bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling space use and dispersal of mammals in real landscapes: a tool for conservation
Authors: Macdonald David W. , Rushton Stephen
Published: June 2010

AimTo explore the usefulness of Spatially Explicit Population Models (SEPMs), incorporating dispersal, as tools for animal conservation, as illustrated by the contrasting cases of four British mammals.

MethodsFor each of the four species (American mink,Mustela vison,pine marten,Martes martes,dormouse,Muscardinus avellanariusand water vole,Arvicola terrestris) a spatial dynamics model was developed based on an integrated geographical information system (GIS) population model that linked space use to the incidence of the species. Each model had, first, a GIS, which stored environmental, habitat and animal population information, and secondly, an individual‐based population dynamics module, which simulated home range formation, individual life histories and dispersal within the GIS‐held landscape.

ResultsThe four models illustrated different interactions between species life‐history variables and the landscape, particularly with respect to dispersal. As water voles and dormice occupy home ranges that are small relative to blocks of their habitat, they were most effectively modelled in terms of the dynamics of local populations within habitat blocks but linked by dispersal. In contrast, because the home ranges of American mink and pine marten are large relative to blocks of habitat, they were best modelled as individuals moving through a landscape of more or less useful patches of habitat. For the water vole, the most significant predictors of population size were the carrying capacity of each habitat and the annual number of litters. For the dormouse, the likelihood of catastrophe and the upper limit to dispersal movement were the key variables determining persistence. Adult mortality and home‐range size were the only significant partial correlates of total population size for the American mink. Adult mortality was also a significant correlate of total population size in the pine marten, as were litter size and juvenile mortality. In neither the marten nor the mink was dispersal distance a significant factor in determining their persistence in the landscape.

Main conclusionsAt a landscape scale it is difficult to measure animal distributions directly and yet conservation planning often necessitates knowledge of where, and in what numbers, animals are found, and how their distributions will be affected by interventions. SEPMs offer a useful tool for predicting this, and for refining conservation plans before irreversible decisions are taken in practice.
Persistence on inselbergs: the role of obligate seeders and resprouters
Authors: Hunter John T.
Published: June 2010

Aim  To investigate if the current theories associated with recruitment strategies are sufficient to explain differences in the proportions of obligate seeders and resprouters on inselbergs and in the matrix.

Location  The New England Batholith of eastern Australia.

Methods  The importance of life form and regenerative response of flora species are compared for twenty‐four archipelagos of inselbergs habitat islands and for their adjacent matrix. Forward stepwise multiple linear regression is used to correlate measured and modelled variables with differences in the proportional abundance of obligate seeders on inselbergs at three levels of sampling.

Results  A total of 216 inselbergs were surveyed and information on 826 vascular plant species was collated. Herbs were the most common life form both on and off inselbergs. There were generally more shrubs on inselbergs than in the matrix. Resprouters were more common everywhere. However, obligate seeders were proportionately more common on inselbergs. The degree of insularity of outcrop floras accounted for 23–37% of the variance in the proportional abundance of obligate seeders at three sampling scales.

Main conclusions  A model is proposed whereby the mechanisms that influence the abundances of obligate seeders and resprouters are different on inselbergs and in the matrix. Inselberg environments are harsh, arid, have limited safe recruitment sites and below ground resources, but are not light limited. In such habitats, obligate seeders with persistence life‐history traits are favoured. Within the matrix in eastern Australia frequent biomass removal disturbances occur (such as fire) and resprouting is advantageous. High turnover obligate seeders with no persistence life‐history traits can be favoured in the matrix with a reduced disturbance regime and where competition for light still occurs. Some of these matrix obligate seeders occur on inselbergs due to their infrequent disturbance regimes.
Structural characterization of the Get4/Get5 complex and its interaction with Get3
Authors: Chartron Justin W. , Suloway Christian J. M. , Zaslaver Ma’ayan , Clemons William M.
Published: June 2010

The recently elucidated Get proteins are responsible for the targeted delivery of the majority of tail-anchored (TA) proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum. Get4 and Get5 have been identified in the early steps of the pathway mediating TA substrate delivery to the cytoplasmic targeting factor Get3. Here we report a crystal structure of Get4 and an N-terminal fragment of Get5 from
Saccharomyces cerevisae
. We show Get4 and Get5 (Get4/5) form an intimate complex that exists as a dimer (two copies of Get4/5) mediated by the C-terminus of Get5. We further demonstrate that Get3 specifically binds to a conserved surface on Get4 in a nucleotide dependent manner. This work provides further evidence for a model in which Get4/5 operates upstream of Get3 and mediates the specific delivery of a TA substrate.
THE EUROPEANIZATION OF PORTUGAL
Authors: Goucha Soares Antonio
Published: June 2010

