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Topmouth culter (Culter alburnus) is an ecologically and economically important species belonging to the subfamily Culterinae that is native to and widespread in East Asia. Intraspecific variation of semi‐buoyant and adhesive eggs in topmouth culter provides an ideal opportunity to investigate the genetic mechanisms of spawning habits underlying the adaptive radiation of cyprinids in East Asia. In this study, we present a chromosome‐level genome assembly of topmouth culter and re‐sequenced 158 individuals from six locations in China covering three geographical groups and two egg type variations. The topmouth culter genome size was 1.05 Gb, with a contig N50 length of 17.8 Mb and anchored onto 24 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the divergence time of the Culterinae was coinciding with the time of initiation of the Asian monsoon intensification. Gene family evolutionary analysis indicated that the expanded gene families in topmouth culter were associated with dietary adaptation. Population‐level genetic analysis indicated clear differentiation among the six populations, which were clustered into three distinct clusters, consistent with their geographical divergence. The historical effective population size of topmouth culter correlated with the Tibetan Plateau uplifting according to the demographic history reconstruction. A selective sweep analysis between adhesive and semi‐buoyant egg populations revealed the genes associated with the hydration and adhesiveness of eggs, indicating divergent selection towards different hydrological environments. This study offers a high‐resolution genetic resource for further studies on evolutionary adaptation, genetic breeding and conservation of topmouth culter, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms for egg type variation of East Asian cyprinids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol vertical distribution generally determines their health impacts and climate effects. By using long‐term (2007–2019) CALIPSO lidar measurements, we present a large‐scale insight into the climatology of aerosol types and their vertical structure over East Asia. Despite the low sampling frequency, comparison with MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) shows that the integrated CAIPSO vertical extinction can reasonably reproduce spatial patterns of the aerosol loading. With the unique advantage of active detection, CALIPSO reveals an obvious enhancement of the night‐time AOD due to worse diffusion conditions. Moreover, long‐range transport of different aerosols including dust, polluted dust, and smoke has substantial contribution to the aerosol loading over East Asia. Pure dust particles are mainly concentrated over the deserts with notable dust transport belts (dust AOD > 0.2 at 532 nm) along downwind regions during winter and spring. By contrast, polluted dust is prevalent over the downstream eastern China with much higher AODs throughout the year. In particular, AOD of polluted dust (~0.5) is higher in winter rather than in spring, which is consistent with their seasonal occurrences. Smoke aerosols usually appear in the night‐time over southern China. The top heights of aerosols are around 4–6 km, with dust and smoke having higher extinction at upstream regions. The climatology of these aerosol types and vertical distribution can provide a significant constraint for associated studies of air quality and climate effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo is a versatile plant that plays a significant role in the food, raw materials for construction and manufacture, making it one of the most valuable non-timber forestry resources in East Asia. Bamboo propagates through both sexual and asexual reproduction. They often flower synchronously and die collectively after flowering. The time span from seed germination to flowering and fruiting can take several decades or even over a hundred years. Developmental events related to growth occur throughout the entire life cycle of bamboo, and exhibit more diverse developmental patterns than other plants. Till now, a lot of studies focus on growth and development of bamboo organs from aspect of morphology, anatomy, systematics, physiology, cytology, genetics, and molecular biology. Here, we review the current knowledge on the developmental biology of bamboo root, rhizome, culm, leaves and reproductive organs. The inadequate or missing what deserves further investigated in the field of bamboo developmental biology was put forward. Proposal on how to carry out the related research was suggested. Our work provides a reference for bamboo researchers to carry out relevant research. • We review the current knowledge on the developmental biology of bamboo root, rhizome, culm, leaves and reproductive organs. • The inadequate or missing what deserves further investigated in the field of bamboo developmental biology was put forward. • Our work serves as a valuable reference for bamboo researchers conducting related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral dust from the deserts and arid areas in East Asia plays a critical role in regional climate and air quality. Based on integrated satellite observations and MERRA-2 reanalysis, we provide an observational insight into dust activities governing spatial patterns of dust aerosols over East Asia. With Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and Ozone Monitoring Ultraviolet Aerosol Index (UVAI), fixed dust-active areas with distinct spatial-temporal differences are revealed. Besides the few dust storms mostly in spring, unnoticeable but frequent dust plumes are found to be the predominant sources of prevailing dust particles over East Asia. Compared with the active dust sources in Taklimakan Desert throughout the year, dust activities in Gobi deserts are at a much lower frequency. The elevated dust plumes are concentrated within 2–6 km over the deserts with large seasonal variations, and can be transported downstream to eastern China and Sichuan Basin within 3–5 days. Moreover, owing to the lack of enough strong winds, these dust plumes tend to be concentrated above the haze layers near surface in eastern China. The intense temperature inversion during winter and early spring can delay the mixing of dust-pollution. Despite a generally reasonable performance in dust AOD, MERRA-2 reanalysis exhibits some uncertainties in reproducing spatial locations of dust hotspots, dust concentration, and transport process. Our results emphasize significant role of the inapparent but prevalent dust plumes in air quality and in climate effects of East Asia. • Inapparent but frequent dust plumes are the predominant sources of prevalent dust aerosols over East Asia. • Dust plumes tend to overlay over anthropogenic pollution near surface with a delaying dust-pollution mixing. • MERRA-2 underestimates the dust loading in Taklimakan Desert and overestimates in Gobi deserts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the ITCZ-driven global tropical monsoon, the development of a monsoon-dominated climate within previously subtropical arid Asia has conventionally been regarded as marking the onset of a modern-like monsoon over East Asia. This monsoon has increasingly been reported as having appeared in the Eocene or older and linking with different forcings. Here we present robust climatic records from well-dated fluviolacustrine sediments from the eastern central Tibetan Plateau which demonstrate that such a monsoon was not established in the northern subtropical area (∼32-33oN) until at least ∼35 Ma, rather a Mediterranean-type-like climate toward drier prevailed. Numerical modelling supports that neither the existence of an Andes-like Gangdese Mts. along Tibet southern margin, nor an elevated south-central Tibet, nor an increased atmospheric CO 2 concentration, were sufficient to drive the expansion of the Asian tropical monsoon northward to ∼32oN in Asia in the Eocene. • The Paleogene succession on the eastern central Tibetan Plateau was determined at ∼53–35 Ma. • Asian monsoon did not expand to northern subtropical East Asia before 35 Ma. • Forcing factor for late Eocene monsoon could not enhance monsoon to expand to northern subtropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]