍。提出宝鸡开展民俗旅游的一些不足之处;其次说明基于生态系统理念,对宝鸡传统乡村旅游和生态环境的促进作用;然后提出观光主题公园与乡村民俗旅游的结合,可以更好地促进乡村生态环境和乡村旅游的可持续性发展,更能充分开发旅游资源,丰富旅游项目,促进乡村环境和乡村经济的双重发展,使宝鸡传统乡村旅游新模式得到发展。