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The vast majority of plant and animal species reproduce sexually despite the costs associated with sexual reproduction. Genetic recombination might outweigh these costs if it helps the species escape parasite pressure by creating rare or novel genotypes, an idea known as the Red Queen hypothesis. Selection for recombination can be driven by short- and long-term effects, but the relative importance of these effects and their dependency on the parameters of an antagonistic species interaction remain unclear. We use computer simulations of a mathematical model of host-parasite coevolution to measure those effects under a wide range of parameters. We find that the real driving force underlying the Red Queen hypothesis is neither the immediate, next-generation, short-term effect nor the long-term effect but in fact a delayed short-term effect. Our results highlight the importance of differentiating clearly between immediate and delayed short-term effects when attempting to elucidate the mechanism underlying selection for recombination in the Red Queen hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The clade Campanulaceae in the Cretan area is rich in endemics, with c. 50% of its species having restricted distributions. These species are analysed in the context of a larger phylogeny of the Campanulaceae. Divergence times are calculated and hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal are tested with the aim of understanding whether Cretan lineages represent remnants of an older continental flora. Location The Cretan area: Crete and the Karpathos Islands (Greece). Methods We obtained chloroplast DNA sequence data from rbcL, atpB and matK genes for 102 ingroup taxa, of which 18 are from the Cretan area, 11 are endemics, and two have disjunct, bi-regional distributions. We analysed the data usingbeast, a Bayesian approach that simultaneously infers the phylogeny and divergence times. We calibrated the tree by placing a seed fossil in the phylogeny, and used published age estimates as a prior for the root. Results The phylogenetic reconstruction shows that all Campanula species fall within a well-supported campanuloid clade; however, Campanula is highly polyphyletic. The Cretan endemics do not form a monophyletic group, and species are scattered throughout the campanuloid clade. Therefore, the Cretan taxa did not evolve following a single vicariance or dispersal event. Most Cretan lineages represent remnants of an older continental flora, with the exception of one clade that radiated in situ after island isolation, and one lineage that appears to have arrived by dispersal. Main conclusions Most Cretan species were present in the islands at the time of their isolation, and very little long-distance dispersal to Crete and diversification within Crete has occurred since then. Endemism is probably driven by loss of species on the mainland after island isolation. Species on the islands may have been more widespread in the past, but they are now restricted to often inaccessible areas, probably as a result of human pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We conducted phylogenetic analyses to identify the closest related living relatives of the Xizang and Sichuan hot-spring snakes (T. baileyi and T. zhaoermii) endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, using mitochondrial DNA sequences (cyt b, ND4) from eight specimens, together with sequences from 95 additional caenophidian and five henophidian genera that were downloaded from GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were obtained using Bayesian Inference and Maximum likelihood methods. Results suggest that hot-spring snakes, which are adapted to high and cold environments, were clustered in the monophyletic Xenodontinae. Xenodontinae is one of the largest subfamilies of colubrid snakes, with about 90 genera and more than 500 species known, and are primarily tropical snakes previously thought to be restricted to the New World. Our data failed to provide any evidence that the New World xenodontines diverged from Thermophis and dispersed into the New World, also failed to suggest a colonization of Asia by New World xenodontines by dispersal from the New World. An alternative plausible scenario may be that Thermophis and the New World xenodontines evolved independently in Asia and America, respectively, after the divergence of their common ancestor. The divergence of the two species in Thermophis was caused by the barrier of the Hengduan Mountains, and the speciation had almost occurred when Tibetan Plateau attained present elevation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Genetic structure of natural populations of the rare relict plant Manchurian birthwort ( Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom.) in the Russian part of its area was analyzed using allozyme markers. The studied A. manshuriensis populations differed in the degree of their intrapopulation differentiation. The populations Nezhinka and Anan’evka were more differentiated ( FST = 0.1209 and 0.0576, respectively); these populations are located close in the regions of intense economic activity and are exposed to the strongest anthropogenic impact. A low degree of differentiation was detected in the population Malaya Borisovka ( FST = 0.0393), localized to intact habitats. The overall heterogeneity test has demonstrated that the population Malaya Anan’evka, exposed at present to small anthropogenic stress yet growing in disturbed habitats, displays no differentiation. These results suggest that at least three populations are influenced by genetic drift connected with a decrease in the reproductive and effective population sizes, which is caused, in particular, by anthropogenic impact. A high level of genetic similarity between the A. manshuriensis populations in Primor’e is discussed in connection with the evolutionary history of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Opera Corcontica is the property of Sprava Krkonosskeho Narodniho Parku and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The presence of heavy metals in municipal sludge restricts its use for agricultural purposes. In this paper, the bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals in municipal sludge was evaluated, taking into consideration both the speciation of metals and the local environmental characteristics. The dewatered municipal sludge samples were collected from five sewage plants in Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan respectively, which are representative cities with characteristics of the middle-south region of China. Some agricultural significant parameters and total metal concentrations in the sludge were determined and the metal speciation was studied by using BCR sequential extraction procedure. It was found experimentally that in general the municipal sludge collected from the five sewage plants was rich in organics, N and P. Except that the sludge from Xia Wan Sewage Treatment Plant showed higher concentrations of heavy metals, the sludge from other plants all showed a low total content of heavy metals with only Cd slightly exceeding the permitted values of the national application standard of acid soil in China (GB18918-2002). The sequential extraction results showed that Cu and Zn were principally distributed in the oxidizable fraction, which meant a high potential toxicity, but the bioavailability of Zn might be overestimated to the soil of Hunan. Pb was mainly in the residual fraction. The distribution of Cd showed no obvious characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Genus Sanicula encompasses about 40 species, mainly from temperate deciduous forests and exhibiting an Arcto-Tertiary relict distribution. It has previously been shown that stasis in physiological traits, such as seed dormancy, can occur in genera with an Arcto-Tertiary disjunct distribution. The aim of this study was to determine the requirements for dormancy break and seed germination in the Eurasian woodland herb Sanicula europaea L. Comparing our results with other Apiaceae in a phylogenetic and biogeographic framework enables us to determine whether stasis in seed dormancy has occurred in Sanicula. Experiments