The article aims to explore Portugal's performance in some areas that can be included in a wide concept of Europeanization: the state of the economy, the rule of law, and education. It starts with a brief reference to the evolution of the Portuguese economy since the European accession to conclude that with the adoption of the single currency Portugal entered into a phase of clear economic divergence, making it an exception within the EU. Section 2 is devoted to the rule of law. It highlights how a modern and updated legal system can have an outcome that threatens some basic foundations of the rule of law, and can also contribute to increasing social inequality. The last section focuses on some problems affecting education. Particular attention is drawn to the performance of the secondary education system and to issues related to the quality of higher education institutions.
WHO DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS IN EUROPE AND WHY IS THIS?
Authors: Hadjar Andreas , Beck Michael
Published: June 2010

This paper focuses on the research question ‘Who does not vote and why?’ regarding national elections in 24 European countries. We analyse determinants of non-voting both on the individual and the societal level employing a multilevel design. On the micro level, the sociological determinants under consideration are education, cohort and gender. Regarding psychological or motivational factors, we include in the analyses political efficacy, political interest, political trust and satisfaction with politics. On the macro level, we analyse characteristics of the electoral system, including opportunities for ‘direct democracy’, maturity of democracy, disproportionality factor, and if the participation in elections is compulsory. The data source of the analyses is the European Social Survey 2006. A first main finding is the fact that the probability of non-voting is higher among people with a low level of education and among younger cohorts. The motivational factors have similar impacts on non-voting across all analysed societies. Lack of political efficacy, lack of political interest, lack of political trust and dissatisfaction with politicians and the political system increase the probability of non-voting. Regarding macro influences, countries with compulsory voting and ‘old democracies’ turn out to have a lower rate of non-voting, although these effects vanish when simultaneously modelled with the social psychological micro level indicators.
Regulators of the Actin Cytoskeleton Mediate Lethality in aCaenorhabditis elegans dhc-1Mutant
Authors: Gil-Krzewska Aleksandra J. , Farber Erica , Buttner Edgar A. , Hunter Craig P.
Published: June 2010

Functional analysis of cytoplasmic dynein in Caenorhabditis elegans has revealed a wide range of cellular functions for this minus-end–directed motor protein. Dynein transports a variety of cargos to diverse cellular locations, and thus cargo selection and destination are likely regulated by accessory proteins. The microtubule-associated proteins LIS-1 and dynein interact, but the nature of this interaction remains poorly understood. Here we show that both LIS-1 and the dynein heavy-chain DHC-1 are required for integrity of the actin cytoskeleton in C. elegans. Although both dhc-1(or195ts) and lis-1 loss-of-function disrupt the actin cytoskeleton and produce embryonic lethality, a double mutant suppresses these defects. A targeted RNA interference screen revealed that knockdown of other actin regulators, including actin-capping protein genes and prefoldin subunit genes, suppresses dhc-1(or195ts)–induced lethality. We propose that release or relocation of the mutant dynein complex mediates this suppression of dhc-1(or195ts)--induced phenotypes. These results reveal an unexpected direct or indirect interaction between the actin cytoskeleton and dynein activity.
Phosphatidic Acid Induces Ligand-independent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Endocytic Traffic through PDE4 Activation
Authors: Norambuena Andrés , Metz Claudia , Jung Juan E. , Silva Antonia , Otero Carolina , Cancino Jorge , Retamal Claudio , Valenzuela Juan C. , Soza Andrea , González Alfonso
Published: June 2010

Endocytosis modulates EGFR function by compartmentalizing and attenuating or enhancing its ligand-induced signaling. Here we show that it can also control the cell surface versus intracellular distribution of empty/inactive EGFR. Our previous observation that PKA inhibitors induce EGFR internalization prompted us to test phosphatidic acid (PA) generated by phospholipase D (PLD) as an endogenous down-regulator of PKA activity, which activates rolipram-sensitive type 4 phosphodiesterases (PDE4) that degrade cAMP. We found that inhibition of PA hydrolysis by propranolol, in the absence of ligand, provokes internalization of inactive (neither tyrosine-phosphorylated nor ubiquitinated) EGFR, accompanied by a transient increase in PA levels and PDE4s activity. This EGFR internalization is mimicked by PA micelles and is strongly counteracted by PLD2 silencing, rolipram or forskolin treatment, and PKA overexpression. Accelerated EGFR endocytosis seems to be mediated by clathrin-dependent and -independent pathways, leading to receptor accumulation in juxtanuclear recycling endosomes, also due to a decreased recycling. Internalized EGFR can remain intracellular without degradation for several hours or return rapidly to the cell surface upon discontinuation of the stimulus. This novel regulatory mechanism of EGFR, also novel function of signaling PA, can transmodulate receptor accessibility in response to heterologous stimuli.
Institutions, Geography, and Market Power: The Political Economy of Rubber in the Brazilian Amazon, c. 1870–1910
Authors: Fernandes Felipe Tamega
Published: June 2010

The thesis applies a political economy approach to the study of how institutions and geography explain the development of a commodity chain. Focusing on the Brazilian Amazon from 1870 to 1910, the analysis develops a new theoretical framework constructed by combining standard trade models with institutions and economic geography. There are two levels of analysis: interactions among and within different nodes of the commodity chain. A quantitative-driven analysis from macroeconomic data supports inferences from microeconomic behavior. The thesis provides new information on rubber prices and exports, trader ledgers, estate accounts, newspapers, traveler accounts, and official documents.

