Species Of Genus Research Articles

Influences of Fruit Diversity and Abundance on Bird Use of Two Shaded Coffee Plantations1

We studied avian foraging at two shaded coffee plantations in Ciales, Puerto Rico. Both coffee plantations contained patches of second-growth forest but differed in shade types; one was a rustic plantation with a species-diverse shade including many fruiting plant species and the other was a commercial polyculture shaded almost solely by Inga vera. We quantified foraging activity of five fruit-eating bird species (Euphonia musica, Loxigilla portoricensis, Nesospingus speculiferus, Spindalis portoricensis, and Vireo altiloquous) and monthly fruit abundance in the coffee plantation and adjacent second-growth forest habitats at each site. Fruits comprised more than 50 percent of the diets for four of five focal bird species. We found a significant difference in the number of foraging records for focal bird species between coffee and forest habitats in the commercial polyculture but found few differences between these habitats in the rustic coffee farm. Overall, foraging activity was positively correlated with the abundance of fruits across study sites. Bird foraging was concentrated on plant species in the genera Cecropia, Miconia, Schefflera, Phoradendron, and Guarea, which together accounted for over 50 percent of frugivory records. Plant species in such genera fruited over prolonged time periods and provided birds with a fairly constant fruit supply. Our findings underscore the importance of fruiting plant species in making coffee plantations suitable habitat for birds and suggest that native fruiting plants be incorporated in coffee farms for avian conservation.

Application of RAPD markers in fish: Part I ? some genera (Tilapia, Sarotherodon and Oreochromis) and species (Oreochromis aureus and Oreochromis niloticus) of Tilapia

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was applied to the four-tilapia species (three genera): redbelly tilapia (Tilapia zillii), white tilapia (Sarotherodon galilaeus), blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Twenty random primers - fifteen (10-mer) and five (20-mer) - were used to assay polymorphisms among three genera and between two species. Different RAPD fragment patterns were observed for different genera species. Results showed that there are great differences among the three genera of tilapia fish. Also, data demonstrated that RAPD markers are useful for the systematic investigation at the level of tilapia species.

The palaeoecological distribution of the endothyroids (foraminifera) in the Guadiato area (SW Spain, Mississippian)

This paper focusses on the distribution and methodological problems that are observed in the palaeoecological analyses of the endothyroids from the Guadiato area, in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. In spite of a long history of taxonomical and biostratigraphical studies on endothyroids, there have been few investigations of their palaeoecology and taphonomy. The Guadiato area contains a sequence of upper Viséan to Pendleian marine carbonates. The upper Viséan units were deposited in a storm-dominated ramp. The Pendleian strata were deposited in a tectonically controlled shelf, with narrow platform facies (supra-, inter- and subtidal) and a wide area of slope deposits. Some of the foraminiferal assemblages of this succession typify intertidal facies and incipient shoals, and are regarded as para-autochthonous. Other assemblages, such as the endothyroids in the higher part of the Pendleian slope, are of doubtful allochthony. It is likely that endothyroids did not live in slope facies (it was too deep), but the extent of their transportation cannot be determined since their tests do not show signs of abrasion. Several factors controlled the endothyroid distribution, such as salinity and depth. Deposits formed in high-energy environments such as shoals and tidal flats were not favourable for the endothyroids. Particular palaeoecological factors also determine the distribution of certain families, subfamilies or genera. One of these factors is relative environmental stability; for example, some endothyroids that lack secondary deposits (the Archaediscinae and ‘ Endothyra’= Priscella) were more abundant in stable environments. In contrast, other genera with secondary deposits (the Asteroarchaediscinae, Omphalotis and the evolved Endothyra) were more abundant in unstable or fluctuating microfacies. This factor, however, did not control the distribution of every genus, because this difference is not observed in some species of genera with or without secondary deposits (e.g. Globoendothyra).

