Genetic diversity and population structure of the franciscana dolphin,Pontoporia blainvillei,in Southern Buenos Aires,Argentina

The franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is endemic to the coastal waters of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the most endangered dolphin in the area. Four Franciscana Management Areas (FMAs) are currently recognised; however, results of genetic studies suggest the requirement for additional FMAs and highlight the need for more detailed studies in the southern extreme of the species distribution. With this aim, we studied the genetic diversity and population structure of the species analysing an mtDNA control region fragment (434?bp) in 44 individuals collected in four sampling sites located in Southern Buenos Aires. Haplotype diversity (H?=?0.75?±?0.05) was mostly higher than the observed in endangered or near threatened odontocetes. Population structure analyses suggest that three different genetic populations should be recognised within FMA IV: Northern, Eastern and Southern Buenos Aires. Altogether, these results should be taken into account in future conservation plans for the species.     

The role of aerosols and greenhouse gases in Sahel drought and recovery

Climatic Change - We exploit the multi-model ensemble produced by phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to synthesize current understanding of external forcing of Sahel...     

Morphologic variability of exposed mass-transport deposits on the eastern slope of Gela Basin (Sicily channel)

The NE portion of Gela Basin in the Sicily Channel is affected by multiple slope failures originated during the late‐Quaternary. Basin sequences show evidence of stacked acoustically transparent and/or chaotic units, characterized by irregular upper surfaces, interpreted as mass‐transport deposits. The seafloor morphology also shows evidence of both old, partially buried, as well as recent slide products. Two recent slides exposed at seafloor, only 6 km apart (Twin Slides), are similar in geomorphological parameters, age and multistage evolution. Multistage failure of Twin Slides evolved from mud flows, derived from the extensive failure of less consolidated post‐glacial units, to localized slides (second stage of failure) affecting older and more consolidated materials. Although Twin Slides are very close to each other and have similar runout and fall height, they produced very dissimilar organization of the displaced masses, likely reflecting the distinct source units affected by failures. Integrating geophysical, sedimentological, structural and palaeontological data, a detailed investigation was conducted to determine the size and internal geometry of this mass‐transport complex, to explain the differentiated product and to shed light on its predisposing factors, triggers and timing.     

Clinopyroxenes and amphiboles in a metadolerite from the northern apennines. Implications on the palaeogeographic role of ophiolites

Summary A metadolerite of the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines (Vignola, Panaro Valley, near Modena, Italy) behaves as ocean-floor tholeiites when Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y and Nb are considered. However, it deviates from typical oceanic tholeiites in that(1) it contains primary alkali amphiboles, (2) its clinopyroxenes plot in the diagram TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O not in the fields of the ocean-floor basalts, and (3) the calculated uranium content of the liquid in equilibrium with its magmatic minerals is similar to the one reported for alkali basalts.These results put constraints on the generalized significance attributed to the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines, i. e. not all of them were generated at spreading ridges similar to the normal ridge segments of the present-day ocean-floors, as has been generally accepted by now.The metamorphic parageneses indicate that the rock underwent low-pressure transformations, probably in oceanic environment, followed by recrystallizations at higher pressure, reasonably in concomitance with an orogenesis.

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Klinopyroxene und Amphibole in einem Metadolerit aus dem Nördlichen Apennin. Folgerungen für die paläogeographische Stellung der Ophiolithe

Zusammenfassung Ein Metadolerit aus den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins (Vignola im Panaro-Tal bei Modena, Italien) entspricht in den Gehalten an Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y und Nb den Tholeiiten der Ozeanböden. Er weicht hingegen von typischen ozeanischen Tholeiiten dadurch ab, daß er 1. primäre Alkaliamphibole enthält, daß 2. seine Klinopyroxene im Diagramm TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O nicht in die Felder der Tholeiite der Ozeanböden fallen und daß 3, der berechnete U-Gehalt für die mit seinen magmatischen Mineralen im Gleichgewicht stehenden liquiden Phase ähnlich jener ist, die für Alkalibasalte angegeben wird.Diese Ergebnisse schränken die generelle Bedeutung, die den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins bisher allgemein zugeschrieben wurde, ein: Nicht alle entstanden an sich ausdehnenden Rücken ähnlich jenen der heutigen Ozeanböden.Die metamorphen Parageneses zeigen, daß das Gestein bei niedrigem Druck, wahrscheinlich in ozeanischer Umgebung, Umwandlungen erlitt; dann folgten Rekristallisationen unter höherem Druck, die wohl zeitlich mit einer Orogenese zusammenfielen.

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With 4 Figures     

Mortality by cause of death in Colombia: a local analysis using spatial econometrics

Journal of Geographical Systems - Colombia is undergoing major changes in mortality patterns. National- and department-level cause-specific analyses have previously been carried out, but very...     

A “Spring–mass” model of tethered satellite systems: properties of planar periodic motions

This paper is devoted to the dynamics in a central gravity field of two point masses connected by a massless tether (the so called “spring–mass” model of tethered satellite systems). Only the motions with straight strained tether are studied, while the case of “slack” tether is not considered. It is assumed that the distance between the point masses is substantially smaller than the distance between the system’s center of mass and the field center. This assumption allows us to treat the motion of the center of mass as an unperturbed Keplerian one, so to focus our study on attitude dynamics. A particular attention is given to the family of planar periodic motions in which the center of mass moves on an elliptic orbit, and the point masses never leave the orbital plane. If the eccentricity tends to zero, the corresponding family admits as a limit case the relative equilibrium in which the tether is elongated along the line joining the center of mass with the field center. We study the bifurcations and the stability of these planar periodic motions with respect to in-plane and out-of-plane perturbations. Our results show that the stable motions take place if the eccentricity of the orbit is sufficiently small.