under natural conditions showed that the embryo elongates within the seed during winter, when temperatures are low. Seeds of S. europaea germinated immediately after growth of the embryo was completed, and seedlings subsequently emerged when temperatures had risen in spring. A series of tests under temperature-controlled conditions revealed that growth of the embryo and physiological dormancy break occur simultaneously at low temperatures (5 °C), irrespective of a pre-treatment at high temperatures. These results contrast with the dormancy traits of several eastern North American Sanicula species, which presumably require a high temperature pre-treatment before chilling becomes effective. This geographical distribution pattern of seed dormancy traits has also been established independently in several other Arcto-Tertiary relict genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim A small fauna of amphibious snails (genus Assiminea Fleming, 1828) living in association with highly mineralized springs in the Death Valley–lower Colorado River region (DVLCR) is thought to be a relict of the Bouse Embayment, a putative late Miocene–early Pliocene transgression of the ancestral Gulf of California along the lower Colorado River valley. We analysed the phylogenetic relationships of this fauna using mtDNA sequence data (1171 bp) to determine whether, as would be consistent with this hypothesis, it forms a substantially divergent unit sister to marine coastal congeners. Location South-western Great Basin and lower Colorado River region, USA. Methods Two genes [mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene] were sequenced for 10 populations of DVLCR assimineas ( Assiminea infima Berry, 1947 ; Assiminea sp.). We also sequenced an undescribed population from a spring in the Colorado River delta; western North American Pacific Coastal Assiminea californica (Tryon, 1865); the three other congeners that live on the continent; and three Old World assimineids (outgroups). Phylogenies based on the combined data set were obtained using Bayesian methods, and divergence times were estimated using a COI molecular clock for related gastropods. Results Composite haplotypes of the DVLCR assimineas, together with that observed in the Colorado River delta population, formed a weakly supported clade that was sister to a clade composed of populations of North American Pacific and Atlantic coastal species. The genetic distance between members of these two clades was 3.46 ± 0.47% for COI and 1.69 ± 0.38% for 16S. The former clade was composed of five subunits that differed from each other by 1.29–2.84% (COI) and 0.52–1.98% (16S) sequence divergence. Main conclusions Application of the COI clock suggests that progenitors of the DVLCR fauna diverged from coastal ancestors 2.13–1.89 Ma (late Pliocene), several million years after the Bouse Embayment would have been terminated by the establishment of the lower (freshwater) Colorado River. This finding, together with shallow genetic structuring of several DVLCR lineages that are widely distributed across the topographically complex regional landscape, suggests that the Assiminea fauna of this inland area was more likely to have been founded by coastal colonists transported on water birds than through a direct connection with the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As part of the right of indigenous cultures to self-determination, several international bodies have recognized and addressed the role of indigenous communities in natural resources management, including the conservation of biodiversity. In the United States, disagreements regarding the application of the federal Endangered Species Act to Native American tribes have hindered the relationship between the federal and tribal governments on endangered species recovery. Our research examines the efforts of one Native American tribe, the Nez Perce, and the United States federal government to collaborate on federal gray wolf recovery in central Idaho. We interviewed members of the Nez Perce Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to characterize their relationship and explore the context in which the recovery program was implemented. Respondents attributed the success of the biological aspects of wolf recovery to the robustness of the wolf as a species and to close interagency coordination at the operational level. However, differences of opinion existed between the Tribe and Service concerning program funding, policy planning, and the rights and role of the Tribe in wolf management via co-management and cooperative management regimes. Respondents from both governments noted a clear hierarchical relationship at the strategic level, where policy planning and decision-making rested with the federal government. Lessons drawn from this case study can be applied across the international spectrum to improving partnerships, particularly at the strategic level, between indigenous and non-indigenous governance structures for protecting endangered species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Lost Pines forest of East Central Texas is a relict ecosystem of the last glacial age that ended 10,000 years ago. A crossroads mixture of flora and fauna classified as Eastern, Western, Central, Southern, Widespread, and Introduced is the result of a Pleistocene expansion from the southeastern United States combined with the ecosystem's marginal position along the east-west biogeographical divide and its location in the central plains corridor and at the northern extremity of Neotropical species ranges. For invertebrates at large the modal biogeographical affinity is eastern, with widespread taxa next in abundance but with much smaller contributions from the remaining four categories. Nine additional analyses at the taxonomic level and one analysis at the level of species dispersal ability are included in addition to comments on invertebrate groups represented by only one or a few species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of rotifer, Rhinoglena kutikovae n.sp. (Monogononta: Epiphanidae), is described from a freshwater lake in the Bunger Hills, East Antarctica. The new taxon is characterized by the following combination of characters: body conical to vase-shaped; a single toe; distal foot pseudosegment bulged; tail prominent, semi-circular; two small spherical pedal glands with common duct, forming a complex with caudal ganglion; trophi with seven major teeth with offset head and two smaller teeth without offset head. The new species is compared with R. fertoeensis, R. frontalis and R. tokioensis, of which scanning electron microscopic information is presented of the trophi. R. kutikovae n.sp. is probably a relict species that survived Quaternary glaciations in glacial lacustrine refugia on the Antarctic continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of taxonomic and distributional information on the majority of taxonomic groups (i.e., invertebrates) in many cases leads to the greatest part of biodiversity being overlooked, and it may vitiate conservation efforts. We stress the need for, and feasibility of, overcoming this drawback in a case study analysis of total local diversity of Coleoptera in a Spanish relict forest (Natural Park of Fragas del Eume). We assessed the reliability of estimates derived from a generalist sampling inventory of the actual scores of richness and abundance of the various beetle families. We found that ≈1,000 species are estimated to live in such a small area (≈90 km²). Because efficiency of the generalist sampling protocol of beetle families was uneven, their inventory completeness varies with population size and heterogeneity of niche occupied. Comparison of the performance of several sampling-effort surrogates indicates that individuals seem to underestimate richness, compared with database records or sampling days, probably because conspecific individuals are spatially aggregated and thus the collection of several specimens does not imply a greater sampling effort than collecting only one specimen. The relationship between richness and abundance is dissimilar among families. Cerambycidae, found to have smaller populations than other families, but representing a large portion of