The research develops a demand- and supply-side analysis of the history of rubber, from tappers to manufacturers. It features the main rubber manufacturing countries, Britain and the U.S.A., and shows how competition prevailed along the chain, translating into a struggle for rubber supply. Rubber was not a homogeneous product. Due to a combination of quantity and quality, the Brazilian Amazon possessed significant market power, market power that shaped the rubber chain. In this light, the thesis investigates how the Brazilian rubber supply chain was organized and how agents profited from its monopolistic position. It also shows that taxation increased the regional welfare and allowed the government to support two related activities: telegraphs and shipping.

The thesis proves that violence and coercion were not necessary features of rubber production, as argued by much of the literature. Through a game theoretic approach, the thesis demonstrates conditions under which production could have occurred without exploitation. In a context of high price inelasticity of demand and rising prices, production was driven by market forces. Inelasticity of demand was indeed one of the main features of the rubber boom. It shaped production, bargaining power between different nodes of the chain and competition within them, defining the distribution of profits along the rubber chain.
Predation as the primary selective force in recurrent evolution of gigantism inPoecilozonitesland snails in Quaternary Bermuda
Authors: Olson Storrs L. , Hearty Paul J.
Published: June 2010

During the last half million years, pulses of gigantism in the anagenetic lineage of land snails of the subgenusPoecilozoniteson Bermuda were correlated with glacial periods when lower sea level resulted in an island nearly an order of magnitude larger than at present. During those periods, the island was colonized by large vertebrate predators that created selection pressure for large size and rapid growth in the snails. Extreme reduction in land area from rising seas, along with changes in ecological conditions at the onset of interglacial episodes, marked extinction events for large predators, after which snails reverted to much smaller size. The giant snails were identical in morphology during the last two glacials when the predators included a large flightless railRallus recessus(marine isotope stages (MIS) 4-2) and a craneGrus latipesand a duckAnas pachysceles(MIS 6). In a preceding glacial period (MIS 10), when the fauna also included the tortoiseHesperotestudo bermudae, the snails were not only large, but the shells were much thicker, presumably to prevent crushing by tortoises. Evolution ofPoecilozonitesprovides an outstanding example of dramatic morphological change in response to environmental pressures in the absence of cladogenesis.
Biaxial biomechanical properties of self-assembly tissue-engineered blood vessels
Authors: Zaucha Michael T. , Gauvin Robert , Auger Francois A. , Germain Lucie , Gleason Rudolph L.
Published: June 2010

Along with insights into the potential for graft success, knowledge of biomechanical properties of small diameter tissue-engineered blood vessel (TEBV) will enable designers to tailor the vessels' mechanical response to closer resemble that of native tissue. Composed of two layers that closely mimic the native media and adventitia, a tissue-engineered vascular adventitia (TEVA) is wrapped around a tissue-engineered vascular media (TEVM) to produce a self-assembled tissue-engineered media/adventia (TEVMA). The current study was undertaken to characterize the biaxial biomechanical properties of TEVM, TEVA and TEVMA under physiological pressures as well as characterize the stress-free reference configuration. It was shown that the TEVA had the greatest compliance over the physiological loading range while the TEVM had the lowest compliance. As expected, compliance of the SA-TEBV fell in between with an average compliance of 2.73 MPa
−1
. Data were used to identify material parameters for a microstructurally motivated constitutive model. Identified material parameters for the TEVA and TEVM provided a good fit to experimental data with an average coefficient of determination of 0.918 and 0.868, respectively. These material parameters were used to develop a two-layer predictive model for the response of a TEVMA which fit well with experimental data.
An exceptional role for flowering plant physiology in the expansion of tropical rainforests and biodiversity
Authors: Boyce C. Kevin , Lee Jung-Eun
Published: June 2010

