Southern Subspecies Research Articles

Independent evolutionary histories in allopatric populations of a threatened Caribbean land mammal

AbstractAimTo determine the evolutionary history, relationships and distinctiveness of allopatric populations of Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), a highly threatened Caribbean ‘relict’ mammal, to understand spatio‐temporal patterns of gene flow and the distribution of diversity across complex large island landscapes and inform spatial conservation prioritization.LocationHistorical and modern‐day solenodon specimens were analysed from sampling localities across Hispaniola, representing this geotectonically complex island's distinct northern, south‐eastern and south‐western biogeographic provinces.MethodsWe successfully amplified mitochondrial cytochromeband control region sequences from 34 solenodon samples. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were applied to assess the relationship between these sequence data, and coalescent simulation and approximate Bayesian computation were used to identify which model of solenodon intra‐island demographic history best explains the observed patterns of variation. We also conducted morphometric analysis of 110 solenodon specimens to investigate whether allopatric Hispaniolan populations can be differentiated using craniodental characteristics.ResultsUnique haplotypes were identified in solenodon samples from each biogeographic region, with no haplotype sharing between regions. Higher marginal posterior probability values were found for a three‐population model comprising allopatric northern, south‐eastern and south‐western Hispaniolan populations, with exceptionally low migration rates inferred between all populations, indicating that they are genetically isolated. Modal estimates of long‐term effective female population size are extremely low for south‐western and south‐eastern populations. Morphometric differentiation is observed between all three populations.Main conclusionsEvolutionary differentiation of Hispaniolan solenodons into three distinct populations is congruent with phylogenetic patterns observed in several other Hispaniolan species, with population isolation possibly associated with past marine transgression. We interpret these populations as distinct subspecies, with the two genetically impoverished southern subspecies particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Our improved understanding of Hispaniolan solenodon evolutionary history provides an important baseline for identifying wider patterns of intra‐island diversification and prioritizing conservation attention for evolutionarily significant populations.

Geographic variation, null hypotheses, and subspecies limits in the California Gnatcatcher: A response to McCormack and Maley

ABSTRACT We interpreted the results of nuclear DNA sequencing to be inconsistent with the recognition of California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) subspecies. McCormack and Maley (2015) suggested that our data did support 2 taxa, one of which was P. c. californica, listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We summarize here how 2 sets of researchers with access to the same data reached different conclusions by including different analyses. We included the southern subspecies' boundary from the taxonomy of Atwood (1991), the taxonomic basis for the ESA listing, which resulted in an Analysis of Molecular Variance that provided no support for subspecies. In contrast, using a novel taxonomic hypothesis without precedent in the literature, McCormack and Maley (2015) found statistically significant FST values for 2 loci, which they suggested supports P. c. californica. We propose that our mitochondrial and nuclear data had sufficient power to capture geographical structure at either the...

Экологии длиннохвостой неясыти на юго-западной границе своего распространения (Словения)

In Slovenia the Ural Owl ( Strix uralensis) is on its south-western limit of distribution and belongs to the southern subspecies Strix uralensis macroura . Dark coloured owls are characteristic for this subspecies and represent between 5 to 15% of the population. Slovenian breeding population size is estimated at 400 to 700 pairs. The densities of territories ranges between 0.9 to 13.4 territories per 10 km 2 , and the highest are reached in mountain forests of southern Dinaric region. In the forests with dominant deciduous trees, e.g. Beech ( Fagus sylvatica) and Pedinculate Oak ( Quercus robur) , the breeding densities are significantly higher than in the forests with higher proportion of coniferous trees, e.g. Norway Spruce ( Picea abies) . The species does not select specific altitude and throughout Slovenia it occurs between 150 and 1600 m a.s.l. The most of the nest found at natural nest-sites were in tree holes or semi-holes (56%) and at the tree stumps (20%). Nest boxes were occupied less frequently in Slovenia with occupancy rate of 29%. At least in mountain regions breeding begins quite late, between 15 March to 21 June. Average clutch size is 3.3 ± 1.0 eggs per nest. About 80% of all nests are successful raising at least one young. The diet shifts significantly between breeding and non-breeding period due to the seasonality in prey availability. According to the biomass the most important prey in breeding period are mice (Muridae), voles (Arvicollidae) and mole ( Talpa europaea ), but in the non-breeding period voles and dormice (Gliridae) predominate. Large Fat Dormouse ( Glis glis) seems to have very important role in the post-breeding period, but not in the breeding period due to its dormancy. As a large forest-dwelling predator the Ural Owl shapes the raptor community in the forest by excluding mezopredator species, as Tawny Owl ( Strix aluco) , what allows smaller raptors, e.g. Boreal Owl ( Aegolius funereus) to expend their ranges to lower elevations. However, this pattern is not general through the whole Ural Owl range since species ecology and morphology could be regionally quite different, therefore ecological studies from different parts of Ural Owl range are needed.

