降水对日本菊花螺胚胎发育和幼体孵化的影响

作为常见的肺螺亚纲生物,日本菊花螺Siphonaria japonica(Donovan,1824)会将卵带产于潮间带岩石上,因此会经常遭受降水的影响。为阐明降水对日本菊花螺胚胎发育和幼体孵化的影响,本研究通过实验室模拟和野外原位取样相结合的方式分析了降水对卵带内胚胎发育状态、幼体累积孵化数、单位时间幼体孵化最高值和最高值出现时间的影响。结果表明:实验室模拟降水会显著影响卵带胚胎发育和幼体孵化(P0.05);自然降水并不会影响幼体累积孵化数(P0.05),但会显著加快幼体孵化速率(P0.05)。     

An accumulation of turtle eggs with embryos from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) Judith River Formation of Montana

A weathered accumulation of turtle eggs, interpreted as remnants of a single clutch composed of at least 16 turtle eggs (MOR 710) from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) Judith River Formation of north-central Montana, USA, represents a new oospecies Testudoolithus zelenitskyae. This ootaxon is diagnosed by the following unique combination of characters: spherical eggs 34–39 mm in diameter, 660–760 μm thick eggshell, shell unit height-to-width ratio of 3.15:1–5.5:1, and domed shell units. Estimated egg mass indicates that the egg-laying adult likely possessed a carapace 35.0–54.4 cm in length. Similarities between T. zelenitskyae oosp. nov. and Adocus sp. eggs, along with comparable body size, suggest that this taxon might have produced MOR 710. One egg exhibits abnormal multilayered eggshell, likely resulting from prolonged egg retention by the female turtle. At least five of these eggs, including the multilayered specimen, preserve embryonic remains that demonstrate a late stage of embryonic development. This suggests that death occurred just prior to hatching.     

Statistical Approach for Classification of Dinosaur Eggs from the Heyuan Basin at the Northeast of Guangdong Province

The Zhutian and Dafeng formations (Upper Cretaceous) of the Heyuan Basin in northeastern Guangdong Province, China, have produced thousands of dinosaur eggs. Macromorphological features (egg diameter, egg shape, outer surface texture, and shell thickness) of 461 eggs were analyzed using non-destructive techniques and subjected to statistical analyses in order to assess their diversity and taxonomic affinities. Three types (1, 2 and 3) of eggs were discerned based on shape and outer surface morphology. Type 1 eggs are spherical to ellipsoidal in shape and have a rough surface. Three subtypes (Type 1-A-1, 1-A-2, and 1-B) are apparent from scatter plots and cluster analyses of egg diameters and shell thickness. Type 2 eggs are elongate with linear ornamentation on the surface, and are comparable to eggs that belong to the oofamily Elongatoolithidae. Type 3 eggs are elongate with a smooth surface, and are assigned to the oofamily Prismatoolithidae. Macromorphological features of the various egg types suggest that Type 1 could have been laid by ornithischian, sauropod or therizinosaur dinosaurs, Type 2 by oviraptorids, and Type 3 by troodontids. This study represents the first comprehensive statistical analysis of macrofeatures of dinosaur eggs, and reveals taxonomic diversity in the dinosaurs that were laying eggs in the Upper Cretaceous Heyuan area heretofore unrecognized in skeletal remains.     

Use of a traditional Maori harvesting method,the tau kōura,for monitoring kōura (freshwater crayfish,Paranephrops planifions) in Lake Rotoiti,North Island,New Zealand

Sampling of kōura (freshwater crayfish Paranephrops planifrons) to assess population abundance and structure in lakes is often difficult or impractical because of the absence of representative methods. The tau kôura is a traditional Maori method used to catch kôura in central North Island lakes by placing whakaweku (bundles of bracken fern Pteridium esculentum) on the lake bed that kôura then colonise. It has advantages as a monitoring tool over conventional methods, such as baited traps and dive surveys, as it samples all kôura size classes, can be used in turbid waters and at a wide range of depths, and does not require expensive equipment or specialised expertise (e.g., SCUBA). We demonstrate its use to monitor kôura populations in Lake Rotoiti (mean depth 32 m), North Island, New Zealand. Application of the method allowed differences in population size structure to be distinguished between a shallow and a moderate depth site within Lake Rotoiti and to discern seasonal breeding patterns.     