Movement of water from soil to atmosphere by plant transpiration can feed precipitation, but is limited by the hydraulic capacities of plants, which have not been uniform through time. The flowering plants that dominate modern vegetation possess transpiration capacities that are dramatically higher than any other plants, living or extinct. Transpiration operates at the level of the leaf, however, and how the impact of this physiological revolution scales up to the landscape and larger environment remains unclear. Here, climate modelling demonstrates that angiosperms help ensure aseasonally high levels of precipitation in the modern tropics. Most strikingly, replacement of angiosperm with non-angiosperm vegetation would result in a hotter, drier and more seasonal Amazon basin, decreasing the overall area of ever-wet rainforest by 80 per cent. Thus, flowering plant ecological dominance has strongly altered climate and the global hydrological cycle. Because tropical biodiversity is closely tied to precipitation and rainforest area, angiosperm climate modification may have promoted diversification of the angiosperms themselves, as well as radiations of diverse vertebrate and invertebrate animal lineages and of epiphytic plants. Their exceptional potential for environmental modification may have contributed to divergent responses to similar climates and global perturbations, like mass extinctions, before and after angiosperm evolution.
Sex, drugs and moral goals: reproductive strategies and views about recreational drugs
Authors: Kurzban Robert , Dukes Amber , Weeden Jason
Published: June 2010

Humans, unlike most other species, show intense interest in the activities of conspecifics, even when the activities in question pose no obvious fitness threat or opportunity. Here, we investigate one content domain in which people show substantial interest, the use of drugs for non-medical purposes. Drawing from two subject populations—one undergraduate and one Internet-based—we look at the relationships among (i) abstract political commitments; (ii) attitudes about sexuality; and (iii) views surrounding recreational drugs. Whereas some theories suggest that drug views are best understood as the result of abstract political ideology, we suggest that these views can be better understood in the context of reproductive strategy. We show that, as predicted by a strategic construal, drug attitudes are best predicted by sexual items rather than abstract political commitments and, further, that the relationship between factors such as political ideology and drugs, while positive, are reduced to zero or nearly zero when items assessing sexuality are controlled for. We conclude that considering morality from the standpoint of strategic interests is a potentially useful way to understand why humans care about third party behaviour.
Overshooting dynamics in a model adaptive radiation
Authors: Meyer Justin R. , Schoustra Sijmen E. , Lachapelle Josianne , Kassen Rees
Published: June 2010

The history of life is punctuated by repeated periods of unusually rapid evolutionary diversification called adaptive radiation. The dynamics of diversity during a radiation reflect an overshooting pattern with an initial phase of exponential-like increase followed by a slower decline. Much attention has been paid to the factors that drive the increase phase, but far less is known about the causes of the decline phase. Decreases in diversity are rarely associated with climatic changes or catastrophic events, suggesting that they may be an intrinsic consequence of diversification. We experimentally identify the factors responsible for losses in diversity during the later stages of the model adaptive radiation of the bacteriumPseudomonas fluorescens. Proximately, diversity declines because of the loss of biofilm-forming niche specialist morphotypes. We show that this loss occurs despite the presence of strong divergent selection late in the radiation and is associated with continued adaptation of resident niche specialists to both the biotic and abiotic environments. These results suggest that losses of diversity in the latter stages of an adaptive radiation may be a general consequence of diversification through competition and lends support to the idea that the conditions favouring the emergence of diversity are different from those that ensure its long-term maintenance.
Phenotypic plasticity and population viability: the importance of environmental predictability
Authors: Reed Thomas E. , Waples Robin S. , Schindler Daniel E. , Hard Jeffrey J. , Kinnison Michael T.
Published: June 2010

Phenotypic plasticity plays a key role in modulating how environmental variation influences population dynamics, but we have only rudimentary understanding of how plasticity interacts with the magnitude and predictability of environmental variation to affect population dynamics and persistence. We developed a stochastic individual-based model, in which phenotypes could respond to a temporally fluctuating environmental cue and fitness depended on the match between the phenotype and a randomly fluctuating trait optimum, to assess the absolute fitness and population dynamic consequences of plasticity under different levels of environmental stochasticity and cue reliability. When cue and optimum were tightly correlated, plasticity buffered absolute fitness from environmental variability, and population size remained high and relatively invariant. In contrast, when this correlation weakened and environmental variability was high, strong plasticity reduced population size, and populations with excessively strong plasticity had substantially greater extinction probability. Given that environments might become more variable and unpredictable in the future owing to anthropogenic influences, reaction norms that evolved under historic selective regimes could imperil populations in novel or changing environmental contexts. We suggest that demographic models (e.g. population viability analyses) would benefit from a more explicit consideration of how phenotypic plasticity influences population responses to environmental change.
Population genetic structure of the round stingray Urobatis halleri (Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes) in southern California and the Gulf of California
Authors: Plank S. M. , Lowe C. G. , Feldheim K. A. , Wilson R. R. , Brusslan J. A.
Published: June 2010

The round stingray, Urobatis halleri, is a viviparous elasmobranch that inhabits inshore, benthic habitats ranging from the western U.S.A. to Panama. The population genetic structure of this species was inferred with seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in samples collected at three sites in coastal southern California, one near Santa Catalina Island, California and one in the eastern Gulf of California. Urobatis halleri is relatively common, but little is known of its movement patterns or population structure. Small FST values (−0·0017 to 0·0005) suggested little structure among coastal populations of southern and Baja California. The population sampled at Santa Catalina Island, which is separated by a deep‐water channel from the coastal sites, however, was significantly divergent (large FST, 0·0251) from the other populations, suggesting low connectivity with coastal populations. The Santa Catalina Island population also had the lowest allele richness and lowest average heterozygosity, suggesting recent population bottlenecks in size.
Pollinator‐mediated selection and experimental manipulation of the flower phenotype inChloraea bletioides
Authors: Cuartas‐Domínguez Marcela , Medel Rodrigo
Published: June 2010

1. While many studies of flower evolution have relied on the assessment of selection coefficients, these estimates represent correlative evidence of selection. Few studies have combined correlative with experimental evidence, and hence the mechanisms underlying selection processes are not well understood.