Abundance Estimates of the Lesser Rhea Rhea pennata pennata in the Argentine Patagonia: Conservation Implications

The southern subspecies of the lesser rhea is distributed through the Argentine Patagonia and southern Chile. Habitat-loss and poaching were identified as the main threats to lesser rhea populations by the IUCN, which classified the species as ‘Least concern’ in 2014. Although Rhea pennata pennata is among the most conspicuous wildlife across the large Patagonian rangelands, the available estimates of abundance are scarce, mostly restricted to reports between 12 and 30 years old, and resulted from different surveying methods. Our purpose in this work was to obtain estimates of R. p. pennata abundance across different sites in the Argentine Patagonia, and to explore the main factors affecting the spatial variation in abundance. We surveyed over 4,000 km of line transects across six sites and obtained abundance estimates using the Distance sampling analysis. Also, we fitted restricted mixed models to evaluate the effects of different factors on the variation in R. p. pennata encounter rates among sites. We found that the abundance of R. p. pennata was very low either in the encounter rate (taking until 113 km of survey to detect a group of rheas depending on the site) or population density (between 0.0063 and 0.28 individuals.km-2). The occurrence of sheep ranching affected negatively the variation in the abundance of R. p. pennata among sites, whereas the availability of grassland habitat increased the chance of finding groups during the surveys. Line-transect surveys following the Distance sampling procedures are adequate to estimate encounter rates, although the low number of observations requires repeated surveys per site to obtain reliable estimates of animal density. Extended and sustained survey efforts and the implementation of a monitoring program are crucial to assess population trends of lesser rheas. Law enforcement to control poaching, increase in public awareness and an action plan to reduce threats are all necessary steps to conserve this emblematic species in Patagonia.

