Taxonomic Affiliation Research Articles

Emticicia fluvialis sp. nov., a potential hormone-degrading bacterium isolated from Nakdong River, Republic of Korea.

A novel species of the genus Emticicia, designated BHSR1T, was isolated from a water sample that was collected from the Nakdong River, Republic of Korea, and its taxonomic affiliation was studied using a polyphasic approach. This bacterium was Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, curved, rod-shaped, and oxidase- and catalase-negative. The bacterium grew optimally at 37°C, pH 7.5 and 0% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BHSR1T should be affiliated with the genus Emticicia, with a high similarity to Emticicia fontis KCTC 52248T (98.10%). Phylogenomic analysis also suggested that the strain represents a novel species in the genus Emticicia. The genomic G + C content was 41.9%. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization between strain BHSR1T and its closely related relatives in the genus Emticicia were in ranges of 71.1-75.8%, 69.4-77.5% and 18.6-19.9%, respectively. The gene cluster within BHSR1T contained genes encoding enzymes that could be involved in hormone degradation. The major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) were summed feature 3 (comprising C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c) and iso-C15:0. With regards to the polar lipid profile, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), two unidentified aminolipids and three unidentified lipids were identified as the major compounds. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone (MK)-7. Based on its phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genomic features, strain BHSR1T should be considered a novel species in the genus Emticicia of the family Spirosomaceae, for which the name Emticicia fluvialis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain was considered BHSR1T (= KCTC 92622T = GDMCC 1.3740T).

The first description of the female of Tritonaclia kefersteinii (Butler, 1882)(Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Syntomini), the type species of its genus.

The previously unknown female of Tritonaclia kefersteinii (Butler, 1882), the type species of the genus Tritonaclia Hamspon, 1898 is described for the first time, based on a specimen from Marojejy National Park (North-east Madagascar). The female genitalia are described in detail and illustrated. The taxonomic affiliation of the newly discovered female and its conspecificity with the male are confirmed by both morphological and molecular characters. For the first time, clear diagnostic characters of the male genitalia are also provided and illustrated. Comments on the known distribution of the species are provided. The new findings allow the genus to be properly characterized as a contribution to the taxonomy of Madagascar Syntomini.

SIgA-protease activity of microorganisms isolated from the prostate secretion

Our aim was to characterize the ability of bacteria from prostate secretions of different taxonomic affiliations to inactivate secretory IgA (sIgA). Materials and methods: We performed experiments with 122 isolates of eight types of microorganisms isolated from prostate secretions of the patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) and healthy males. The bacterial spectrum of microbiota was studied by bacteriological techniques, the species identification of microorganisms was carried out by mass spectrometry. The sIgA-protease activity of microorganisms was determined by the enzyme immunoassay using the “IgA secretory – ELISA-BEST” kit. Results: A wide prevalence of sIgA-protease activity has been detected in the microorganisms of different types isolated from prostate secretions of patients with CBP and healthy males. E. faecalis was the most active producer of sIgA proteases. We revealed an intraspecific and interspecific variability of the levels of sIgA-protease activity among Staphylococci. The microorganisms isolated from CBP were shown to express a significantly more pronounced ability to inactivate sIgA compared to strains isolated from healthy men.

Antibacterial Activities of Fungal Endophytes from Philippine Endemic Plant Dillenia philippinensis

Fungal endophytes represent a group of microorganisms that establish symbiotic associations with plants and hold significant ecological importance. Their ability to produce a diverse array of biologically active secondary metabolites has garnered considerable interest in the search for novel drug leads. In this study a total of 33 fungal endophytes were isolated from leaf specimens of the Philippine endemic tree Dillenia philippinensis (Rolfe). The morphological characterization of the fungal isolates revealed their taxonomic affiliation with the following eight genera: Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Geotrichum sp., Guignardia sp., Nigrospora sp., Paecilomyces sp., Pestalotiopsis sp., and Phialophora sp. A representative set of 22 fungal endophyte isolates was selected from the pool of isolates and subjected to large-scale cultivation, followed by extraction of their bioactive metabolites through liquid-submerged fermentation. The resulting crude extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory potential against two Gram-positive bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); and two Gram-negative bacteria, namely Escherichia coli and Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA), using the disc diffusion assay. The results indicate that the crude extracts obtained from endophytic fungi colonizing D. philippinensis represent a promising source of bioactive metabolites that exhibit noteworthy inhibitory activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and MRSA, with an effective concentration of 10 mg/mL. This study demonstrates that the fungal endophytes associated with Dillenia philippinensis foliage represent a rich source of bioactive metabolites with significant inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These lead to exploring the potential of these fungal endophytes as a viable source of novel therapeutics.