2. In this study we quantified the magnitude, direction and form of pollinator‐mediated selection acting upon morphological traits in the Chilean endemic orchidChloraea bletioides. Results revealed strong selection differentials for plant height and flower number, and absence of total selection for morphological flower characters. Multivariate analysis of selection revealed a strong and positive directional selection gradient for flower number.

3. The labellar lobe and flower tube were under negative correlational selection, indicating that selection promoted alternative combinations of traits. Plants with long floral tubes and small labellar lobes, and short floral tubes with large labellar lobes were selected for. Interestingly, selection on flower number increased at a higher rate through the female function than through the male function, which suggests that size‐dependent resource limitation may be more important than pollinator‐mediated selection for fruit set.

4. In addition to estimates of phenotypic selection, we evaluated through phenotype modification the impact of pollinators on the correlation and potential integration of flower traits coming from different whorls. We removed the tip of the lateral sepals and the labellar lobe in a 2 × 2 factorial design.

5. Results revealed that phenotypic modification had no effect on male and female fitness. The absence of effect was consistent with the low and non‐significant selection coefficients. Nevertheless, the observation of significant correlational selection for labellar lobe and flower tube suggests that experimental studies performed on these characters may be of interest to evaluate the functional and adaptive integration of flower design in orchids.
Amphitropic amphiantarctic disjunctions in Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae
Authors: Spalik Krzysztof , Piwczyński Marcin , Danderson Clark A. , Kurzyna‐Młynik Renata , Bone Tiffany S. , Downie Stephen R.
Published: June 2010

Aim Four genera of the plant family Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae –Apium,Chaerophyllum,DaucusandLilaeopsis– are characterized by amphitropic and amphiantarctic distribution patterns, and in Australasia the subfamily is also represented by the tribe Aciphylleae. We infer the molecular ages of achieving amphitropic distribution for these lineages, reconstruct the biogeographical histories ofApium,Chaerophyllum,DaucusandLilaeopsis, and identify the sister group of Aciphylleae.

Location Worldwide, with an emphasis on South America and Australasia.

Methods Divergence times were estimated employing a Bayesian approach (beast) with fossil pollen of basal apioids as calibration points and using a data set of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA ITS) sequences from 284 accessions of Apioideae. Additionally, maximum‐likelihood analyses were performed for data subsets comprisingApium,DaucusandLilaeopsis. ForChaerophyllum, maximum‐likelihood andbeastanalyses were carried out using combined chloroplast DNA and ITS data. Biogeographical scenarios were inferred usingdivaandlagrange.

Results The sister group to Aciphylleae is the Sino‐HimalayanAcronemaclade and the divergence between these two lineages is dated at 34.8 Ma, whereas the radiation of Aciphylleae started 11.0 Ma. A Northern Hemispheric origin was inferred forApium,ChaerophyllumandDaucus, whereasLilaeopsisprobably originated in South America following a dispersal of its ancestor from North America.Chaerophyllum,DaucusandLilaeopsisdispersed to the Southern Hemisphere at 5.3, 7.0 and 27.9 Ma, respectively. ForApium, two dispersals from Europe were inferred: to South America at 6.3 Ma, and to southern Africa at 3.9 Ma. The taxa migrated along the land masses of North and South America (Daucus,Lilaeopsis) and Africa (Apium) or by direct transoceanic dispersals through the Atlantic (Apium) or the Pacific (Chaerophyllum). Within the Southern Hemisphere they dispersed both westwards (Apium,Daucus,Lilaeopsis) and eastwards (Chaerophyllum,Lilaeopsis). ForChaerophyllumandLilaeopsis, subsequent dispersal events to the Northern Hemisphere were also inferred.

Main conclusions Similar timing, contrasted with the diversity of migration routes, suggests that the dispersal events of these umbellifer taxa (and many other amphitropic amphiantarctic genera) were facilitated by favourable ecological conditions in the Southern Hemisphere (climatic cooling of the late Palaeogene/early Neogene) rather than by increased dispersal opportunities.
Historical biogeography of cynolebiasine annual killifishes inferred from dispersal–vicariance analysis
Authors: Costa Wilson J. E. M.
Published: June 2010

Aim  To analyse the biogeographical events responsible for the present distribution of cynolebiasine killifishes (Teleostei: Rivulidae: Cynolebiasini), a diversified and widespread Neotropical group of annual fishes threatened with extinction.