Black Tinamou background story

In a recent issue of The Auk: Ornithological Advances, four South American researchers reported new ecological information, including video and sound recordings, for the northern subspecies of Black Tinamou (Tinamus osgoodi hershkovitzi), an elusive bird with a disjunct range on the lower montane slopes of the eastern Andes (Negret et al. 2015). As one of the editors of The Book of Eggs (Hauber 2014), this new article jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. First, although the book included images of the egg of the Black Tinamou, we reported that almost nothing was known about the breeding and reproductive behavior of the species; in a perfect example of a sudden shift in scientific data, this has now changed. Second, I became curious about the subspecies’ name, since I had worked for mammalogist Philip Hershkovitz at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago in the early 1980s. The Book of Eggs features eggs primarily from the collection of the Field Museum. As far as we know, the Black Tinamou eggs photographed for the book are the only set in any museum. They were collected in the early 1950s from the Marcapata Valley near Cuzco, Peru, by Celestino Kalinowski (Traylor 1952), a Peruvian naturalist and taxidermist who had a long association with the museum. But the Field Museum has other strong links with this tinamou species, and they read like a Who’s Who of zoology department history. Tinamus osgoodi was described in 1949 by H. Boardman Conover (Conover 1949) from specimens also collected by Kalinowski. An engineer turned ornithologist, Conover was associated with the museum from 1920 until his death in 1950. He specialized in ‘‘game birds’’ (defined by him to include Tinamiformes, Anseriformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, and Columbiformes); his collection of more than 18,000 specimens is now housed at the Field Museum. He named the new tinamou species T. osgoodi after his late friend and mentor Wilfred H. Osgood, for many years chief curator of the museum’s department of zoology. In 1951, Phil Hershkovitz, a Field Museum assistant curator of mammals (and my former colleague), collected three specimens of tinamou from the eastern Andes in Colombia. Phil doesn’t mention the birds in his field notes, which focus on mice and primates; he may have shot them for dinner, since he tended to stay out in the field for months or even years at a time. The specimens were brought back to Chicago, where they were described by associate bird curator Emmet R. Blake as a new race of T. osgoodi and given the subspecific epithet hershkovitzi. Sightings of T. o. hershkovitzi have increased recently in Colombia and Ecuador (Gomes and Kirwan 2014), but the Field Museum collection still may contain the largest number of specimens of the species, including what appear at this time to be the only three museum specimens of T. o. hershkovitzi. The Peruvian locale from which the eggs were collected indicates that they are the southern subspecies T. o. osgoodi. The Ecuadoran sightings may indicate that the range of the Black Tinamou is more extensive than has been thought. But a recent analysis suggests that the two subspecies may deserve to be treated as different species (Negret and Laverde-R. 2015).

Song divergence between subspecies of reed bunting is more pronounced in singing styles under sexual selection

Song divergence between populations of a species can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation. However, birds may have different singing styles used in distinct social contexts, and songs of each style may change at different rates over time and space. Here, we tested whether song divergence between subspecies of reed bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, differs with singing style, by comparing song traits of its three singing styles among three subspecies breeding in northern and western Europe. We show that the two singing styles under sexual selection (dawn and fast songs, related to obtaining extrapair and social mates, respectively) diverged significantly more than the slow songs (used as an all-clear signal to nest- attending social females). Multiple song traits differed significantly between the subspecies in all singing styles, with E. s. lusitanica generally being intermediate between E. s. schoeniclus and E. s. witherbyi, and the pattern of song complexity opposing the expected latitudinal gradient (of increasing complexity with increasing latitude). Cluster analyses of populations indicate that sexually selected singing styles are better for discriminating subspecies, describing a scenario of a major split in song features between the migratory, northern E. s. schoeniclus and the two resident, southern subspecies, rather than a clinal variation. The greater song divergence in fast and dawn singing styles suggests that sexual selection may be playing an important role in the incipient speciation of reed buntings. (Less)

Conservation and the Current Status of the Golden Langur in Assam, India, with Reference to Bhutan

The golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), which only became known to science 1953, is endemic to western Assam, India, and southern Bhutan. The Indian population had been greatly depleted due to a fragmented range and the species was declining radically 1997 with a pessimistic view for its future. The Golden Langur Conservation Project was begun 1998 with the goal of protecting the golden langur within its entire Indian range. At the time of the project's initiation, the species was considered India's most endangered primate due to limited range and major deforestation (50%) as a result of a complex political situation from militants the forest threatening the Assam Forest Department staff, and ethnic violence. The project worked with regional non-governmental organizations and government agencies using the following tools to effect conservation contagion: 1) community meetings; 2) involving villages forest committees and Self Help Groups for economic development; 3) formal seminars; and 4) celebratory events for the creation of the Manas Biosphere Reserve. The project developed conservation con- tagion, resulting villages creating their own conservation groups to participate the project, eventually resulting 18 com- munity groups forming Forest Protection Forces collectively, under the Unified Forest Conservation Network, to protect almost the entirety of the Manas Biosphere Reserve as well as other reserve forests Assam. This community protection resulted an increase of the Indian population of golden langurs from c.1,500 1997 to c.5,600 langurs 2007 to 2012. The project also resulted the lifting of the in danger listing for the Manas Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The Indian population of golden langurs mainly resides the Manas Biosphere along the Bhutan border and a number of southern isolated reserve forests north of the Brahmaputra River. In adjacent Bhutan, the southern subspecies is contiguous with its Indian counterpart and with the northern subspecies, which has more gray on its arms and tail and inhabits higher altitudes. The Bhutan population is grossly esti- mated at over 6,600 langurs based on a population census of 60 km², giving a total estimate for the species Assam and Bhutan of over 12,000 individuals. The potential for community conservation Bhutan is also discussed.