The trilobite family Nileidae: morphology and classification

Species of genera currently referred to Nileidae are reviewed, and those of Hemibarrandia, Lakaspis, Peraspis and Symphysurina are excluded from the family. Nileidae are united in having a distinctive form of the hypostome, the glabellar organ, in the shallowness or absence of external furrows on the axial and pleural regions, and in the development of strong ventral ridges on the axial region. It is contended that the glabellar organ of nileids and illaenids may not be homologous with the glabellar tubercle of asaphids, that the median ventral suture is not exclusively a character of Asaphina, and doubt is cast on the identification of an asaphoid protaspis as being that of Nileus. These arguments provide a case for allying Nileidae with the Illaenidae, rather than with the Asaphina.

Variation in DNA C‐value and haploid genome size in New Zealand native grasses

Flow cytometry has been used to measure the C‐values of 29 species in 13 genera of New Zealand native grasses. An almost 18‐fold variation was found between the lowest value, 0.78 pg for Zoysia pauciflora, and the highest value, 13.70 pg for Pyrrhanthera exigua. Some of this variation can be attributed to differences in chromosome number or ploidy level but groups of related species with the same chromosome number also show big interspecific differences. A distinction was found in general, between species in genera of tropical origin and those of temperate origin. In several cases there are examples of apparent intraspecific variation that may indicate taxonomic heterogeneity.

Low rates of silent substitution in nuclear genes of two distantly related Scrophulariaceae (Antirrhinum and Verbascum).

Low levels of genetic diversity and divergence at nuclear loci have previously been observed for cycloidea and fil1-like genes within and between several Antirrhinum species, and divergence at these loci is also low between species in genera at different levels of relatedness in the former family Scrophulariaceae (Digitalis and Verbascum). The low divergence values are surprising, because (based on the sequences of chloroplast loci) the Scrophulariaceae are thought to be polyphyletic, with two anciently diverged clades, and the species we compared belonged to the two different clades. Here, we extend our studies of sequence divergence to more nuclear genes: fil2, far, globosa, and ADH: Detailed studies revealed that in Antirrhinum these genes belong to gene families. Low levels of divergence between Antirrhinum and Verbascum were observed for four of the loci studied, fil2-1, fil2-2, far-L, and globosa, similar to our previous observations. We discuss hypotheses to explain these low synonymous divergence values. For Adh, no cases of very similar sequences were found, but, rather, our sequences from the three different genera (Antirrhinum, Digitalis, and Verbascum) were all very diverged. Repeated gene duplication and loss of elements in the Adh gene family is likely in these lineages, making it impossible to determine orthology of the Adh genes.

Taxonomy of Campylobacter, Arcobacter, Helicobacter and related bacteria: current status, future prospects and immediate concerns.

The taxonomy of the genus Campylobacter has changed dramatically since its inception in 1963. At that time the genus comprised just two species. At present, taxa that were once assigned to Campylobacter may belong to one of over 50 species distributed among six genera. Most of these taxa belong to a phylogenetically distinct group referred to as either ribosomal RNA (rRNA) superfamily VI or the epsilon division of the class Proteobacteria. The taxonomic diversity of the group is matched by the diverse habitats in which they may be found, and by the wide range of diseases that they are associated with. Recognition of their clinical and economic importance has resulted in intense interest in the group, and the application of increasingly sophisticated isolation, detection and chemotaxonomic methods continues to elucidate new aspects of their biodiversity. However, despite the advances in new bacterial systematics, there remain a number of important issues concerning the classification of various campylobacterial taxa that require careful consideration. Ultimately, these issues are relevant to many working in the field of applied microbiology, including clinicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists and taxonomists. The purpose of this article is briefly to review the major developments in the taxonomy of Campylobacter from its inception to the present day; summarize the most recent changes in the field; analyse current topical issues of special relevance to applied microbiologists, including identification of the bacteria; and speculate on future prospects for campylobacterial taxonomy.

Phylogenetic Analyses of a Blackfly Subgenus Simulium (Nevermannia) Based on Mitochondrial 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequences.