18S rDNA gene metabarcoding of microeukaryotes and epi-endophytes in the holobiome of seven species of large brown algae.

Brown algae (Phaeophyceae) are habitat-forming species in coastal ecosystems and include kelp forests and seaweed beds that support a wide diversity of marine life. Host-associated microbial communities are an integral part of phaeophyte biology, and whereas the bacterial microbial partners have received considerable attention, the microbial eukaryotes associated with brown algae have hardly been studied. Here, we used broadly targeted "pan-eukaryotic" primers (metabarcoding) to investigate brown algal-associated eukaryotes (the eukaryome). Using this approach, we aimed to investigate the eukaryome of seven large brown algae that are important and common species in coastal ecosystems. We also aimed to assess whether these macroalgae harbor novel eukaryotic diversity and to ascribe putative functional roles to the host-associated eukaryome based on taxonomic affiliation and phylogenetic placement. We detected a significant diversity of microeukaryotic and algal lineages associated with the brown algal species investigated. The operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were taxonomically assigned to 10 of the eukaryotic major supergroups, including taxonomic groups known to be associated with seaweeds as epibionts, endobionts, parasites, and commensals. Additionally, we revealed previously unrecorded sequence types, including novel phaeophyte OTUs, particularly in the Fucus spp. samples, that may represent fucoid genomic variants, sequencing artifacts, or undescribed epi-/endophytes. Our results provide baseline data and technical insights that will be useful for more comprehensive seaweed eukaryome studies investigating the evidently lineage-rich and functionally diverse symbionts of brown algae.

Genome Taxonomy Database and SeqCode: Microbial Taxonomy and Nomenclature in the Age of Big Sequence Data

Genome Taxonomy Database and SeqCode: Microbial Taxonomy and Nomenclature in the Age of Big Sequence Data

Potential pollinators and paleoecological aspects of Eocene Ludwigia (Onagraceae) from Eckfeld, Germany

Paleogene flower-insect interactions and paleo-pollination processes are, in general, poorly understood and fossil evidence for such floral and faunal interactions are rarely reported. To shed light on angiosperm flower-insect interactions, we investigated several hundred fossil flowers and insects from the middle Eocene Fossil Lagerstätte of Eckfeld, Germany. During our work, we discovered a unique fossil Ludwigia flower (bud) with in situ pollen. The ecological preferences (climate, biome, habitat, etc.) of extant Ludwigia and the paleoecological configurations of the fossil plant assemblage support the taxonomic affiliation of the flower bud and an Eocene presence of Ludwigia in the vicinity of the former Lake Eckfeld. Today’s Ludwigia are mostly pollinated by Hymenoptera (bees). Therefore, we screened all currently known hymenopteran fossils from Eckfeld but found no Ludwigia pollen adhering to any of the specimens. On the contrary, we discovered Ludwigia pollen adhering to two different groups of Coleoptera (beetles). Our study suggests that during the Eocene of Europe, Ludwigia flowers were visited and probably pollinated by beetles and over time there was a shift in primary flower visitors/pollinators, from beetles to bees, sometime during the late Paleogene to Neogene.

