Activity rhythms of houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) in relation to some abiotic factors

Activity rhythms of captive-bred reintroduced houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) were studied in the Mahazat as-Sayd reserve in Saudi Arabia. Birds were radio tagged with solar powered transmitters and activity was recorded with an automatic recording station over several weeks in the summer of 1993. Peaks of diurnal activity were observed at dawn and dusk. Daytime activity was negatively related to solar radiation and soil surface temperature. Nocturnal activity was triggered by moonlight. Food consumption, the duration of night-time activity and the minimum distance moved at night by houbara were positively correlated to the duration of moonlight.     

Vertical structure of larval fish assemblages during diel cycles in summer and winter in the southern part of Bahía de La Paz, México

The effect of environmental variables on the vertical structure of larval fish assemblages in a tropical coastal lagoon was analyzed. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected from the near-bottom and surface strata near the mouth of a subtropical lagoon during contrasting seasonal conditions of temperature, photoperiod, light intensity, and tidal heights. During summer, larval fish assemblages had high species richness (R) and were dominated by tropical species. During winter, assemblages had lower R values and were dominated by subtropical and temperate species. Vertical distribution patterns of the taxa were determined by the interaction of environmental variables and behavior of each species to maintain their position in a stratum in the water column, or to achieve vertical migrations induced by environmental stimuli that, in this case, were thermal gradient, column water stratification, and intensity of light. Depth position and vertical migration of fish larvae, coupled with the flood and ebb tide conditions, played an important role in their retention and displacement toward the lagoon. Fish larvae with distribution restricted to the inner part of the inlet, such as Achirus mazatlanus, Etropus sp., and several gobies, were more abundant in the near-bottom stratum during the ebb tide, allowing them to avoid exportation, whereas those that could spawn outside, but depended on the inlet as a nursery area, were more abundant near the surface during flood tide, such as Abudefduf troschelii and Stegastes rectifraenum.     

Day–night and depth differences in haemolymph melatonin of the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus (L.)

Few studies have been conducted to quantify and understand the role of melatonin in invertebrates, and particularly in crustaceans and in deep-sea animals. In this study, we examined day–night differences in haemolymph melatonin of the burrowing decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus (L.) during exposure to cycles of monochromatic blue light (480 nm) and darkness cycles of 10 and 0.1 lx. These differential intensity conditions simulate illumination at the depth of the shelf (80–100 m) and of the slope (300–400 m), where these lobster populations are chiefly found in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Our objectives were: (a) to verify the presence of melatonin in the haemolymph of this species using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and fluorescence HPLC (HPLC); and (b) to study the relationship between diel variations in melatonin concentration and locomotor rhythms, in order to examine whether the former influences behaviour. Melatonin was identified in LC–MS/MS by Q1 and Q3 mass peaks at an elution time of 3.7 min, and it was also detected by HPLC. Melatonin concentration was found to be two orders of magnitude higher at 10 lx (4.8±5.3 ng ml⁻¹) than at 0.1 lx (0.06±0.03 ng ml⁻¹). Also, the increase at daytime in 10 lx was absent in 0.1 lx. When the locomotor rhythm of animals exposed to both photoperiod regimes was compared, the diel periodicity was found to be preserved, but the timing of activity shifted from night to day. Extrapolating these data to the field, we interpret our results to mean that locomotor activity preserves its diel character, but not its phase and amplitude, in a bathymetric range where haemolymph melatonin reduces its concentration and rhythmic fluctuation.     

Patterns of Activity of the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus in the Bay of Port-Cros (Var, France, Mediterranean)

Abstract. Tagged individuals of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus followed in Port Cros Island showed mostly nocturnal movements, with individual peaks of activity which were not coordinated for the population during the night period. The straight line distance travelled in 24 h has a mean value of 49 cm, with a range of 0 to 240 cm. Neither sea urchin size nor depth affect activity. The urchins living on rocky substrate moved significantly more than those on seagrass beds. From one day to another, the distance travelled by the population of urchins varies significantly; this is not related to season. The activity is negatively correlated with the mean wind speed; during a period of turbulence lasting several hours, movement was significantly oriented to the deep. Periods of inactivity of 1 or 2 days were observed; they are not coordinated for the individuals followed, and the relation between feeding and movement is not clear. Urchins seem to stay in a quite small area, at least for some months.     