beetle richness, should be considered a conservation priority in the prevention of biodiversity loss, because local extinction of small populations is more probable. Regional or broader scale patterns of beetle biodiversity cannot be addressed due to the lack of comparable inventories. Thus, fieldwork and taxonomic effort on hyperdiverse invertebrate groups should be encouraged and extensively funded to obtain reliable biodiversity information to enhance the effectiveness of conservation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demise of traditional woodland management techniques, such as coppicing or woodland pasture, is causing a gradual closure of formerly sparse lowland woods across Central Europe. It is established that these processes threaten such organisms as butterflies and higher plants. Effects on other groups, such as epigeic invertebrates, are little known, hindering rational conservation decisions. We investigated the effects of stand openness on three epigeic groups, carabids (Carabidae), arachnids (Araneae+Opiliones) and myriapods-isopods (Chilopoda+Diplopoda+Oniscidea), in a lowland deciduous wood in the Czech Republic. Situating some of the traps in an intensive deer park allowed a simultaneous assessment of effects of high vs. low ungulate densities. Carabids reached the highest species richness in either sparse stands with low game or dense stands, high game. More arachnids occurred under low game and in sparse stands than under high game density and in dense stands. The highest richness of myriapods-isopods was in sparse stands with low game. Ordinations revealed that species of conservation concern (‘relic species’ according to C. European authors) tended to be associated with sparse stands and low game. A considerable proportion of epigeic woodland invertebrates, including many species of conservation concern, depends on preserving highly heterogeneous sparse canopy conditions. Restoring such conditions in selected areas will benefit these sensitive open woodland specialists while causing minimum harm to specialists of dense stands, that likely prosper in commercially managed high forests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Cryptogamie Mycologie is the property of Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An updated review of the diplopod fauna of the Crimea is given. At present the fauna comprises 14 species from 11 genera, seven families and six orders, including Eurygyrus ochraceus C.L. Koch, 1847, an apparent introduction, Trachysphaera costata (Waga, 1857) (= T. rotundata(Lignau, 1911), syn. n.), represented by an obvious troglophilic, bisexual, relict population, and Amblyiulus kovali sp. n., likely a troglobitic endemic. Not only these species, but also their respective genera and, in the two former cases, their families and orders are new to the Crimean list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mismatches between the composition of a time-averaged death assemblage (dead remains sieved from the upper mixed-zone of the sedimentary column) and the local living community are typically attributed to natural postmortem processes. However, statistical analysis of 73 molluscan data sets from estuaries and lagoons reveals significantly poorer average "live-dead agreement" in settings of documented anthropogenic eutrophication (AE) than in areas where AE and other human impacts are negligible. Taxonomic similarity of paired live and dead species lists declines steadily among areas as a function of AE severity, and, for data sets comprising only adults, rank-order agreement in species abundance drops where AE is suspected. The observed live-dead differences in composition are consistent with eutrophication (anomalous abundance of seagrassdwellers and/or scarcity of organic-loving species in the death assemblage), suggesting compositional inertia of death assemblages to recent environmental change. Molluscan data sets from open shelf settings (n = 34) also show higher average live-dead discordance in areas of AE. These results indicate that (i) live-dead discordance in surficial grab samples provides valuable evidence for strong anthropogenic modification of benthic communities, (ii) actualistic estimates of the ecological fidelity of molluscan death assemblages tend to be erroneously pessimistic when conducted in nonpristine settings, and (iii) based on their high fidelity in pristine study areas, death assemblages are a promising means of reconstructing otherwise elusive preimpact ecological baselines from sedimentary records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breakup of the supercontinent Gondwanaland into Africa, Antarctica, Australia and India about 140 million years ago, and consequently the opening of the Indian Ocean, is thought to have been caused by heating of the lithosphere from below by a large plume whose relicts are now the Marion, Kerguelen and Réunion plumes. Plate reconstructions based on palaeomagnetic data suggest that the Indian plate attained a very high speed (18–20 cm yr-1 during the late Cretaceous period) subsequent to its breakup from Gondwanaland, and then slowed to ∼5 cm yr-1 after the continental collision with Asia ∼50 Myr ago. The Australian and African plates moved comparatively less distance and at much lower speeds of 2–4 cm yr-1 (refs 3–5). Antarctica remained almost stationary. This mobility makes India unique among the fragments of Gondwanaland. Here we propose that when the fragments of Gondwanaland were separated by the plume, the penetration of their lithospheric roots into the asthenosphere were important in determining their speed. We estimated the thickness of the lithospheric plates of the different fragments of Gondwanaland around the Indian Ocean by using the shear-wave receiver function technique. We found that the fragment of Gondwanaland with clearly the thinnest lithosphere is India. The lithospheric roots in South Africa, Australia and Antarctica are between 180 and 300 km deep, whereas the Indian lithosphere extends only about 100 km deep. We infer that the plume that partitioned Gondwanaland may have also melted the lower half of the Indian lithosphere, thus permitting faster motion due to ridge push or slab pull. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to measure levels and distribution of genetic diversity in the critically endangered (CR) Silene sennenii (Caryophyllaceae), a narrow endemic plant species found in northeastern Catalonia (Spain). At present, only 5 populations remain, containing no more than 5,000 individuals, which are subjected to several human pressures such as habitat fragmentation and land use changes. Interestingly, the largest population is located in and around a fortress built in the XVIII century, a circumstance which might facilitated its preservation until now. From the 21 satisfactorily interpreted loci, low levels of genetic variation were detected (P = 20.9, A = 1.31 andHe = 0.071), which may be related to small population size, isolation, and fragmentation of extant populations. Moderate to high levels of inbreeding were also found, probably as consequence of the population's genetic structuring. The conservation of the population located in the fortress would allow the preservation of all the alleles detected at species level; nevertheless, conservation of other populations, coupled with the inclusion of S. sennenii in the Spanish Catalogue of Endangered Species, would also be desirable in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of long-term dynamics of intense coastal storms is important for determining the frequency and impact of these events on sandy coasts. We use optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates on relict scarps within a prograded barrier sequence to reconstruct the chronology of large-magnitude erosional events in the western Gulf of Maine. OSL dates obtained on quartz-rich sediments immediately overlying relict scarps indicate severe beach erosion and retreat due to erosional events ca. 1550, 390, 290, and 150 cal yr B.P. Our data provide new evidence of increased storm activity (most likely frequency and/or intensity of extratropical storms) during the past 500 yr, which was preceded by a relatively calm period lasting ∼1000 