Nucleotide sequences of a subregion of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene of 10 species of a blackfly subgenus Simulium (Nevermannia), which include four species of feuerborni species-group, two species of ruficorne species-group, three species of vernum species-group and an ungrouped species (S. konoi), were de- termined. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of the Nevermannia species and other species of related subgen- era of Simulium s.l. showed that the feuerborni and vernum species-groups were closely related, but the ruficorne species-group and S. konoi were not. Variations between the ruficorne species-group and other Nevermannia spe- cies were larger than those between Nevermannia species (excluding the ruficorne species-group) and other sub- genera species. These molecular data suggest that revision of the definition of the subgenus Nevermannia is needed.

Multi-source inventory of the forests of the Hebei Forestry Bureau, Heilongjiang, China

A multi-source forest inventory method is applied to the estimation of forest resources in the area of the Hebei Forest Bureau in Heilongjiang province in North-East China. A stratified systematic cluster sampling design was utilised in field measurements. The design was constructed on the basis of information from earlier stand-level inventories, aerial orthophotographs, experiences from other sampling inventories and the available budget. Sample tree volumes were estimated by means of existing models. New models were constructed and their parameters estimated for tallied tree volumes and volume increments. The estimates for the area of the Bureau were computed from field measurements, and for the areas of the forest farms estimated from field measurements and satellite images. A k-nearest neighbour method was utilised. This method employing satellite image data makes it possible to estimate all variables, particularly for smaller areas than that possible using field measurements only. The methods presented, or their modifications, could also be applied to the planning and realisation of forest inventories elsewhere in Temperate or Boreal zones. The inventory in question gave an estimate of 114 m3/ha (the multi-source inventory 119 m3/ha) instead of 72 m3/ha as previously estimated from available information. Totally nineteen tree species, genera of species or tree species groups were identified (Appendix 1). The forests were relatively young, 60% of them younger than 40 years and 85% younger than 60 years.

Phylogenetic Study of Hypoxylon and Related Genera Based on Ribosomal ITS Sequences

Hypoxylon, with at least 130 currently accepted species and varieties, is one of the largest genera of the Xylariaceae. Taxonomic aspects that define and delimit the genus have varied among mycologists. To obtain insight in the phylogenetic relationships of Hypoxylon and its allies, the complete DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (including the 5.8S rRNA gene) from 41 isolates were determined, aligned and processed for phylogenetic reconstruction, and critically compared with the available taxonomic information. The results generally agree with the current concepts and limits established for the genus. The molecular approach supported the recent segregation of some allied genera (Biscogniauxia, Camillea, Whalleya, Creosphaeria, Nemania, and Kretzschmaria) from Hypoxylon. The species and varieties of Hypoxylon in the sense of modern authors appeared as a monophyletic group within the Xylariaceae. However, the recent infrageneric division of Hypoxylon into sections Hypoxylon and Annulata was not supported by this limited molecular phylogenetic analysis. Likewise, this preliminary analysis did not reflect generic distinctions among species in genera with bipartite stromata (Camillea and Biscogniauxia). The importance of the anamorphs in the classification of this fungal group was evidenced by the correlation between the type of anamorph and the relative placement of the teleomorphs in the phylogenetic tree derived from sequence analysis.

Phylogenetic study of Hypoxylon and related genera based on ribosomal ITS sequences

Hypoxylon, with at least 130 currently accepted species and varieties, is one of the largest genera of the Xylariaceae. Taxonomic aspects that define and delimit the genus have varied among mycologists. To obtain insight in the phylogenetic relationships of Hypoxylon and its allies, the complete DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (including the 5.8S rRNA gene) from 41 isolates were determined, aligned and processed for phylogenetic reconstruction, and critically compared with the available taxonomic information. The results generally agree with the current concepts and limits established for the genus. The molecular approach supported the recent segregation of some allied genera (Biscogniauxia, Camillea, Whalleya, Creosphaeria, Nemania, and Kretzschmaria) from Hypoxylon. The species and varieties of Hypoxylon in the sense of modern authors appeared as a monophyletic group within the Xylariaceae. However, the recent infrageneric division of Hypoxylon into sections Hypoxylon and Annulata was not supported by this limited molecular phylogenetic analysis. Likewise, this preliminary analysis did not reflect generic distinctions among species in genera with bipartite stromata (Camillea and Biscogniauxia). The importance of the anamorphs in the classification of this fungal group was evidenced by the correlation between the type of anamorph and the relative placement of the teleomorphs in the phylogenetic tree derived from sequence analysis.