Circadian rhythms in the growth and reproduction of the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida and gametogenesis under different photoperiods

Circadian growth rhythm of the juvenile sporophyte of the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida was measured with the computer-aided image analysis system in constant florescent white light under constant temperature (10 ℃). The growth rhythm persisted for 4 d in constant light with a free-running period of 25.6 h. Egg release from filamentous gametophytes pre-cultured in the light-dark regime was evaluated for six consecutive days at fixed time intervals in constant white light and 12 h light per day. Egg release rhythm persisted for 3 d in both regimes, indicating the endogenous nature. Temporal scale of egg release and gametogenesis in 18, 16, 12 and 8 h light per day were evaluated respectively using vegetatively propagated filamentous gametophytes. Egg release occurred 2 h after the onset of dark phase and peaked at midnight. Evaluation of the rates of oogonium formation, egg release or fertilization revealed no significant differences in four light-dark regimes, indicating the great plasticity of sexual reproduction. No photoperiodic effect in gametogenesis in terms of oogonium formation and egg release was found, but fertilization in short days was significantly higher than in long days. Results of this investigation further confirmed the general occurrence of circadian rhythms in intertidal seaweed species.     

日光照时数对裙带菜配子体发育的影响

于１９９２年４月在青岛前海栈桥湾采集野生的裙带菜，并在室内分离和培养雌，雄配子体克隆，利用营养生长的配子体材料研究光照时数（ＤＨ）对配子体发育的影响，结果表明，连续光照可以有效地阻配子体发育，配子体只进行营养生长（ＶＧ），形成卵囊的配子体细胞占的比例为零，雌配子体细胞呈不规则圆形，多个细胞聚集成簇状，雄配子体则长成丝状体，随着ＤＨ的减少，发育的配子体细胞数比例逐渐上升，至ＤＨ为１２时达最高，为６３     

基于观测资料的我国天气现象时空分布分析

利用全国576个台站1961—2010年天气现象观测资料,对34种天气现象年平均发生频率、昼夜分布特征、代表性天气现象和区域代表站天气现象的发生情况等进行了统计分析。结果表明:雨、露、结冰、阵雨、轻雾、霜、雷暴天气现象的年平均发生频率较高,极光、龙卷、雪暴等天气现象的年平均发生频率极低。近年来,雾的发生呈缓慢下降趋势,轻雾呈缓慢上升趋势,霾在2000年后快速发展,且发生地点逐步扩大。天气现象的发生具有一定的地域性,但各地多发天气现象的前20种基本相似,仅发生频率排序不同。     

地震韵律研究方法初探--以郯庐断裂带龙泉山西麓剖面研究为例

通过对郯庐断裂带龙泉山西麓剖面的精细观测,样品微观和超微观测试,断层物质活动时代测定和综合分析研究,发现断裂带在第四纪曾有过多次活动（其中晚更新世以来也曾有过活动）,并呈现粘蠕滑交替的变形特征,其最新活动方式以蠕滑活动为主,这些结论修正了前人对郯庐断裂带南段的基本认识,丰富和深化了该断裂新活动的研究内容。     

Molecular insights into the circadian clock in marine diatoms

The circadian clock is a fundamental endogenous mechanism of adaptation that coordinates the physiology and behavior of most organisms with diel variations in the external environment to maintain temporal homeostasis. Diatoms are the major primary producers in the ocean. However, little is known about the circadian clock in marine diatoms compared with other organisms. Here, we investigated circadian clock genes, their expression patterns, and responses to environmental stimuli such as light, nitrogen and phosphorus in two marine diatoms, Skeletonema costatum and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, using a combination of qRT-PCR and bioinformatic analysis. We identified 17 and 18 circadian clock genes in P. tricornutum and S. costatum, respectively. Despite significant evolutionary differences, these genes were similar to those of the higher plant Arabidopsis. We also established a molecular model for the marine diatom circadian clock comprising an input pathway, core oscillator, output pathway, and valve effector. Notably, the expression patterns of core clock genes (circadian clock associated 1 (CCA1), late elongated hypocotyl (LHY) and timing of cab 1 (TOC1)) in both species differed from those of terrestrial plants. Furthermore, the expression of these genes was influenced by variations in ambient light, nitrogen and phosphorus availability. Although marine diatoms and higher plants share common circadian clock components, their clock genes have diverged throughout evolution, likely as a result of adapting to contrasting environments.     

侏罗-白垩纪地球圈层演化节律及相互关系

文章根据国内外近年多学科研究新成果，结合东亚燕山构造阶段经典地区陆相地层特征，重点评述了全球中侏罗至早白垩世地质年代表存在的问题，提出了与国际海相分阶、二级层序地层界面、磁性地层和较合理的同位素年龄值相协调的陆相地层划分对比方案。在此基础上探讨了地球岩石圈、水圈、气圈、生物圈以及地外宇宙圈演化节律和耦合关系，指出本阶段中地球各圈层演化节律间的一些差异性和不确定性，显示了地球历史节律中规律性和随机性的辩证统一。