yr. The width of the coastal sequence preserved between successive paleoscarps shows strong correlation with the time interval elapsed between storms. Our findings indicate that diagnostic geophysical and sedimentological signatures of severe erosional events offer new opportunities for assessing the impact and timing of major storms along sandy coasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular genetic assays can contribute to conservation of aquatic taxa by assessing evolutionary and taxonomic distinctiveness, levels of genetic variation within and between populations, and the degree of introgression with introduced taxa. The Athabasca River drainage of western Alberta, Canada is one of only three (and the largest) drainages flowing east of the continental divide that contain native populations of rainbow trout (Salmonidae: Oncorhynchus mykiss). The ''Athabasca'' rainbow trout has been considered a preglacial relict worthy of special conservation measures. In addition, the native range of Athabasca rainbow trout has seen many instances of introductions of non-native populations since the beginning of the 20th century. We assayed rainbow trout from the Athabasca River drainage, from hatchery populations, and from representative populations in adjacent regions (N = 49 localities) for variation at 10 microsatelite loci to assess the level of evolutionary distinctiveness of Athabasca rainbow trout, and to assess the levels of introgression with non-native hatchery fish. We found that native Athabasca rainbow trout did not form a distinctive genetic assemblage and that the greatest amount of allele frequency variation was attributable to contemporary drainage systems (29.3%) rather than by a Athabasca/non-Athabasca distinction (12.6%). We found that 78% of all fish were confidently assigned to a ''wild'' rather than a ''hatchery'' genetic grouping and that most of the inferred introgression with hatchery fish was restricted to a few localities (N = 6). Our results suggest that: (i) Athabasca River rainbow trout are likely postglacial immigrants from adjacent populations of the Fraser River, and (ii) that there is no evidence of widespread introgression of hatchery alleles into native Athabasca River drainage rainbow trout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evergreen broad-leaved forest of Rhododendron ponticum represents a special type of Mediterranean vegetation because of their relict nature (allegedly pre-glacial, Southern-Iberian and Pontic) and connection with Macaronesian-Atlantic flora. The findings of ecomorphological (growth forms) and phenological (phenology) studies point to characteristics typical of its relict character and its relationship with subtropical lauroid vegetation (greater forest stratification, larger leaves, high percentage of photosynthetic stems, scarce tomentosity, pre-flowering in a season different to Mediterranean species and closeness of autumn–winter flowering species). There are, however, links with typical Mediterranean vegetation ( Quercus L. forests) that surrounds the Rhododendron stands, due to its adaptation to Mediterranean climate (sclerophyll leaves, plant and leaf duration, post-fire regeneration, fleshy fruit and fruit setting-seed dispersal seasonality). Within the community, different groups of plants show different adaptations to the same biotope, suggesting their distinct paleo-phytogeographical origins. The results confirm the singularity of this vegetation within the typically Mediterranean environment where it grows and its connections with other extra-Mediterranean types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated ground beetle communities (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in ancient woodland remnants in north-western Lower Saxony, Germany. A total of 90 pitfall traps was exposed in a stratified design in 10 stands of mature oak–beech and oak–hornbeam forests in the year 2003. Overall, 47 species (10,676 individuals) were recorded. Among these were the two relict species Carabus glabratus and Abax parallelus, and 14 further eurytopic forest species. Eleven species exhibited a high frequency and were found in all of the ten stands. Multiple linear regressions showed several significant relationships at two scales for species richness of different groups of carabids and for several of the measured environmental factors. Forest area, litter depth, amount of dead wood, distance to forest edge, and soil moisture were found to be key factors determining species richness. Furthermore, recent disturbance by logging reduced the number of forest species. According to direct gradient analyses soil moisture and litter depth have greatest influence on species communities of both, forest species and widespread species. Habitat suitability models for the two recorded relict species, A. paralellus and C. glabratus, were developed using logistic regression. The presence of A. parallelus in the mature ancient woodland remnants depends mainly on higher values of soil moisture, whereas for C. glabratus none of the measured environmental variables appeared to be key factors. Implications for the conservation of carabid assemblages in mature ancient woodlands include the advice to spread out logging over long periods of time and over various woodlands in order to keep the stand disturbance at a long-term low level. Variation in logging practices may help to conserve diverse structures. Afforestation with non-native tree species should be avoided in the managed ancient woodlands. Finally, especially the preservation of a high soil moisture seems to be important to conserve typical carabid communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ancient lakes have long been recognized as evolutionary theatres and hot spots of endemism; the evolution of their morphologically often highly diverse species flocks has received much attention. However, as each ancient lake has its own geological and evolutionary history, modes of speciation may differ from system to system. Ancient lakes can act as evolutionary reservoirs that assure the survival of relict species, but at the same time extant species may evolve through intralacustrine speciation. Other aspects of interest are the actual rates of immigration, diversification or extinction as well as the temporal framework of morphological change. Many of these questions have been addressed in the African (e.g. Lake Tanganyika) and Asian (e.g. Lake Baikal) ancient lakes. For an European ancient lakes (e.g. Lakes Ohrid and Prespa), such studies are largely missing. In the present paper, extraordinarily shaped endemic freshwater limpets of the genus Ancylus from the Balkan Lake Ohrid are used in a phylogeographic and phylogenetic context to test whether they represent an ancient lake species flock, to study the mode of speciation, and to assess the timing of morphological change. Based on DNA data from two mitochondrial genes (COI, LSU rDNA), it has been found that the Lake Ohrid Ancylus species form an endemic monophyletic group. In addition, the lake''s feeder springs are inhabited by another, undescribed Ancylus species. All other studied waterbodies within the watershed do not support their own Ancylus lineages but are inhabited by a widespread Mediterranean taxon. The split between the species endemic to the lake and its sister taxon is dated to 1.4±0.6 million years ago. The study presents the first genetic confirmation for the existence of a species flock in a European ancient lake. Contrary to the prevailing opinion it shows that, concerning Ancylus, Lake Ohrid represents a site of intralacustrine speciation rather than an evolutionary reservoir. Moreover, it provides the first evidence for rapid morphological change in an European ancient lake species flock. See also Electronic Supplement at: http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/06-12.htm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plecoptera are one the most endangered groups of insects in running waters. Due to their strict ecological needs and to the growing pollution of water courses, many species are in fact reduced to small isolated populations and many others have already become extinct. With the aim of compiling the taxonomic