Rethinking Neandertals

In this article, I first provide an overview of the Neandertals by recounting their initial discovery and subsequent interpretation by scientists and by discussing our current understanding of the temporal and geographic span of these hominins and their taxonomic affiliation. I then explore what progress we have made in our understanding of Neandertal lifeways and capabilities over the past decade in light of new technologies and changing perspectives. In the process, I consider whether these advances in knowledge qualify as so-called Black Swans, a term used in economics to describe events that are rare and unpredictable and have wide-ranging consequences, in this case for the field of paleoanthropology. Building on this discussion, I look at ongoing debates and focus on Neandertal extinction as a case study. By way of discussion and conclusion, I take a detailed look at why Neandertals continue to engender great interest, and indeed emotion, among scientists and the general public alike.

Association of mycoheterotrophic Gentianaceae with specific Glomus lineages.

Some plant species took an alternative evolutionary pathway in which they lost their photosynthetic capacity to depend exclusively on carbon supplied by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in an association called mycoheterotrophy. Among them is Voyriella parviflora, a species of the family Gentianaceae, which is found in tropical regions such as the Amazon basin. Here, we assessed the identity of AMF symbionts associated with this species. DNA was isolated from eight Gentianaceae specimens and from litter and surrounding roots of photosynthetic plants. The atp1 gene was amplified by Sanger sequencing to determine the taxonomic affiliation of the mycoheterotrophic plants. A 280bp region of the 18S rRNA gene of AMF was amplified with primers NS31/AML2 by high-throughput sequencing. The mycoheterotrophic specimens were assigned to V. parviflora with a bootstrap support of 72%. Glomus was the most abundant AMF genus, both in the mycoheterotrophic plants and in the litter and roots of photosynthetic plants. In addition, a few Glomus genotypes were abundantly enriched in the mycoheterotrophic plants, with only a few specimens colonized by Gigaspora, Acaulospora, and Scutellospora in a low proportion. These genotypes formed a cluster within a larger clade, suggesting that V. parviflora shows a preferential association with a narrow Glomus lineage which is not phylogenetically close to a previously identified V. parviflora's associated lineage. Furthermore, detecting fungi from other families suggests that V. parviflora is colonized by other genera, although with low frequency. These findings provide new insights into the association between AMF and mycoheterotrophic species and highlight the importance of considering trap culture-independent approaches in understanding this symbiosis.

Semibalanus balanoides (L.) and Balanus crenatus Bruguière (Balanidae) are intermediate hosts of fimbriarioides intermedia (fuhrmann, 1913) and two species of the genus Microsomacanthus (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae), parasites of sea ducks from the atlantic sector of the Arctic and Northern Pacific

Metacestode infestation of Semibalanus balanoides and Balanus crenatus, collected in the Barents and White Seas and in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk in 2020 and 2021, correspondingly, has been studied. 313 S. balanoides from Mogilnaya Bay of Kildin Island (Barents Sea) and isolated mature wrinkled barnacles B. crenatus, 2 and 4 specimens from the Pechora Sea and Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea, respectively, were examined in 2020. Metacestodes Fimbriarioides intermedia (Fuhrmann, 1913) (Cyclophyllidea, Hymenolepididae) were found in 1.0 ± 0.6% of S. balanoides in the Barents Sea with an invasion intensity (I I) of 2-5 specimens, and in one of two B. crenatus from the Pechora Sea (I I = 15). For the first time in both B. crenatus from the Pechora Sea, taken from the valves of the mussel Mytilus edulis, metacestodes Microsomacanthus sp. I (I I = 13 and 20) with proboscis hooks 38-41 (39.4 ± 0.1) µm long, blades of 9.5-11 (10.7 ± 0.1) µm were obtained. One of four B. crenatus from the Kandalaksha Bay was infected with another Microsomacanthus sp. II (I I = 19) with proboscis hooks 44.0-49.5 (45.7 ± 0.5) µm long and blades - 14.0-16.0 (14.8 ± 0.07) µm. 362 S. balanoides were collected and dissected in Gizhiginskaya Bay of the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk in 2021, of which 8.0 ± 1.4% were infected with F. intermedia metacestodes (I I = 1-19). Study results of the infestation of S. balanoides on the Koni-Pyagin coast of the Sea of Okhotsk (according to the collections of 2006-2007) were supplemented and clarified. Description of metacestodes and the taxonomic affiliation of cysticercoids Microsomacanthus spp. are given.