Unveiling current Guanaco distribution in chile based upon niche structure of phylogeographic lineages: Andean puna to subpolar forests.

Niche description and differentiation at broad geographic scales have been recent major topics in ecology and evolution. Describing the environmental niche structure of sister taxa with known evolutionary trajectories stands out as a useful exercise in understanding niche requirements. Here we model the environmental niche structure and distribution of the recently resolved phylogeography of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) lineages on the western slope of the southern Andes. Using a maximum entropy framework, field data, and information on climate, topography, human density, and vegetation cover, we identify differences between the two subspecies (L.g.cacsilensis, L.g.guanicoe) and their intermediate-hybrid lineage, that most likely determine the distribution of this species. While aridity seems to be a major factor influencing the distribution at the species-level (annual precipitation <900 mm), we also document important differences in niche specificity for each subspecies, where distribution of Northern lineage is explained mainly by elevation (mean = 3,413 m) and precipitation seasonality (mean = 161 mm), hybrid lineage by annual precipitation (mean = 139 mm), and Southern subspecies by annual precipitation (mean = 553 mm), precipitation seasonality (mean = 21 mm) and grass cover (mean = 8.2%). Among lineages, we detected low levels of niche overlap: I (Similarity Index) = 0.06 and D (Schoener’s Similarity Index) = 0.01; and higher levels when comparing Northern and Southern subspecies with hybrids lineage (I = 0.32-0.10 and D = 0.12-0.03, respectively). This suggests that important ecological and/or evolutionary processes are shaping the niche of guanacos in Chile, producing discrepancies when comparing range distribution at the species-level (81,756 km2) with lineages-level (65,321 km2). The subspecies-specific description of niche structure is provided here based upon detailed spatial distribution of the lineages of guanacos in Chile. Such description provides a scientific tool to further develop large scale plans for habitat conservation and preservation of intraspecific genetic variability for this far ranging South American camelid, which inhabits a diversity of ecoregion types from Andean puna to subpolar forests.

Laboratory Spawning Patterns of Mummichogs,Fundulus heteroclitus(Cyprinodontiformes: Fundulidae)

The common estuarine fish species Fundulus heteroclitus or Mummichog has long been used in ecotoxicological studies; however, their periodic spawning pattern is perceived to limit their use in reproductive bioassays and the availability of sensitive life stages. This study evaluated the lunar periodicity of spawning, egg production, and changes in gonadosomatic index (IG) in the laboratory using wild and F1-generation Mummichogs that originated from three different geographic areas: the northern extreme part of their geographic range (New Brunswick, Canada; 45°N), the middle of the northern subspecies range (Massachusetts, USA; 41°N), and within the southern subspecies range (Virginia, USA; 37°N). Unlike some previous studies of wild and laboratory-held fish, Mummichogs from all locations were continuous spawners over a prolonged period of time (8+ weeks) under laboratory conditions. However, there was greater variance in egg production in smaller fish (≤70 mm total length) compared to larger fish. Our re...

GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF POPULATIONS OF HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera L.) AND DISTRIBUTION OF RNA-CONTAINING VIRUSES AT THE BACKGROUND OF EPIZOOTIA OF Varroa destructor ON THE TERRITORY OF UDMURTIA

GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF POPULATIONS OF HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera L.) AND DISTRIBUTION OF RNA-CONTAINING VIRUSES AT THE BACKGROUND OF EPIZOOTIA OF Varroa destructor ON THE TERRITORY OF UDMURTIA Alexander E. Kalashnikov*, Ivan V. Maslennikov**, Ludmila M. Kolbina**, Irina G. Udina* *N.I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS **Udmurt Research Institute of Agriculture Abstract The bees of dark forest species (Apis mellifera mellifera L.) are winter-hardy. These bees are able to effectively use a short honey harvest. Introgression of southern bee species in the Russia affects ro the economic quality of local northern species of bees. Introgression of species reduces their immunity, thereby It was enhancing susceptibility bees to infection with ectoparasites, as well as distribution of various viral diseases. Varroa destructor mite infestations on bees may predispose to infection by viruses. We have presented data about population differentiation of bees of dark forest species in Udmurtia, which were obtained based on the study using PCR method, morphometric parameters (cubital index of wing) and estimation of variability in intergenic locus of the CO-I-CO-II of mtDNA. Based on the analysis of the mtDNA the hybridization degree in samples of bees from Udmurtia 1UD_S and 5UD_S (maternal line) was 15.4 and 60.0%, respectively. Sample 2D_S-4UD_S meet the standards of dark forest bee species. For all analyzed samples (1UD_S-5UD_S) obtained average rating of cubital index> 0.55. These data confirmed the high probability of belonging of bees of sample data to the dark forest bee species. However, the variability analysis (according to the length of the intergenic locus CO-I-CO-II) with Southern species hybridization was observed only in samples 2UD_S-4UD_S, whereas in the other samples 1UD_S 5UD_S hybridization has occurred. This indicates a greater degree of reliability of molecular techniques in the evaluation of the degree of hybridization when samples of bees were studied. It's interesting that in one of the samples 2UD_S we founded a heteroplasmy PQ/P3*Q. In bees exposed to Varroa destructor defeat was detected deformed wing virus (DWV) (23,3% of families), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) and sacbrood bee virus (SBV) (13, 3%). Keywords honey bee, Apis mellifera L., mitochondrial DNA, cubital index, deformed wing virus, sacbrood virus, chronic paralysis virus, Varroa destructor Introduction The dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera L. and related subspecies of Central Russian bee breed was widespread in Russia (1), including Udmurtia (2) and Bashkortostan (3). These bees have winter hardiness, resistance to several diseases, the ability efficiently uses a short honey harvest. The proboscis of these bees is short (6.0-6.4 mm). They have a dark color of the body. For these bees is a characteristic light dry seal of honey. However, these bees are aggressive and have a tendency to increase swarming. The cubital index value of the breed standard of these bees is in the range 0.60-0.65 (4). Under the influence of anthropogenic factor in Russia, like in Western Europe and North America, there was observes a hybridization of A. m. mellifera subspecies with subspecies, which are spread in the more southern latitudes. Integration of the southern subspecies effect on economic quality of the local northern species, as well as have a negative impact on their adaptability to environmental conditions. It also reduces immunity, thereby enhancing susceptibility of bees to infection of ectoparasites and distribution of various diseases, including viral (5). Infection bee mite Varroa destructor bees predispose to infection by viruses (5-7). Mite serves as a reservoir for virus bee mite infestation therefore weaken their immunity and promotes viral infection (8). Six of the studied viruses of the honey bee cause serious consequences if infected, up

Phenotypic Divergence among West European Populations of Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus: The Effects of Migratory and Foraging Behaviours