and faunistic lists of European Plecoptera (within the project Fauna Europaea, ref. EVR1-CT-1999-2001), we catalogued a total of 426 species included in 35 genera and seven families and reviewed their present diversity and conservation status. Historical knowledge and geographical information on Plecoptera diversity in Europe are presented. Data on the conservation status of the European stonefly fauna are discussed as well. The whole Plecoptera fauna of lowland rivers in Europe can be considered threatened. The situation is particularly critical for several species, known from a small number of individuals and/or from restricted areas, and that of relict species. Despite this situation, no European Plecoptera species are included on any official lists of threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endangered Carson wandering skipper (Pseudocopaeodes eunus obscurus [Austin and Emmel]) survives as a relict species in four major pluvial basins in the western Great Basin of Nevada and California. This Hesperiinae is distinct from other subspecies in the genus, likely resulting from a vicariance event during the Holocene. Surviving in disjunct refugia, this butterfly has highly specialized habitat requirements and feeds only on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta [Greene] Thorne) as larvae. Conservation of habitat patches has been highly successful. However, land development and groundwater withdrawal are in high demand surrounding the species' habitat and pose significant impacts on its survival. The species survival or extinction will be dictated by these land uses. Land development may decrease dispersal capabilities, and groundwater withdrawal may cause a vegetation shift resulting in the loss of skipper populations. Recovery will depend on the adaptive management of land uses that conserves current populations and on permits dispersal among the network of habitat patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acartia ohtsukai sp. nov. (Calanoida, Acartiidae), which has so far been identified as A. pacifica, is described from an estuary of Ariake Bay, Japan, with a redescription of A. pacifica s. str. from the Seto Inland Sea. The new species is distinguishable from A. pacifica by characters of the caudal rami and the antennule in female and those of the urosomal somites and the fifth leg in male. The most closely affinity of A. ohtsukai is seen with A. mertoni new rank, which was formerly a variety of A. pacifica and differs from A. ohtsukai by having dorsal spinule ornamentation on male urosome. DNA sequences of two mitochondrial genes differed between individuals of the new species from Ariake Bay and A. pacifica from the Seto Inland Sea and supported their designation as distinct species: 23–24% for cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) and 28% for 16S rRNA. The population in Ariake Bay is regarded as a continental relict, of which the main population is distributed in brackish waters along the coast of the East Asian continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the fossil record and DNA data, the Cladocera is an ancient crustacean group. Recent revisions make their taxonomy amenable to zoogeographical analysis. A bipolar (antitropical) disjunct distribution of faunal complexes and taxa ( Daphnia, Daphniopsis, Pleuroxus, Tretocephala, etc.), the wide ranges of some species and narrow restriction of others, the presence of isolated populations and the concentration of endemics in the warm temperate – subtropical zone of both hemispheres are traits of cladoceran zoogeography. These enable us to compare them with better studied (both living and fossil) plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, and to analyse their faunal formation by the modern version of the concept of ‘ejected relicts’ instead of vicariance. This reveals the extant Cladocera as a relict group, whose taxa were widely distributed in the past. Tertiary climatic changes, primarily within the present tropical and boreal latitudes, resulted in mass extinction of their biotas, while the warm temperate – subtropical regions remained comparatively unchanged. Although most recent Cladocera have relict status, others such as the D. pulex and D. longispina species groups and the subgenus Eubosmina are evolutionary young and show recent speciation. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 109–124. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The presence or absence of Paleoarchean crust in different continents provides an important basis for a comparison of their growth histories. Since the finding of ca. 3.8Ga detrital zircon in the North China craton by means of SHRIMP U–Pb dating, it has been a question whether the Yangtze craton, one of the two major blocks constituting the basement of China continent, also contain Paleoarchean crustal relicts. It is generally accepted that the basement of the Yangtze craton mainly formed in the Paleoproterozoic, with only minor Archean rocks in ages of 2.5–3.3Ga. A combined study of zircon U–Pb dating and Hf isotope analyses for the Kongling migmatite and gneiss from this craton reveals the existence of ca. 3.5Ga rocks. The zircon U–Pb ages are divided into three groups: ∼3.2Ga in cores, ∼2.9Ga in most grains and ∼2.0Ga in rims. Both ∼3.2Ga cores and ∼2.9Ga grains have negative ɛ Hf(t) values of −1.6 and −4.0, respectively. Mantle-like δ 18O values of 5.6–5.8‰ were obtained for the zircons, precluding a significant input by sedimentary source component for the magmas that are responsible for protolith of the Kongling metamorphic rocks. From the Hf model ages of these zircons, about 3.5Ga crustal relicts are speculated to occur in the Kongling rocks. This provides the first demonstration for the existence of Paleoarchean rocks in the Yangtze craton. Thus the early evolutionary history of the Yangtze craton may resemble the North China craton that has crustal relicts with the minimum ages of 3.5Ga. These Paleoarchean rocks resided in the crust of the Yangtze craton for at least several hundreds of million years before remelting, probably leaving some clues to be traced and verified. Paleoproterozoic U–Pb ages of 1.8–2.0Ga are identified in magmatic and metamorphic rocks in the Yangtze craton, providing a likely connection of this craton with the North China craton with respect to assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Columbia during the late Paleoproterozoic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Patterns of rodent species abundance and diversity were examined over a 5 months period in two areas of a Kenyan relict tropical rainforest. The two areas are subjected to different administrations which lead to various levels of anthropogenic disturbance: one can be considered relatively disturbed and one relatively undisturbed. Anthropogenic disturbance causes a reduction in woody stem density between 0 and 1.5 m and reduced understory tree canopy cover. Rodent abundance was estimated using the program CAPTURE and compared with the number of individuals actually captured. Density was estimated with three different methods, two of these utilised a boundary strip to estimate effective size of the area trapped. Density resulted in being relatively high in both areas, so population might have been at a peak. Species richness was higher in the disturbed forest, while species diversity and evenness was higher in the undisturbed forest. We suggest that in the disturbed forest the increase in number of species might be due to sporadical entrance in the forest by non-forest species, while the decrease in diversity might be due to the decrease of lower strata vegetation that occurs in the disturbed forest, hence this factor might affect species equitability. Bibliographic data supports this hypothesis as rodent species diversity and ground vegetation cover have been found to be correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some organisms represent useful Biological Sea-Level Indicators (Bio SLI) thanks to their constant position relative to sea level and allow the reconstruction of past sea level changes. The sessile gastropods Vermetidae are among the most used indicators, since their shells often resist time averaging and can