Climate change effects on hatching success and embryonic development of fish: Assessing multiple stressor responses in a large-scale mesocosm study

Climate change threatens freshwater fish species due to predicted changes in thermal, sedimentary and hydrological properties of stream ecosystems. Gravel-spawning fish are particularly sensitive to such alterations as warming, higher inputs of fine sediment and low-flow all have potentially negative effects on the functionality of their reproductive habitat, the hyporheic zone. Multiple stressors can interact in synergistic and antagonistic manners, causing surprise-effects that cannot be predicted from the additive consideration of individual stressors. For obtaining reliable, yet realistic data on the climate change stressor effects warming (+3–4 °C), fine sediment (increase in <0.85 mm by 22 %) and low-flow (eightfold discharge-reduction), we constructed a unique large-scale outdoor-mesocosm facility consisting of 24 flumes to study individual and combined stressor responses in a fully-crossed, 3-way-replicated design. To acquire representative results reflecting individual susceptibilities of gravel-spawning fish species due to taxonomic affiliation or spawning seasonality, we studied hatching success and embryonic development in the three fish species brown trout (Salmo trutta L.), common nase (Chondrostoma nasus L.) and Danube salmon (Hucho hucho L.). Fine sediment had the most significant single negative effect on both hatching rates and embryonic development (−80 % in brown trout, −50 % in nase, −60 % in Danube salmon). When fine sediment was combined with one or both of the other stressors, we observed strongly synergistic stressor responses, being distinctly stronger in the two salmonid species than in the cyprinid nase. Danube salmon was most susceptible to synergistic effects due to warmer spring water temperatures exacerbating the fine sediment-induced hypoxia, hence leading to complete mortality of fish eggs. This study highlights that individual and multiple-stressor effects depend strongly on life-history traits of respective species and that climate change stressors have to be assessed in combination to obtain representative results due to the high level of synergisms and antagonisms detected in this study.

Notes to the Taxonomic Affiliation of the Bulbophyllym Sect. Physometra (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae) Based on Molecular Phylogenetic Analyses.

To solve the taxonomic affiliation of Bulbophyllum physometrum, the only known species of the Bulbophyllym sect. Physometra (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), we conducted phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear markers, i.e., ITS and the low-copy gene Xdh, and the plastid region matK. We used Asian Bulbophyllum taxa, with a special focus on species from the sections Lemniscata and Blepharistes, i.e., the only Asian sections of this genus with bifoliate pseudobulbs, as in B. physometrum. Unexpectedly, the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that B. physometrum is most probably more related to the representatives of the sections Hirtula and Sestochilos than Blepharistes or Lemniscata.

A reduced but stable core microbiome found in seeds of hyperaccumulators

The seed microbiota is currently of great interest in the scientific community since seed germination is a critical stage in plant life cycle. Some seed endophytic bacteria could be commonly found in seeds of hyperaccumulating plants and may confer them an evolutionary advantage over non-hyperaccumulating plants when confronted to biotic or abiotic stress. This study focuses on the endophytic bacterial diversity of a wide diversity of metal hyperaccumulating and non-hyperaccumulating plants (93 seed samples from Mediterranean regions, Oceania, South-East Asia) to reveal the core endophyte communities specific of hyperaccumulating plants. The rather low richness of the seed bacterial communities found in all seeds suggest that a sub-population of specialized endophytic strains is able to colonize seeds and survive. The factor that shapes the diversity of those bacterial communities was first the botanical family and secondly the hyperaccumulation trait of the host plants. Based on the taxonomic affiliation, we revealed that the Brassicales had 1349 OTUs that were specific to them and the Asterales 204 OTUs, independently of their metal accumulation strategy. Nonetheless, a set of 12 OTUs were shared by the seeds of all the hyperaccumulators independently of the taxonomic order of the plants (among Asterales and Brassicales) and could be considered as a ‘stable’ core microbiome. Those OTUs identified as Luteibacter, Alphaproteobacteria unclassified, Sphingopyxis, Alishewanella, bacteria unclassified, Heliimonas, Aeromicrobium, Proteobacteria unclassified, Xanthomonadales unclassified and Micromonosporaceae unclassified may constitute an endophytic bacterial core with PGP traits. Further studies are needed to extend our knowledge of the possible role played by those bacteria.