Divergent selection and local adaptation are responsible for many phenotypic differences between populations, potentially leading to speciation through the evolution of reproductive barriers. Here we evaluated the morphometric divergence among west European populations of Reed Bunting in order to determine the extent of local adaptation relative to two important selection pressures often associated with speciation in birds: migration and diet. We show that, as expected by theory, migratory E. s. schoeniclus had longer and more pointed wings and a slightly smaller body mass than the resident subspecies, with the exception of E. s. lusitanica, which despite having rounder wings was the smallest of all subspecies. Tail length, however, did not vary according to the expectation (shorter tails in migrants) probably because it is strongly correlated with wing length and might take longer to evolve. E. s. witherbyi, which feed on insects hiding inside reed stems during the winter, had a very thick, stubby bill. In contrast, northern populations, which feed on seeds, had thinner bills. Despite being much smaller, the southern E. s. lusitanica had a significantly thicker, longer bill than migratory E. s. schoeniclus, whereas birds from the UK population had significantly shorter, thinner bills. Geometric morphometric analyses revealed that the southern subspecies have a more convex culmen than E. s. schoeniclus, and E. s. lusitanica differs from the nominate subspecies in bill shape to a greater extent than in linear bill measurements, especially in males. Birds with a more convex culmen are thought to exert a greater strength at the bill tip, which is in agreement with their feeding technique. Overall, the three subspecies occurring in Western Europe differ in a variety of traits following the patterns predicted from their migratory and foraging behaviours, strongly suggesting that these birds have became locally adapted through natural selection.

The effects of nest usurpation and other interference by the Blue-faced Honeyeater on the reproductive success of the Grey-crowned Babbler

Nest-building is a costly activity and natural selection may sometimes favour usurpation of existing nests. Few quantitative studies have investigated the effect of usurpation of nests on the reproductive success of the usurped species. Here we studied 27 instances of usurpation of Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) nests (n = 310 nests) by Blue-faced Honeyeaters (Entomyzon cyanotis) in the monsoon tropics of Australia between 2003 and 2008. When usurpation occurred during laying or incubation the Babbler eggs disappeared. The frequency of nest usurpation by Blue-faced Honeyeaters varied between Babbler territories, from no usurpation to almost every year during the study period. Based on video-recording at Babblers’ nests over 854 days, we observed 75 interference events on 39 days at 29 nests. Interference occurred most frequently during nest-building and incubation and much less frequently in the nestling stage. Modelling suggested interference by Honeyeaters can have severe effects on breeding of Grey-crowned Babblers, with success of individual nests reduced by 52.5% during the nest-building stage, 25.9% during incubation, and 1.2% during the nestling stage. Babbler group size did not affect the occurrence of interference. The southern subspecies of Grey-crowned Babbler is declining and it is conceivable that populations could be adversely affected by interference from Blue-faced Honeyeaters in areas where the two species co-occur.

Remnant sugar maple (Acer saccharum subsp. skutchii) populations at their range edge: Characteristics, environmental constraints and conservation implications in tropical America

Relationships between environmental conditions and persistence of populations at edges of ranges should be useful for predicting consequences of climate change. We characterized environmental conditions of six disjunct sites in Mexico and Guatemala that contain all known relict populations of the most southern subspecies of sugar maple, cloud forest sugar maple (Acer saccharum subsp. skutchii). We also sampled abundance and basal area of all tree species, recording 164 species, 92 genera (61% tropical), and 54 families at these sites. Temperate genera decreased in number from north to south, but mixtures of temperate and tropical species were co-dominant with cloud forest sugar maple at all sites. For all species, basal area was 24–52m2ha−1 and density was 990–2986 trees/ha at the six sites. Cloud forest sugar maple comprised 7–43% of total basal area and 1–16% of total densities at each site. Populations of cloud forest sugar maple currently are vulnerable to environmental change. Anthropogenic disturbance is negatively affecting four populations, and regeneration is successfully occurring in only two sites. As a result, densities and basal area are much reduced compared to more northern temperate populations. NMS-ordination indicated that elevation and hurricane frequency are major environmental constraints related to abundance. Maple recruitment is associated with short hurricane return intervals that maintain higher elevation cloud forests in states conducive for regeneration. We establish the conservation status of cloud forest sugar maple at the southern end of its range relative to expected climate change and propose this subspecies be included in the IUCN-Red List.