be easily dated with 14C. However, all these vermetids have a level of precision (± 0.5–1 m), obtained from data on the Mediterranean Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884). We found a certain degree of plasticity in this species; it can also live subtidally, not in correspondence with the main sea level, where it feeds adopting a mixed feeding strategy. Considering this variability and the almost complete lack of knowledge for other Bio SLI vermetids, it appears clear that a common value of precision cannot be maintained and the precision of other vermetid species remains to be tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global analyses of 88 families and 284 genera of brachiopods from middle Ashgill, Late Ordovician, to early–middle Rhuddanian, Early Silurian, indicate that 18.6% and 12.5% of families and 51.0% and 41.3% of genera were eliminated in the first and second phases of the end-Ordovician mass extinction, respectively, with the total loss of 28.4% of families and 69.0% of genera in the crisis. New investigation demonstrates that brachiopods, at both generic and familial levels, suffered greater during the first phase than during the second phase. Four groups (victims, relicts, survivors, and new arrivals) are distinguished by their stratigraphical ranges. Generic survivors, occurring in the Kosov Province during the Hirnantian, can be split into three types with respect to their changing abundance: increasing, declining, and Lazarus taxa. Among the 88 genera that survived, numerous declining genera occurred in the Hirnantian: 16 Lazarus families and 18 Lazarus genera are provisionally known and may be regarded as end members of the declining type. Comparison of the abundance, population size, and distribution patterns of declining and Lazarus taxa shows important similarities between these two types which contribute to a better understanding of the nature of Lazarus taxa. In addition to these biological attributes, taphonomic failure and generally poor preservation, together with collecting bias and inadequate systematic data, are clearly involved. More collections will undoubtedly globally reduce the number of Lazarus taxa. A single, common refugium for end-Ordovician brachiopods probably did not exist; rather, these taxa used paleogeographically scattered locations in a range of environments for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Western Canary Islands, Myrica faya and Myrica rivas-martinezii (Myricaceae) are phylogenetically close, endemic, actinorhizal species presumed to be remnants either of the European or the African Tertiary floras. Unisolated Frankia strains from field-collected nodules on Tenerife, Gomera, and La Palma Islands were compared by their rrs gene and 16S–23S intergenic spacer (IGS) restriction patterns. To compare the genetic diversity of Frankia strains from within and outside the host’s native range, nodules of M. faya field plants were collected both in Canary Islands and in Hawaii, where this species is an exotic invasive. Myrica rivas-martinezii, endemic to the Canary Islands, was sparsely nodulated in the field. Frankia strains harbored in field-collected nodules of M. faya and M. rivas-martinezii belonged to the Elaeagnaceae strains’ genetic cluster and exhibited a high degree of diversity. Frankia genotypes were specific to each host species. In the Canary archipelago, we found no relationship between site of collection and Frankia genotype for M. faya. The only exceptions were strains from site 2 in Tenerife, a location with a geological history different from the other sites sampled. Hawaiian and Canarian M. faya strains had no genotypes in common, raising questions concerning the origin of M. faya-infective Frankia in Hawaii. Nodular strains of M. rivas-martinezii from nursery plants were genetically characterized and shown to be divergent from the strains of field-collected nodules and belong to the Alnus-Casuarina strains cluster. This suggests Myrica may have the potential to nodulate with a broader range of Frankia genotypes under artificial conditions than has been detected in field-collected nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on an ultrastructural analysis of the relict mitochondrion of Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites that includes electron tomographic reconstruction. Presence of either a single, highly-folded inner membrane or multiple internal subcompartments; Lack of tubular "crista junctions" in the infoldings of the inner membrane; Suggestion that the retention of a relict mitochondrion is a strategy for compartmentalizing away from the cytosol toxic ferrous iron and sulfide.

To document disjunct, insular populations of animals separated from similar conspecifics distributed to the north, inland and upland, and compare this pattern with that historically described for northern Florida and the Florida Keys islands. Nan Ao Island is on the Tropic of Cancer 117° E in the South China Sea, eastern Guangdong Province, China. There are archipelagos of islets extending south-east, and several coastal islets around Nan Ao. Five field surveys were made in 1999–2001. Voucher specimens were tagged, catalogued, and deposited in major museum collections. The comparable Floridian disjunct pattern was researched and described in overview. Five species – a toad, two lizards and two snakes – collected on Nan Ao and three satellite islands were added to the two previously documented species – a lizard and a snake – that fit the austro-boreal disjunct pattern. One lizard and one snake are minor range extensions of a hundred or few km. One snake's Nan Ao population is disjunct by about 450 km and one lizard's by about 550 km. The small, semi-fossorial, short-legged toad is the most notable, separated from the main area of its range by about 800 km. This is similar to the greatest distance between north Floridian and Keys disjunct populations. (1) Seven Nan Ao species of terrestrial vertebrates are isolated and disjunct from conspecifics found to the north, upland and inland; this compares to five species showing a similar north Florida to Florida Keys pattern. (2) The Nan Ao species have no conspecifics known from the intervening area whereas four of the five Floridian species have conspecific, but dissimilar, populations in the gap. (3) Nan Ao and its satellite islets were high points on a large coastal plain at glacial maximum. (4) Holocene sea level rise and concomitant global warming may have isolated the Nan Ao relicts that had continuous distributions at glacial maximum. (5) The intervening mainland conspecific populations may have been replaced by tropical species that moved north along the mainland but failed to colonize the islands. (6) If so, significant adaptation to a warmer climate must have occurred to enable survival of the Nan Ao relicts to the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous planktonic species have disjunct distribution patterns in the world's oceans. However, it is unclear whether these are truly unconnected by gene flow, or whether they are composed of morphologically cryptic species. The marine planktonic chaetognath Sagitta setosa Müller has a discontinuous geographic distribution over the continental shelf in the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea. Morphological variation between these populations has been described, but overlaps and is therefore unsuitable to determine the degree of isolation between populations. To test whether disjunct populations are also genetically disjunct, we sequenced a 504-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA comprising the cytochrome oxidase II region of 86 individuals. Sequences were highly variable; each represented a different haplotype. Within S. setosa, sequence divergence ranged from 0.2 to 8.1% and strong phylogeographic structure was found, with four main groups corresponding to the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea (including Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Gabès), Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. Two of these (Atlantic and Black Sea) were resolved as monophyletic clades, thus gene flow between disjunct populations of S. setosa has been extremely limited and lineage sorting has taken place. The deepest divergence was between Atlantic and Mediterranean/Black Sea populations followed by a split between Mediterranean and Black Sea populations. The Mediterranean/Black Sea clade comprised three groups, with the Adriatic Sea as the most likely sister clade of the Black Sea. These data are consistent with a colonization of the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. Furthermore, a possible cryptic species was found in the Black Sea with 23.1% sequence divergence from S. setosa. Two possibilities for the evolutionary origin of this species are proposed, namely, that it represents a relict species from the ancient Paratethys, or that it... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saxifraga paniculata Mill. is an amphi-atlantic species that is widely distributed in the Alps but also occurs with disjunct populations in central Europe. These isolated populations are considered to be glacial relicts. In the study presented here, we analysed the genetic variation within and between populations of Saxifraga paniculata in central Europe to test whether the molecular data give evidence for the supposed relict endemism. We used RAPD analysis and the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) technique to investigate 30 populations of Saxifraga paniculata from different locations in central Europe and adjacent geographical areas. In the RAPD analysis, 319 fragments could be amplified of which 91.2% were polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic bands within populations correlated significantly with population size, indicating a higher level of inbreeding in small populations. AMOVA revealed 43.60% of the variation within populations, only 15.45% between populations within locations, and 40.95% between locations. Genetic distance between locations (Φ[sub ST] ) correlated significantly with the geographical distance between locations, giving evidence for geographical isolation. In an UPGMA cluster analysis, based on RAPD data, the populations were grouped together according to their location. The results exhibit a strong genetic differentiation which is obviously due to genetic drift in the isolated populations. Our study therefore gives evidence for glacial relict endemism of Saxifraga paniculata in central Europe. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 80, 11–21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Living fossils" are organisms that, while still resembling their extinct progenitors in fundamental ways, have escaped the fate of these ancestors by specializing in ways that gave them an edge in survival. An example is provided by the butterfly Baronia brevicornis, the lone survivor of an ancient lineage; B. brevicornis may have beaten the odds against extinction by having evolved a form of defense, namely, mimicry of distasteful butterflies. In this article we argue that defense, particularly chemical defense, is likely to have often played a role in the survival of living fossils; consequently, the screening of such organisms for medicinals may have a better than average chance of paying off.

On islands in the Gulf of California, many species and subspecies of rodents are relict species, restricted to the islands, and now considered extinct or verging on extinction. From 1991 to 1999, each island was surveyed and an average of 15 work-nights were spent on each island, for a total of 15,000 trap-nights. A Fourier series was used to estimate population density. Five native taxa are now considered extinct (Chaetodipus baileyi fornicatus, Peromyscus guardia mejiae, P. g. harbinsoni, P. pembertoni, and Neotoma bunkeri). Two species are at risk of extinction (Dipodomys insularis and Neotoma albigula varia). The most probable cause for extinction is the introduction of nonnative species, specifically cats. We believe that the most vulnerable rodent populations of the islands in the Gulf of California to non-native species are Neotoma lepida latirostra on Danzante island and Neotoma lepida abbreviata on San Francisco island, both in the state of Baja California Sur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the presence of relict edenite in a garnet lherzolite from the Chinese Su-Lu ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terrane. Composition of the edenite; Mass-transfer during the transformation from edenite to clinopyroxene and phlogopite; Mass-balance calculation for edenite breakdown.

Discusses the truncated nature of subterranean biodiversity at the bottom, where there are no primary producers, and the top, where there are very few strict predators, of food webs. Implications of this truncation from functional and evolutional perspectives; Patterns in subterranean species biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; Origins and ultimate determinants of biodiversity, including a high level of relict taxa.

1. The creation and maintenance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity by rivers flowing through floodplain landscapes has been disrupted worldwide by dams and water diversions. Large reservoirs (novel ecosystems ) now separate and isolate remnant floodplains (relict ecosystems ). From above, these appear as a string of beads, with beads of different sizes and string connections of varying lengths. 2. Numerous studies have documented or forecast sharp declines in riparian biodiversity in relict ecosystems downstream from dams. Concurrently, novel ecosystems containing species and communities of the former predam ecosystems have arisen along all regulated rivers. These result from the creation of new environments caused by upper reservoir sedimentation, tributary sedimentation and the formation of reservoir shorelines. 3. The contribution of novel habitats to the overall biodiversity of regulated rivers has been poorly studied. Novel ecosystems may become relatively more important in supporting riverine biodiversity if relict ecosystems are not restored to predam levels. The Missouri River of the north-central U.S.A. is used to illustrate existing conditions on a large, regulated river system with a mixture of relict and novel ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As with a number of "glacial relict" crustacean genera, species of Gammaracanthus are vicariously distributed in circumarctic coastal waters, in boreal freshwater lakes, and in the Caspian Sea. Various hypotheses have been invoked to explain the origins and diversity of the non-marine taxa. Data on 28 allozyme loci and 558 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene demonstrate a close affinity between G. caspius of the Caspian Sea and G. aestuariorum of the White Sea area (Nei's allozyme distance D = 0.09, COI sequence divergence d = 5%), and a threefold divergence of the two from the Fennoscandian freshwater G. lacustris (D = 0.33, d = 12%). The relative molecular affinities agree with morphological evidence but contradict the idea of a common ancestry of the non-marine taxa, rather they suggest two independent invasions of continental waters. The generally low molecular divergence refutes the recently suggested generic splitting of Gammaracanthus. Previous speculations of an affinity of Gammaracanthus to the Baikalian acanthogammarids or to the Eusiroidea are not substantiated. The interspecific phylogeographic structure of Gammaracanthus is not concordant with that of other "glacial relict" crustacean genera. Phylogeographically, Gammaracanthus seems to match with the genus Monoporeia alone, rather than with Pontoporeia sensu lato.Comme il arrive dans plusieurs genres de crustacés qui contient des espèces connues sous le nom de « reliques glaciaires », les espèces de Gammaracanthus se distribuent de façon vicariante dans les eaux côtières circum-arctiques, les lacs d'eau douce de la région boréale et dans la mer Caspienne. Diverses hypothèses ont été formulées pour expliquer l'origine et la diversité des taxons non-marins. L'étude de 28 locus allozymatiques et de 558 paires de bases du gène mitochondrial COI révèle une forte affinité entre C. caspius de la mer Caspienne et C. eastuariorum de la région de la mer Blanche (distance allozymatique de Nei D = 0,09, divergence de la séquence COId = 5 %) et une divergence trois fois plus grande entre ces deux espèces et l'espèce d'eau douce de Fennoscandie, G. lacustris (D = 0,33, d = 12 %). Les affinités moléculaires relatives s'accordent avec les données morphologiques, mais infirment l'hypothèse d'une origine commune des taxons non-marins. Elles laissent croire plutôt à l'existence de deux invasions indépendantes des eaux continentales. La divergence moléculaire généralement faible n'appuie la suggestion récente de subdiviser le genre Gammaracanthus. De même, les spéculations antérieures sur l'affinité de Gammaracanthus avec les acanthogammaridés du lac Baïkal ou avec les Eusiroidea ne reçoivent ici aucun appui. La structure phylogéographique interspécifique de Gammaracanthus ne correspond pas à celle des autres genres de « reliques glaciaires » chez les crustacés. Du point de vue de sa phylogéographie, Gammaracanthus semble s'accorder avec le genre Monoporeia seul, plutôt qu'avec le genre Pontoporeia sensu lato.