AppIndels.com server: a web-based tool for the identification of known taxon-specific conserved signature indels in genome sequences. Validation of its usefulness by predicting the taxonomic affiliation of >700 unclassified strains of Bacillus species.

Taxon-specific conserved signature indels (CSIs) in genes/proteins provide reliable molecular markers (synapomorphies) for unambiguous demarcation of taxa of different ranks in molecular terms and for genetic, biochemical and diagnostic studies. Because of their predictive abilities, the shared presence of known taxon-specific CSIs in genome sequences has proven useful for taxonomic purposes. However, the lack of a convenient method for identifying the presence of known CSIs in genome sequences has limited their utility for taxonomic and other studies. We describe here a web-based tool/server (AppIndels.com) that identifies the presence of known and validated CSIs in genome sequences and uses this information for predicting taxonomic affiliation. The utility of this server was tested by using a database of 585 validated CSIs, which included 350 CSIs specific for ≈45 Bacillales genera, with the remaining CSIs being specific for members of the orders Neisseriales, Legionellales and Chlorobiales, family Borreliaceae, and some Pseudomonadaceae species/genera. Using this server, genome sequences were analysed for 721 Bacillus strains of unknown taxonomic affiliation. Results obtained showed that 651 of these genomes contained significant numbers of CSIs specific for the following Bacillales genera/families: Alkalicoccus, 'Alkalihalobacillaceae', Alteribacter, Bacillus Cereus clade, Bacillus Subtilis clade, Caldalkalibacillus, Caldibacillus, Cytobacillus, Ferdinandcohnia, Gottfriedia, Heyndrickxia, Lederbergia, Litchfieldia, Margalitia, Mesobacillus, Metabacillus, Neobacillus, Niallia, Peribacillus, Priestia, Pseudalkalibacillus, Robertmurraya, Rossellomorea, Schinkia, Siminovitchia, Sporosarcina, Sutcliffiella, Weizmannia and Caryophanaceae. Validity of the taxon assignment made by the server was examined by reconstructing phylogenomic trees. In these trees, all Bacillus strains for which taxonomic predictions were made correctly branched with the indicated taxa. The unassigned strains likely correspond to taxa for which CSIs are lacking in our database. Results presented here show that the AppIndels server provides a useful new tool for predicting taxonomic affiliation based on shared presence of the taxon-specific CSIs. Some caveats in using this server are discussed.

Winter Dynamics of Drifting Invertebrates’ Vertical Distribution in a Small Salmon River

The composition of the winter syrton of a small salmon river was dominated by mayfly larvae (Ephemeroptera), dipteran larvae (Diptera), and adult water mites (Hydracarina). The presence of a significant linear dependence of the number of drifters entering the nets on the volume of water filtered by the nets has not been proven, so we used not the syrton density (ind./m3), but the data of actual catches. The vertical distribution of drifting invertebrates of different taxonomic affiliation had its own characteristics. Under conditions of good illumination of the water column, the drift intensity of invertebrates increased in the daytime. This fact is probably indirectly related to the low water temperature, which limits the swimming ability of drift-feeding fish, which because of this become more vulnerable to fish-feeding warm-blooded predators, and therefore in winter during daylight hours lead a predominantly inactive and secretive way of life. In December, most daytime drifters migrated near the surface of the water column, and in January, on the contrary, near the bottom. The latter may be due to the overwhelming effect of lower daytime air temperatures, since until mid-February the riverbed was not completely covered with ice. After a heavy February snowfall, the upper layers of the river flow turned out to be isolated from the effect of air temperature, and the level of illumination of the water column during the day began to correspond to the period of late twilight. As a result, fish became less accessible to warm-blooded semiaquatic predators, the intensity of invertebrate drift in the daylight hours decreased sharply, and the distribution of drifters throughout the water column vertical became fairly uniform.