Extinctions and taxonomy in a trophic model of coevolution

We investigate the statistics of extinction sizes and the taxonomy in a trophic model of evolution recently proposed [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 652 (1999)]. By further exploring the parameters of this model, we find that the distribution of extinction sizes N(s) shows typically a characteristic maximum before developing the power-law behavior N(s) approximately s(-alpha) with alpha approximately 2, in agreement with empirical observations. Furthermore, the derivation of the alpha=-2 exponent given by Drossel [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5011 (1998)] for this model is completed. The extinction sizes in each trophic level are also analyzed; one finds that at the fourth level and up (l> or =4) the extinction size statistics is a power law with exponent alpha(l) approximately 1.4, and exponential-like at the second level, also in agreement with some empirical data not previously explained by current models. On the other hand, in contrast to the observed power-law distribution of the number of species in genera, numerical simulations yield an exponential law. A modification of the model is presented that provides an approximate potential behavior for taxonomy, and some consequences for future modeling are outlined.

An Introduced Species of Epichrysocharis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Producing Galls on Eucalyptus in California with Notes on the Described Species and Placement of the Genus

An Introduced Species of Epichrysocharis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Producing Galls on Eucalyptus in California with Notes on the Described Species and Placement of the Genus

The geographical relationships of the British and Irish flora: a comparison of pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses

Summary Aim To compare the wider distribution of the pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses recorded as natives of Britain and Ireland, and to assess the proportion and distribution of species in each group which belong to predominantly extra‐European genera. Location The species native to the British Isles are considered in relation to their distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, and predominantly extra‐European genera are identified by consideration of the distribution and centre of numerical diversity of the genera worldwide. Methods A recent classification of the pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses into floristic elements is used in a quantitative study of the distribution of species in the four groups, the patterns of occurrence being compared by standardized residuals. Results Mosses and liverworts have more northerly distributions than the flowering plants in the Northern Hemisphere; pteridophytes show an intermediate pattern. There are marked differences in the longitudinal ranges of the groups south of the Boreal biome, with vascular plants tending to be confined to Europe or western Eurasia whereas cryptogams are more likely to occur additionally in North America or have a circumpolar distribution. The proportion of predominantly extra‐European genera is particularly high in the pteridophytes and the liverworts and in these groups the rich hyperoceanic flora of the British Isles is almost entirely composed of species in genera that attain their centre of diversity in the tropics. Main conclusions Major taxonomic groups show different distribution patterns, reflecting their rates of evolution and powers of dispersal. The flowering plants, as the least mobile and most rapidly evolving group, have a greater proportion of their species in the European and Eurosiberian elements and a higher proportion of species from extra‐European genera in the more northerly elements.

New Combinations and New Genera in the North American Tarweeds (Compositae-Madiinae)