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What has been responsible for the increase in Chinstrap penguin populations during the past 40 years in maritime Antarctica? One view ascribes it to an increase in availability of their prey brought on by the decrease in baleen whale stocks. The contrary opinion, attributes it to environmental warming. This causes a gradual decrease in the frequency of cold years with extensive winter sea ice cover. A number of penguin monitoring programs are in progress and are expected to provide some answers to these questions. Unfortunately, it is not easy to distinguish natural variability from anthropogenic change since penguins are easily accessible predators of krill and the feeding range of the penguins has almost overlapped with the krill fishery in time and space in the last four decades. Therefore it is important to reconstruct the change of ancient penguin abundance and distribution in the absence of human activity. Many efforts have focused on surveying the abandoned penguin rookeries, but this method has not been able to give a continuous historical record of penguin populations. In several recent studies, ancient penguin excreta was scooped from the penguin relics in the sediments of the lake on penguin rookery, Ardley Island, maritime Antarctica. In these studies, penguin droppings or guano soil deposited in the lake and changes in sediment geochemistry have been used to calculate penguin population changes based upon the geochemical composition of the sediment core. The results suggest that climate change has a significant impact on penguin populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fright reaction, mediated by pheromones, is an antipredatory mechanism in the scale-less ‘mojarra’ Gymnocharacinus bergi (Pisces, Characidae). The aim of this study was to characterise and quantify the fright reaction of this species and to analyse the alarm response to different doses of alarm substance. The alarm response consisted in a general decrease in the swimming speed and a tendency to remain at the bottom of the test aquarium. A threshold effect was induced by a very low dose of alarm substance, and the intensity of the fright reaction was positively correlated to the dose concentration. The main characteristics of the alarm response appear to be consistent with G. bergi's environmental conditions such as: a higher predation risk in the upper stratum, the abundant pond-weeds of the stream and the great flow and fast speed of the clear waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemipelagic mudrocks of the Nankai accretionary prism, Japan, contain hydrothermal deposits associated with a relict spreading center in the Shikoku Basin. Initial work on core samples from Ocean Drilling Program site 808 found several samples with elevated concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese, at depths of between 1060 and 1111 m below sea floor. However, the origin of these sediments was uncertain, due to a lack of data. There was no recorded evidence of whether these elevated concentrations were present throughout this interval of core, or if they were present as discrete layers with the background hemipelagic mudrocks in between. In the present study the core was resampled, and the sediments with anomalous chemical compositions were found to be present in discrete layers. This fact, along with a detailed interpretation of their geochemistry, has allowed them to be identified as hydrothermal sediments, associated with the relict spreading center in the Shikoku Basin. The lower (older) two layers display a chemical composition typical of umbers, while the upper (younger) two layers are metalliferous mudrocks typical of deposits found further from the spreading center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iowa Pleistocene snail, Discus macclintocki, is an endangered species that survives only in relictual populations on algific (cold-air) talus slopes in northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois in the central region of the USA. These populations are believed to have been isolated since the temperatures began to warm at the end of the last glacial period around 16,500 years ago. DNA sequencing of the 16s rRNA gene of the mitochondria was used to determine the genetic relationship among 10 populations and the genetic diversity within these populations. Genetic diversity is extremely high within this species with 40 haplotypes spread across the 10 populations sampled within a 4000 km² region. Phylogenetic analyses showed that haplotypes formed monophyletic groups by the watershed on which they were found, suggesting that watersheds were important historical avenues of gene flow. Genetic distances were strongly related to the geographical distances among all populations, but this relationship was dependent on the scale being considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the ground beetle fauna using pitfall traps at 79 sampling sites in ancient and recent woodlands in north-west Germany. Types of woodlands considered in the investigation; Predominance of ground beetle species in ancient stands of woodland types; Colonization focus of carabus glabratus and abax parallelus in ancient woodlands.

The known zones of contact between diploid and tetraploid Dactylis are reviewed, and two well-documented examples of intermixed and morphologically similar diploids and tetraploids are considered in detail. The relict subspecies mairei is accompanied, in its particular habitat, by a tetraploid counterpart. The evidence suggests this to be an example of autotetraploidy, the diploid and tetraploid components of which have been preserved by isolation in a specialized relict habitat. In Dactylis interploid sympatry appears to have arisen in two ways—by changes in the original habitat, whereby morphologically dissimilar and spatially isolated diploids and tetraploids become intermixed, or by the formation of autotetraploids which co-exist in the ‘diploid’ habitat and may subsequently be modified by hybridization with other diploids or tetraploids with which they come in contact. No triploid or tetraploid hybrids were discovered in the seedling progeny of diploid Kerrata plants, but the numbers screened are considered insufficient. Direct formation of tetraploid hybrids as a consequence of the functioning of unreduced gametes by diploid parents can be a more effective ‘genetic bridge’ than the backcrossing of triploid hybrids. Further study of mixed diploid­tetraploid stands is therefore required to determine the frequency and effectiveness of this phenomenon in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an ecological study of Ysgolion Duon, a mountain cliff in Snowdonia, Wales. The study aims to determine the relation of species distributions on a mountain cliff with environmental factors. Differences in climate between the cliff and surrounding grasslands were studied. Results showed that orloci ordination procedure was able to establish the correlation of species distributions with an environmental gradient from wet eutrophic to dry oligotrophic. The presence of relict species in the flora and the isolation of the cliff from many biotic influences suggests that the vegetation is continuous.