THE FIRST DATA ON MIDDLE JURASSIC DINOFLAGELLATE CYSTS AND FORAMINIFERS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

Information about the first records of dinocysts and foraminifers in the Middle Jurassic deposits of the Russian Far East and their taxonomic affiliation is given. The use of foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages as a tool for biostratigraphic subdivision and correlation of the Middle Jurassic sections of this region is very difficult due to the poor preservation and limited occurrence of these microfossils. Findings of dinocysts Endoscrinium galeritum, Tubotuberella cf. apatela, Wanaea fimbriata, Meiourogonyaulax cf. caytonensis raise the question of correcting the stratigraphic range of the lithological formations recognized in the Middle Jurassic.

Streptomyces salinarius sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from solar saltern soil.

An actinobacterium, designated strain SS06011T, was isolated from solar saltern soil collected from Samut Sakhon province, Thailand. The taxonomic position of this strain was established using the polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain produced grey aerial spore mass on International Streptomyces Project 2 seawater agar that differentiated into spiral spore chains with rugose-surfaced spores. Strain SS06011T was found to have ll-diaminopimelic acid in the cell peptidoglycan. Whole-cell hydrolysates contained galactose, glucose and ribose. MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H4) were major menaquinones. The major cellular fatty acids comprised iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol were detected in cells. These characteristics were coincident with the typical morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of the genus Streptomyces. The taxonomic affiliation at the genus level of this strain could also be confirmed by its 16S rRNA gene sequence data. Strain SS06011T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Streptomyces ardesiacus NRRL B-1773T (99.1 %), Streptomyces coelicoflavus NBRC 15399T (99.1 %) and Streptomyces hyderabadensis OU-40T (99.1 %). Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity-blast (ANIb) and average amino acid identity (AAI) values between strain SS06011T and its closely related type strains, S. ardesiacus NBRC 15402T, S. coelicoflavus NBRC 15399T and S. hyderabadensis JCM 17657T, were in the range of 45.4-48.4 % (for dDDH), 90.8-91.9 % (for ANIb) and 90.8-91.7 % (for AAI), respectively, which are lower than the cut-off criteria for species delineation. The DNA G+C content of genomic DNA was 71.9 mol%. With the differences in physiological, biochemical and genotypic data, strain SS06011T could be discriminated from its closest neighbours. Thus, strain SS06011T should be recognized as representing a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces salinarius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SS06011T (=TBRC 9951T=NBRC 113998T).

An integrated leaf trait analysis of two Paleogene leaf floras.

This study presents the Integrated Leaf Trait Analysis (ILTA), a workflow for the combined application of methodologies in leaf trait and insect herbivory analyses on fossil dicot leaf assemblages. The objectives were (1) to record the leaf morphological variability, (2) to describe the herbivory pattern on fossil leaves, (3) to explore relations between leaf morphological trait combination types (TCTs), quantitative leaf traits, and other plant characteristics (e.g., phenology), and (4) to explore relations of leaf traits and insect herbivory. The leaves of the early Oligocene floras Seifhennersdorf (Saxony, Germany) and Suletice-Berand (Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic) were analyzed. The TCT approach was used to record the leaf morphological patterns. Metrics based on damage types on leaves were used to describe the kind and extent of insect herbivory. The leaf assemblages were characterized quantitatively (e.g., leaf area and leaf mass per area (LMA)) based on subsamples of 400 leaves per site. Multivariate analyses were performed to explore trait variations. In Seifhennersdorf, toothed leaves of TCT F from deciduous fossil-species are most frequent. The flora of Suletice-Berand is dominated by evergreen fossil-species, which is reflected by the occurrence of toothed and untoothed leaves with closed secondary venation types (TCTs A or E). Significant differences are observed for mean leaf area and LMA, with larger leaves tending to lower LMA in Seifhennersdorf and smaller leaves tending to higher LMA in Suletice-Berand. The frequency and richness of damage types are significantly higher in Suletice-Berand than in Seifhennersdorf. In Seifhennersdorf, the evidence of damage types is highest on deciduous fossil-species, whereas it is highest on evergreen fossil-species in Suletice-Berand. Overall, insect herbivory tends to be more frequently to occur on toothed leaves (TCTs E, F, and P) that are of low LMA. The frequency, richness, and occurrence of damage types vary among fossil-species with similar phenology and TCT. In general, they are highest on leaves of abundant fossil-species. TCTs reflect the diversity and abundance of leaf architectural types of fossil floras. Differences in TCT proportions and quantitative leaf traits may be consistent with local variations in the proportion of broad-leaved deciduous and evergreen elements in the ecotonal vegetation of the early Oligocene. A correlation between leaf size, LMA, and fossil-species indicates that trait variations are partly dependent on the taxonomic composition. Leaf morphology or TCTs itself cannot explain the difference in insect herbivory on leaves. It is a more complex relationship where leaf morphology, LMA, phenology, and taxonomic affiliation are crucial.