Location  South America, focusing on the main river basins draining the Brazilian Shield and adjacent zones.

Methods  Phylogenetic analysis of 214 morphological characters of 102 cynolebiasine species using tnt, in conjunction with dispersal–vicariance analysis (diva) based on the distribution of cynolebiasine species among 16 areas of endemism.

Results  The basal cynolebiasine node is hypothesized to be derived from an old vicariance event occurring just after the separation of South America from Africa, when the terrains at the passive margin of the South American plate were isolated from the remaining interior areas. This would have been followed by geodispersal events caused by river‐capturing episodes from the adjacent upland river basins to the coastal region. Optimal ancestral reconstructions suggest that the diversification of the tribe Cynolebiasini in north‐eastern South America was first caused by vicariance events in the Paranã–Urucuia–São Francisco area, followed by dispersal from the São Francisco to the Northeastern Brazil area. The latter dispersal event occurred simultaneously in two different cynolebiasine clades, possibly as a result of a temporary connection of the São Francisco area before the uplift of the Borborema Plateau during the Miocene. The diversity of cynolebiasines inhabiting the Paraguay area is hypothesized to be derived from two processes: an older vicariance event (about 30 Ma) separating Paraguay from southern Amazonian areas (Guaporé–Xingu–Araguaia–Tocantins), and a series of more recent dispersal and vicariance events (about 15–11 Ma) caused by successive marine transgressions, which permitted alternating biotic exchange and isolation in the Paraguay, La Plata, Negro and Patos areas.

Main conclusions  diva indicates there to have been a series of vicariance events congruent with tectonic episodes in South America, but the present distribution of cynolebiasines has also been shaped by a series of dispersal events. The effects of the combined action of dispersal and vicariance events were more conspicuous in the Eastern Brazil and Paraguay areas, thus generating reticulate biogeographical scenarios.
Sleep quantity, quality and optimism in children
Authors: LEMOLA SAKARI , RÄIKKÖNEN KATRI , SCHEIER MICHAEL F. , MATTHEWS KAREN A. , PESONEN ANU‐KATRIINA , HEINONEN KATI , LAHTI JARI , KOMSI NIINA , PAAVONEN JUULIA E. , KAJANTIE EERO
Published: June 2010

We tested the relationship of objectively measured sleep quantity and quality with positive characteristics of the child. Sleep duration, sleep latency and sleep efficiency were measured by an actigraph for an average of seven (range = 3–14) consecutive nights in 291 8‐year‐old children (standard deviation = 0.3 years). Children’s optimism, self‐esteem and social competence were rated by parents and/or teachers. Sleep duration showed a non‐linear, reverse J‐shaped relationship with optimism (P = 0.02), such that children with sleep duration in the middle of the distribution scored higher in optimism compared with children who slept relatively little. Shorter sleep latency was related to higher optimism (P = 0.01). The associations remained when adjusting for child’s age, sex, body mass index, and parental level of education and optimism. In conclusion, sufficient sleep quantity and good sleep quality are related to children’s positive characteristics. Our findings may inform why sleep quantity and quality and positive characteristics are associated with wellbeing in children.
Conservation genetics, foraging distance and nest density of the scarce Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus)
Authors: CHARMAN THOMAS G. , SEARS JANE , GREEN RHYS E. , BOURKE ANDREW F. G.
Published: June 2010

The conservation genetics of bees is of particular interest because many bee species are in decline, so jeopardizing the essential ecosystem service of plant pollination that they provide. In addition, as social haplodiploids, inbred bees may be vulnerable to the extra genetic load represented by the production of sterile diploid males. Using microsatellite markers, we investigated the genetic structure of populations of the Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus Morawitz) in the UK, where this species has undergone a precipitous decline. By means of a mixture of analytical methods and simulation, we also extended—and then applied—genetic methods for estimating foraging distance and nest density in wild bees. B. distinguendus populations were characterized by low expected heterozygosity and allelic richness, inbreeding coefficients not significantly different from zero, absence of detected diploid males, absence of substantial demographic bottlenecking, and population substructuring at large (c. 100+ km) but not small (10s of km) spatial scales. The minimum average effective population size at our sampling sites was low (c. 25). In coastal grassland (machair), the estimated modal foraging distance of workers was 391 m, with 95% of foraging activity occurring within 955 m of the nest, and estimated nest density was 19.3 nests km‐2. These findings show that B. distinguendus exhibits some genetic features of scarce, declining or fragmented populations. Moreover, B. distinguendus workers appear to forage over above‐average distances and nests remain thinly distributed even in current strongholds. These considerations should inform future conservation actions for this and similar species.
Pleistocene climatic cycling drives intra‐specific diversification in the intermediate horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus affinis) in Southern China
Authors: MAO XIU GUANG , ZHU GUANG JIAN , ZHANG SHUYI , ROSSITER STEPHEN J.
Published: June 2010