The biogeography of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua)

Gentoo Penguins ( Pygoscelis papua (J.R. Forster 1781)) are defined morphologically as a single species with a northern and southern subspecies. Differences in nuptial displays and particularly mating calls, however, suggest isolation among island archipelagos of different ocean basins. We thus asked whether genetic divergence of populations could be confirmed using molecular markers. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from a sample of 110 Gentoo Penguins and 58 haplotypes from the control region of the mitochondrial DNA. Reanalyses of historical data on morphology were conducted to construct additional phylogenetic trees for comparison. In agreement with differences in mating calls, the phylogenetic tree that was based on mitochondrial DNA showed a deep division between populations in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The current systematic division into two subspecies based on morphology was not supported. The division between populations in the Indian and Atlantic oceans was great enough to justify taxonomic revision, with at least three distinct clades: two in the respective sub-Antarctic and Antarctic zones of the Atlantic Ocean, and a deeply divergent and unnamed third clade in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. In contrast to more pelagic species like Rockhopper Penguins ( Eudyptes chrysocome (J.R. Forster, 1781)), the restricted coastal foraging ranges of Gentoo Penguins and the distances among isolated oceanic archipelagos could explain the distribution of genetically differentiated populations.

Redescription of the pocket gopherThomomys atrovariusfrom the Pacific coast of mainland Mexico

Thomomys atrovarius is redescribed to include the smooth-toothed pocket gophers that inhabit dry, thornscrub vegetation along the Pacific versant of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico from northern Sinaloa into western Durango, northwestern Jalisco, and western Nayarit. Molecular analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences (including historical samples from museum skins) show high levels of genetic differentiation between T. atrovarius and T. umbrinus of the Sierra Madre Occidental (15.4% cytochrome-b divergence) and Mexican Central Plateau (16.9% divergence). Roughly coincident morphometric and genetic gaps divide T. atrovarius into 2 subspecies, T. a. parviceps in the north and T. a. atrovarius in the south, with probable intergradation in between. Most specimens of T. atrovarius, especially those of the southern subspecies, are distinguished easily from specimens of T. bottae and T. umbrinus on the basis of fur texture, and an analysis of cranial morphometrics shows little overlap between T. atrovarius and other Thomomys clades in Mexico. An analysis of niche parameters shows significantly different climate envelopes for T. atrovarius compared with other species of Thomomys, and a biogeographical review suggests that T. atrovarius has ancestral affinities to the south of its current distribution. A synonymy of T. atrovarius and a key to the currently recognized species of Thomomys in mainland Mexico are provided.

Intraspecific variation in the thermal plasticity of mitochondria in killifish

Populations of the Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabit salt marshes and estuaries along the eastern coast of North America from Newfoundland to northern Florida, and are thus exposed to a large range of temperatures. Previous studies have shown higher whole-organism metabolic rates in the northern subspecies (F. h. macrolepidotus) compared with the southern subspecies (F. h. heteroclitus) of these fish. Here, we examine phenotypic plasticity in the response to cold temperatures between the two subspecies by acclimating fish to 5, 15 and 25°C and comparing several mitochondrial and muscle properties. The relative area of oxidative muscle versus glycolytic muscle fibers was greater in the northern subspecies at the 5 and 15°C acclimation temperatures. However, there were no differences in capillary density between the two subspecies or at different temperatures. Mitochondrial volume and surface densities increased in response to cold temperature acclimation in red and white muscle, but only in the northern killifish. Citrate synthase activities also increased in the northern killifish at 5 and 15°C. The ratio of calculated [free ADP] to [ATP] increased in the 5°C acclimated southern killifish but not in the northern killifish at 5°C when compared with the 15°C acclimation group, suggesting that there are differences in adenylate signaling for mitochondrial respiration between subspecies at low temperature. Taken together, our data indicate that the northern subspecies have a greater ability to increase mitochondrial capacity at colder temperatures compared with the southern subspecies, providing one of the few examples of intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity in mitochondrial amount in response to cold temperatures.