The experience of preserving ancient trees in Vienna, Austria

Ancient trees hold considerable aesthetic and ecological value within urban environments. The examination of ancient trees and their overall health and condition is an integral part of a comprehensive assessment aimed at preserving these trees and conserving the natural environment within urban spaces. The purpose of the study was to examine the experience of preserving valuable trees growing in urban space. General scientific theoretical methods – analysis and synthesis – were used to work with lists of tree inventory. Heritage trees grow in all districts in Vienna. It was established that ancient trees were given the status of natural monuments since 1936, the dynamics of bequests were traced, and the decades of Vienna’s most active nature conservation activities were determined. The most famous heritage trees in the city were described. The species diversity of monumental trees was analysed, and their taxonomic affiliation was summarised. The heritage trees in Vienna are represented by 49 genera, most of which belong to the phylum of Magnoliophyta. The most common species among protected trees are Platanus orientalis L., Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold, Aesculus hippocastanum L., Quercus robur L., Taxus baccata L., Tilia platyphyllos Scop. Most of heritage trees (60%) are solitary trees. It was evaluated that the general sanitary condition of protected trees is excellent; almost all trees have high vitality and play a leading role in shaping urban landscapes. Every heritage tree possesses a commendable and elevated aesthetic rating. Analysis of the existing inventory of ancient trees in Vienna, their sanitary condition and aesthetic condition will contribute to the environmental awareness of communities and the improvement of management measures for such trees. The obtained results can be used to share the experience of researchers from different countries regarding preserving ancient trees and forming European databases of heritage trees

Identification of the taxonomic affiliation of Cryptosporidium spp. in piglets in the conditions of the north-west of the Russian Federation using molecular genetic methods

The purpose of the research is to determine taxa of the genus Cryptosporidium species in pigs using molecular genetic methods in the north-west of the Russian Federation.Materials and methods. Fecal samples were taken from pigs of different age groups on farms of different types of incorporation that differ in climatic and geographical zones and animal keeping technologies in the Vologda Region. Microscopic research methods identified “positive” samples in which Cryptosporidium species were present; they were sorted out and deep-frozen. Then the samples were examined using the equipment of the resource center «Genomic Technologies, Proteomics and Cell Biology» of ARRIAM. The Cryptosporidium species in the fecal samples from farm animals were identified using high-throughput sequencing of 18S rRNA gene amplicon libraries obtained by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.Results and discussion. A primer system was designed for the nested PCR to amplify a potentially species-specific 393 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. The sequence of the ILL_R2_ Zheng primer was modified with included degenerated positions to make the primer more versatile. As a result of sequencing of the libraries of 18S rRNA gene fragments obtained with the selected primers and subsequent taxonomic analysis of the nucleotide sequences, it was shown that all the studied samples included representatives of only one species, Cryptosporidium scrofarum.