The repeated formation and loss of land‐bridges during the Pleistocene have had lasting impacts on population genetic structure. In the tropics, where island populations persisted through multiple glacial cycles, alternating periods of isolation and contact are expected to have driven population and taxonomic divergence. Here, we combine mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data with microsatellites to dissect the impact of Pleistocene climate change on intra‐specific diversification in the horseshoe bat Rhinolophus affinis. This taxon shows considerable morphological and acoustic variation: two parapatric subspecies (himalayanus and macrurus) occur on mainland China and a third (hainanus) on Hainan Island. Our phylogeographic reconstruction and coalescent analyses suggest the island subspecies formed from an ancestral population of himalayanus via two colonization events c. 800 000 years before present. R. a. hainanus then recolonized the mainland, forming macrurus and thus a secondary contact zone with himalayanus. Finally, macrurus recolonized Hainan following the LGM. We found that all three biological events corresponded to known periods of land‐bridge formation. Evidence of introgression was detected between macrurus and both its sister taxa, with geographical proximity rather than length of separation appearing to be the biggest determinant of subsequent genetic exchange. Our study highlights the important role of climate‐mediated sea level changes have had in shaping current processes and patterns of population structure and taxonomic diversification.
Structured populations of the oriental fruit moth in an agricultural ecosystem
Authors: TORRIANI MARCO V. G. , MAZZI DOMINIQUE , HEIN SILKE , DORN SILVIA
Published: June 2010

Intercontinental trade has led to multiple introductions of invasive pest species at a global scale. Molecular analyses of the structure of populations support the understanding of ecological strategies and evolutionary patterns that promote successful biological invasions. The oriental fruit moth, Grapholita (=Cydia) molesta, is a cosmopolitan and economically destructive pest of stone and pome fruits, expanding its distribution range concomitantly with global climate warming. We used ten newly developed polymorphic microsatellite markers to examine the genetic structure of G. molesta populations in an agricultural ecosystem in the Emilia‐Romagna region of northern Italy. Larvae collected in eight sampling sites were assigned to a mosaic of five populations with significant intra‐regional structure. Inferred measures of gene flow within populations implicated both active dispersal, and passive dispersal associated with accidental anthropogenic displacements. Small effective population sizes, coupled with high inbreeding levels, highlighted the effect of orchard management practices on the observed patterns of genetic variation within the sampling sites. Isolation by distance did not appear to play a major role at the spatial scale considered. Our results provide new insights into the population genetics and dynamics of an invasive pest species at a regional scale.
DNA barcodes show cryptic diversity and a potential physiological basis for host specificity among Diplostomoidea (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) parasitizing freshwater fishes in the St. Lawrence River, Canada
Authors: LOCKE SEAN A. , DANIEL MCLAUGHLIN J. , MARCOGLIESE DAVID J.
Published: June 2010

Diplostomoid metacercariae parasitize freshwater fishes worldwide and cannot be identified to species based on morphology. In this study, sequences of the barcode region of cytochromecoxidase subunit 1 (CO1) were used to discriminate species in 1088 diplostomoids, most of which were metacercariae from fish collected in the St. Lawrence River, Canada. Forty‐seven diplostomoid species were detected, representing a large increase in known diversity. Most species suggested by CO1 sequences were supported by sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA and host and tissue specificity. Three lines of evidence indicate that physiological incompatibility between host and parasite is a more important determinant of host specificity than ecological separation of hosts and parasites in this important group of freshwater fish pathogens. First, nearly all diplostomoid species residing outside the lens of the eyes of fish are highly host specific, while all species that occur inside the lens are generalists. This can be plausibly explained by a physiological mechanism, namely the lack of an effective immune response in the lens. Second, the distribution of diplostomoid species among fish taxa reflected the phylogenetic relationships of host species rather than their ecological similarities. Third, the same patterns of host specificity were observed in separate, ecologically distinctive fish communities.
Recognizing the temporal distinctions between landscape genetics and phylogeography
Authors: WANG IAN J.
Published: June 2010

The steadily advancing fields of landscape genetics and phylogeography share many goals. However, there are some very distinct differences between these two disciplines, including the kinds of data and analyses commonly used, the timescale over which these data are informative, and the hypotheses the data are used to examine. Recently, a number of studies appear to have confused or synonymized phylogeography and landscape genetics. The difference is not merely semantic; understanding the distinctions between these fields is important for ensuring that researchers are aware of the temporal scale over which their data are informative.
Up, up, and away: relative importance of horizontal and vertical escape from predators for survival and senescence
Authors: MØLLER A. P.
Published: June 2010