New combinations and new genera for species in Hemizonia DC., Molina, and Raillardiopsis Rydberg allow for a revised, practical taxonomy of Madiinae that better reflects phylogenetic relationships. Reinstatement of Anisocarpus Nuttall, Centromadia Greene, Deinandra Greene, and Hemizonella A. Gray, abandonment of Raillardiopsis Rydberg, and recognition of four new genera (Carlquistia, Harmonia, Jensia, Kyhosia) for tarweed lineages without available generic names result from changes in circumscription based on monophyletic groups. Results of phylogenetic, biosystematic, and cytogenetic studies in Madiinae (Kyhos et al., 1990; Baldwin et al., 1991; Baldwin, 1992, 1993, 1996, unpublished; Carr et al., 1996) indicate that Hemizonia DC. sensu Keck (1959), Molina sensu Keck (1959), and Raillardiopsis Rydberg are not monophyletic. Hemizonia sensu Keck (1959) comprises a minimum of three monophyletic groups that correspond to section Centromadia (Greene) D. D. Keck, section Hemizonia, and section Madiomeris Nuttall sensu Tanowitz (1982) plus the informal Fruticosae or Zonamra (cf. Clausen, 1951; Keck, 1959). sensu Keck (1959), Raillardiopsis, and the monophyletic Hawaiian silversword alliance (Argyroxiphium DC., Dubautia Gaudichaud-Beauprd, Wilkesia A. Gray; see Carr, 1985) constitute a clade lacking a formal name (the Madia lineage in Baldwin, 1996) that is extremely heterogeneous and difficult to diagnose morphologically. The Hawaiian group comprises trees, shrubs, subshrubs, large rosette plants, mat plants, cushion plants, and vines that are strikingly divergent in morphological and ecological characteristics from the primarily Californian herbs in sensu Keck (1959) and Raillardiopsis (see Carr, 1985; Baldwin & Robichaux, 1995; Baldwin, 1997). In addition to the distinctive Hawaiian lineage, a minimum of seven monophyletic groups can be reliably diagnosed from morphological and molecular data within the clade comprising sensu Keck (1959), Raillardiopsis, and the silversword alliance. Recognition at the generic level of each of the three lineages in Hemizonia sensu Keck (1959) and each of the seven lineages in the paraphyletic group comprising sensu Keck (1959) plus Raillardiopsis in the traditional (only) sense results in a practical taxonomy that conforms to the criterion of monophyly (= holophyly) of taxa. The revision of sensu Keck (1959) plus Raillardiopsis (hereafter, MADRAIL) also allows for continued generic distinction of the unusual Hawaiian species in the silversword alliance without maintaining non-monophyletic California tarweed genera. I realize that additional nomenclatural changes in the silversword alliance are necessary to achieve a taxonomy of the Hawaiian species that includes only monophyletic genera. The new combinations herein focus only on genera relevant to treatments in preparation for the Flora of North America North of Mexico.

Freshwater snails of the genus Gyraulus (Planorbidae) in Australia: the taxa of Tasmania

The classification of freshwater snails belonging to the genus Gyraulus (Basommatophora: Planorbidae) from Tasmania is revised according to morphological observations on type materials, other shells collected in the 19thC, and about 920 alcohol-preserved specimens from 17 localities and mostly collected during the last 30 years. Four species-group taxa (atkinsoni, meridionalis, scottianus, tasmanicus) have previously been named from shells collected in Tasmania; two of these are type species for genera named by Iredale (1943) (meridionalis for Plananisus, scottianus for Pygmanisus). The present observations on the shell and body (pigmentation, kidney, intestinal loop and genital organs) suggest that there are two widely distributed species, G. meridionalis (including tasmanicus as a synonym) and G. scottianus. Lectotype material for G. meridionalis is designated here, from Circular Head, Tasmania. Although G. atkinsoni may be a conspecific form of meridionalis, it is maintained here as a distinct species in order to encourage further study of this depressed and sharply keeled form of shell. Descriptions are given of G. mienanus sp. n. from Great Lake and Gyraulus sp., another lacustrine form and possibly a distinct species, found in Lake Sorell. These two lacustrine taxa, and also G. meridionalis and G. atkinsoni are placed in Gyraulus sensu stricto, though with some doubt as in this group of Tasmanian taxa the position of attachment of the penis within the penis sheath differs from that previously known in this subgenus. If this difference should prove sufficient to define a new subgenus, its name could be Plananisus Iredale, 1943. Differences between G. scottianus and other Australian species, in the shell, kidney and penial structure, are sufficient to rank Pygmanisus Iredale as a subgenus. However, this taxon appears closely similar to G. (Torquis) of N America, Europe and western central Asia, suggesting the possibility that it has been introduced into Australia since European settlement. Further investigations are needed to determine the relationships between the Gyraulus faunas of Tasmania and mainland Australia To achieve fuller understanding of Gyraulus Australia, morphological data need to be supplemented by molecular genetics and ecological studies.