Reproductive traits of Euterpina acutifrons in a coastal area of Southeastern Brazil

We investigated the reproductive biology of the planktonic harpacticoid copepod Euterpina acutifrons, including morphometric data, egg production rates (EPR) and viability, and weight‐specific egg production. Experiments were carried out during 1 year in an inner‐shelf area off Ubatuba (SE Brazil), a site seasonally influenced by bottom intrusions of the relatively cold and nutrient‐rich South Atlantic Central Water (SACW). We hypothesized that E. acutifrons attain higher reproductive rates when SACW penetrates in this region. Live females were incubated individually in cell culture plates during two periods of 24 h each, under controlled temperature and light conditions. Euterpina acutifrons carried on average 16.9 ± 6.9 eggs·sac^?1, ranging between 10.8 ± 5.7 and 30.8 ± 7.4 eggs·sac^?1. Estimated EPRs ranged from 6.3 ± 3.4 to 13.6 ± 4.2 eggs·female^?1·day^?1, with mean weight‐specific egg production rates of 0.06 ± 0.04 and 0.17 ± 0.08 per day. Euterpina acutifrons was not directly influenced by SACW intrusions, but body length and clutch size were positively related to temperature and chlorophyll content. Egg hatching time was clearly dependent on water temperature, as a 2 °C increase resulted in a decrease of 15 h in egg hatching time. This shows that even a small variation in temperature may considerably affect E. acutifrons population dynamics. Reproductive traits of this pelagic harpacticoid seem, therefore, to be controlled by the trade‐offs between increased food supply and the metabolic demands at low temperatures associated with SACW bottom intrusions toward this coastal area.     

Early development of Forsterygion varium,Gilloblennius decemdigitatus,and G. tripennis (Pisces: Tripterygiidae)

In the Wellington area (central New Zealand) Forsterygion varium (Forster, in Bloch & Schneider 1801) spawns from early June to late November, Gilloblennius decemdigitatus (Clarke, 1879) from early June to early October, and G. tripennis (Forster, in Bloch & Schneider 1801) from July to October. They deposit their eggs on firm substrates below the low tide level. Egg clusters are attended by an adult fish until hatching, which in the laboratory at 11.5–13.5°C, occurs after 18 days for F. varium and 20 days for G. decemdigitatus. Development to hatching for G. tripennis takes about 21 days at 13–15°c. The egg development of all three species is illustrated. The yolk‐sac larvae (prolarvae) of F. varium, G. decemdigitatus, and G. tripennis at hatching average 5.85, 5.03, and 5.72 mm standard length respectively. Yolk‐sac larvae of F. varium have a single row of 9–17 small, stellate melanophores along the ventral midline of the tail. The yolk‐sac larvae of G. tripennis have up to nine melanophores along the ventral midline of the tail, a medium‐sized melanophore above the optic lobes, and a further two above the medulla. The yolk‐sac larvae of G. decemdigitatus have three large mid‐dorsal melanophores interspersed with five smaller, paler pigment cells, and three large mid‐ventral melanophores interspersed with three of the smaller cells.     

浙江恐龙和蛋化石的时代

在浙江省内,有12个白垩纪红层盆地中发现恐龙化石和蛋化石,且多个盆地龙蛋共生。经初步调查,除金衢盆地衢江群下部中戴组发现恐龙化石外,恐龙化石和蛋化石均产于盆地内的中上部地层:即永康群朝川组、方岩组,衢江群的金华组和衢县组,天台群两头塘组和赤城山组。从相关地层的古生物组合时代和火山岩同位素年龄为101～90Ma以及地层的古地磁均为正向极性特征分析,浙江绝大部分恐龙蛋的时代应为晚白垩世,而蜂窝蛋类化石时代则很可能是早白垩世晚期或未期。     

壶状臂尾轮虫及其休眠卵的形态学研究

从乳山对虾养殖场池塘底泥中分离出数量较多的一种轮虫休眠卵,经孵化鉴定为壶状臂尾轮虫(Brachionus urceus),对该轮虫休眠卵及孵出的轮虫进行了形态学观察.扫描电镜观察发现,壶状臂尾轮虫休眠卵表面有明显的、不规则的褶皱突起,与已有报道略有差异,这可能是由生活水体盐度的不同引起的;该休眠卵表面附着一些污染物.透射电镜观察显示,壶状臂尾轮虫细胞内线粒体密集、分泌颗粒较多,这是与其代谢旺盛、运动活跃等机能相适应的.     

基于DNA条形码技术的浮游动物休眠卵种类鉴定:以洞庭湖流域常德柳叶湖为例

以洞庭湖流域的典型城市湖泊常德柳叶湖表层沉积物中浮游动物休眠卵为研究对象,采用DNA条形码技术进行种类鉴定,从191个休眠卵中成功获得101条有效序列,鉴定成功率约为53%.根据NCBI数据库比对成功鉴定休眠卵9科12属11种,另有6个样品鉴定到属或科;3个类群的种间遗传距离平均为种内遗传距离的68倍,表明可以利用线粒体细胞色素c氧化酶第一亚基编码基因(COⅠ)对休眠卵进行有效物种鉴定.通过Neighbor-Joining树进行系统发育分析,发现所鉴定的物种与其参比序列聚类为一支,所有物种分别聚为独立的一个支系,不同物种可有效区分.研究结果均表明,COⅠ基因作为DNA条形码可以实现沉积物中浮游动物休眠卵的物种鉴定.