Population Ecology and Demography of an Endemic Subalpine Conifer (Pinus balfouriana) with a Disjunct Distribution in California

Abstract Foxtail pine, Pinus balfouriana Grev. & Balf., is an endemic subalpine conifer of California with two allopatric subspecies. The northern subspecies grows in northwestern California and the southern subspecies is found in the southern Sierra Nevada. We studied three northern and three southern populations of P. balfouriana to evaluate the population biology, demography, mortality agents, and environmental conditions in these contrasting regions. Northern populations exist under a mesic climatic regime, a diversity of geological substrates, stands of high tree species richness, lower densities and basal areas, but higher numbers of recruitment, with a relatively mixed size class distribution. Southern foxtail pine populations exist under a xeric climatic regime dominated by granitic substrates, with moderate to high stand densities, less tree species-rich, lower recruitment numbers, but higher basal areas; due to a skewed size class distribution with high representation of large diameter trees. Re...

Incidence and distribution of white pine blister rust in the high-elevation forests of California

Summary In 2004–2006, a California-wide survey was conducted to evaluate the incidence and distribution of Cronartium ribicola, cause of white pine blister rust (WPBR), in the high-elevation white pine forests. WPBR occurrence varied considerably within and between regions, and little to no disease was found in the Basin and Range, eastern Sierra Nevada and Transverse and Peninsular mountain ranges. Field surveys revealed no evidence of rust on Great Basin bristlecone, limber or the southern subspecies of foxtail pine. Rust incidence for western white pine was highest in the North Coast region (42% of trees surveyed), followed by the Klamath (18%) and northern Sierra Nevada (14%). For whitebark pine, WPBR incidence averaged 24% in the northern Sierra Nevada; this was considerably greater than other regions where whitebark pine was found infected. Latitudinal trends in WPBR incidence (i.e. greater in the north) may correspond with earlier introductions of C. ribicola into these regions, reflecting the southward spread of the pathogen since its introduction from the north in the early 1900s and environmental conditions favourable for infection. Distance from inoculum sources and potentially host phenology may also be important factors influencing the distribution of C. ribicola.

New combinations and two new central Queensland taxa in the Dendrobium tetragonum (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) complex

Two new taxa of Dendrobium tetragonum, D. tetragonum subspecies cataractarum, and subspecies tetragonum var. serpentis, are described from remote areas of central Queensland. A new classification of the D. tetragonum complex is presented on the basis of distribution, morphology and published molecular analyses, establishing northern, central and southern subspecies, with a total of six varieties. A neotype is assigned for D. tetragonum var. giganteum Leaney, the earliest described taxon of the complex in northern Australia.

Molecular Phylogenetics of Aedes japonicus, a Disease Vector That Recently Invaded Western Europe, North America, and the Hawaiian Islands

We used two mitochondrial loci (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 4 and cytochrome oxidase II) and a nuclear locus (28S-D2 spacer) for a total of 1337 bp to evaluate the relationships among the four subspecies of Aedes (Finlaya) japonicus Theobald. Ae. j. japonicus was recently introduced into the United States and has been expanding rapidly. We also included in our analysis a morphologically very closely related species, Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus Edwards, as well as three more distantly related species: Aedes (Finlaya) togoi Theobald, Aedes (Finlaya) hatorii Yamada, and Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans Meigen. We found that the four subspecies in the Ae. japonicus complex are genetically quite distinct but seem to form a monophyletic group that surprisingly also includes Ae. koreicus, suggesting the need for a taxonomic reconsideration of the group. We also found that the two southern subspecies are more closely related to each other than to any of the remaining subspecies or to Ae. koreicus and may indicate an ancient north-south split of the lineage. Considering the overlap between Ae. j. japonicus and Ae. koreicus, but the stronger association between Ae. koreicus and humans, we are surprised it also has not expanded from its original range. As a proactive reaction to this possibility, we designed and tested a DNA-based rapid assay to differentiate Ae. koreicus from some of the species with which it may be confused in the United States. These Aedes are putative vectors of several important viral encephalitides.