Flightless insects: a test case for historical relationships of African mountains

Flightless insects give a clearer view of former distribution of montane habitat in Africa compared with highly mobile animals as birds and butterflies because passive long distance transport and long distance dispersal can be discounted. Only a few species in the twenty‐one genera under study are shared between neighbouring mountains which can be explained in all cases by a Pleistocene lowering of the montane habitat by 850 m. Therefore a montane forest cover connecting the mountains at colder times as suggested by the pluvial theory can be refuted which is in correspondence with palynological findings suggesting a dry corridor between the mountains. No montane refuge for flightless insects can be identified, because the most species‐rich mountain of a genus differs among the genera under study. Instead, each mountain served as a species refuge with a stable habitat. The requirement of a smaller habitat compared to vertebrates is indicated by endemic species on each single mountain suggesting pre‐Pleistocene speciation which results even in endemic genera to one mountain. Different small patches of suitable habitat on one mountain could also explain the radiations found in some genera of flightless insects. In some genera species are lacking on Mt Kenya which indicates—with the findings of no endemic passerine bird on the mountain—a probably very dry condition during colder times. On Mt Cameroon no species of the flightless insect genera occurring on the Eastern mountains are found. This contrasts with the existing patterns of birds, grasses and butterflies.

Effect of IGFBP-1 phosphoisomers on IGF-1-inducedamino acid uptake by trophoblast cells

Snake diversity in the island of Sri Lanka is extremely high, hosting at least 89 inland (i.e., non-marine) snake species, of which at least 49 are endemic. This includes the endemic genera Aspidura, Balanophis, Cercaspis, Haplocercus, and Pseudotyphlops, which are of uncertain phylogenetic affinity. We present phylogenetic evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial loci showing the relationships of 40 snake species from Sri Lanka (22 endemics) to the remaining global snake fauna. To determine the phylogenetic placement of these species, we create a molecular dataset containing 10 genes for all global snake genera, while also sampling all available species for genera with endemic species occurring in Sri Lanka. Our sampling comprises five mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, cyt-b, ND2, and ND4) and five nuclear genes (BDNF, c-mos, NT3 RAG-1, and RAG-2), for a total of up to 9582 bp per taxon. We find that the five endemic genera represent portions of four independent colonizations of Sri Lanka, with Cercaspis nested within Colubrinae, Balanophis in Natricinae, Pseudotyphlops in Uropeltidae, and that Aspidura + Haplocercus represents a distinct, ancient lineage within Natricinae. We synonymize two endemic genera that render other genera paraphyletic (Haplocercus with Aspidura, and Cercaspis with Lycodon), and discover that further endemic radiations may be present on the island, including a new taxon from the blindsnake family Typhlopidae, suggesting a large endemic radiation. Despite its small size relative to other islands such as New Guinea, Borneo, and Madagascar, Sri Lanka has one of the most phylogenetically diverse island snake faunas in the world, and more research is needed to characterize the island’s biodiversity, with numerous undescribed species in multiple lineages.

A New Species of Cydamus, with a Key to the Species of the Genus (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

Cydamus kormilevi n. sp. is described and illustrated, and the species of Cydamus are keyed. The distribution of this New World micrelytrine genus, and some relationships of its species, are discussed briefly.

Occurrence of Distinctive Cells in Leaves of C4Species in Arthraxon and Microstegium (Andropogoneae-Poaceae) and the Structural and Immunocytochemical Characterization of these Cells

Some C4 species in certain genera (e.g., Arundinella and Garnotia) within several tribes of the subfamily Panicoideae have bundle-sheath-like cells that are not associated with vascular tissue. These cells are known as distinctive cells (DCs) in the leaves. This article demonstrates that DCs also occur in the leaves of C4 species in the genera Arthraxon and Microstegium within the tribe Andropogoneae. DCs have not previously been recorded in this tribe. In leaves of Arthraxon hispidus, the DCs occur as single or multiple files in the mesophyll but their occurrence is rare. In leaves of Microstegium vimineum also, the DCs occur as single or multiple files, but an unusual feature, namely, bundle sheath cells (BSCs) that surround a single tracheary element, is often observed. The file of DCs in the two species did not extend continuously from the base to the tip of a leaf blade. A file of DCs ends, and then a vascular bundle with BSCs begins continuously, forming a longitudinal series. In the two species men...