Animals fleeing a potential predator can escape horizontally or vertically, although vertical flight is more expensive than horizontal flight. The ability to escape in three dimensions by flying animals has been hypothesized to result in greater survival and eventually slower senescence than in animals only fleeing in two dimensions. In a comparative study of flight initiation distance in 69 species of birds when approached by a human, I found that the amount of variance explained by flight initiation distance was more than four times as large for the horizontal than the vertical component of perch height when taking flight. The slope of the relationship between horizontal distance and flight initiation distance (horizontal slope) increased with increasing body mass across species, whereas the slope of the relationship between vertical distance and flight initiation distance (vertical slope) decreased with increasing body mass. Therefore, there was a negative relationship between horizontal and vertical slope, although this negative relationship was significantly less steep than expected for a perfect trade‐off. The horizontal slope decreased with increasing density of the habitat from grassland over shrub to forest, whereas that was not the case for the vertical slope. Adult survival rate increased and rate of senescence (longevity adjusted for survival rate, body mass and sampling effort) decreased with increasing vertical, but not with horizontal slope, consistent with the prediction that vertical escape indeed provides a means of reducing the impact of predation.
Common garden experiment reveals pathogen isolate but no host genetic diversity effect on the dynamics of an emerging wildlife disease
Authors: HAWLEY D. M. , DHONDT K. V. , DOBSON A. P. , GRODIO J. L. , HOCHACHKA W. M. , LEY D. H. , OSNAS E. E. , SCHAT K. A. , DHONDT A. A.
Published: June 2010

Host genetic diversity can mediate pathogen resistance within and among populations. Here we test whether the lower prevalence of Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis in native North American house finch populations results from greater resistance to the causative agent, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), than introduced, recently‐bottlenecked populations that lack genetic diversity. In a common garden experiment, we challenged wild‐caught western (native) and eastern (introduced) North American finches with a representative eastern or western MG isolate. Although introduced finches in our study had lower neutral genetic diversity than native finches, we found no support for a population‐level genetic diversity effect on host resistance. Instead we detected strong support for isolate differences: the MG isolate circulating in western house finch populations produced lower virulence, but higher pathogen loads, in both native and introduced hosts. Our results indicate that contemporary differences in host genetic diversity likely do not explain the lower conjunctivitis prevalence in native house finches, but isolate‐level differences in virulence may play an important role.
Constraints on adaptation: explaining deviation from optimal sex ratio using artificial neural networks
Authors: LEWIS H. M. , TOSH C. R. , O’KEEFE S. , SHUKER D. M. , WEST S. A. , MAYHEW P. J.
Published: June 2010

Determining processes constraining adaptation is a major challenge facing evolutionary biology, and sex allocation has proved a useful model system for exploring different constraints. We investigate the evolution of suboptimal sex allocation in a solitary parasitoid wasp system by modelling information acquisition and processing using artificial neural networks (ANNs) evolving according to a genetic algorithm. Theory predicts an instantaneous switch from the production of male to female offspring with increasing host size, whereas data show gradual changes. We found that simple ANNs evolved towards producing sharp switches in sex ratio, but additional biologically reasonable assumptions of costs of synapse maintenance, and simplification of the ANNs, led to more gradual adjustment. Switch sharpness was robust to uncertainty in fitness consequences of host size, challenging interpretations of previous empirical findings. Our results also question some intuitive hypotheses concerning the evolution of threshold traits and confirm how neural processing may constrain adaptive behaviour.
Safe and Sound Scrapping of ‘Rusty Buckets’? The 2009 Hong Kong Ship Recycling Convention
Authors: Matz‐Lück Nele
Published: June 2010

Unsound scrapping practices in ship recycling facilities result in dangers for human beings and the environment. In many scrapyards, vessels are ‘beached’ and dismantled by hand. Toxic and other dangerous substances endanger the health of workers and pollute coastal land and waters. The adoption of the Hong Kong International Convention on the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in 2009 is an important element in the establishment of a multilateral and binding regime on better recycling practice. In substance, however, it is only a first step towards safer and more environmentally sound ship recycling as it provides only minimum standards.
Stuart Vortices Extended to a Sphere Admits Infinite‐Dimensional Generalized Symmetries
Authors: Ifidon E. O.
Published: June 2010

To generalize Stuart vortices to the surface of a sphere, Crowdy recently obtained a nonlinear partial differential equation (involving a parameter γ) that has no known solution except for γ= 0 for which he gives a solution [1]. γ= 0 is therefore, assumed to be a kind of “solvability” condition for the equation. In this paper, to examine the integrability of this equation, we apply a generalized form of the Wahlquist–Estabrook prolongation procedure given in [2] to the equation for all nonzero values of γ. We see that the generalized symmetries of the Stuart vortices when extended to the surface of a sphere are infinite dimensional for all nonzero values of γ and are isomorphic to which becomes the minimal prolongation algebra of the equation.