Oxygen Uptake During Repeated Exposure to Temperature Change: Physiological Divergence in Panamanian Cognate Pairs and Latitudinally Distant Populations of Decapod Crustacea

Abstract. The emergence of the Isthmus of Panama subdivided the amphi-American biota. In the present study, Pacific and Atlantic populations of four cognate pairs of crabs were used to discern whether exposure to different thermal regimes in habitats, in the putative absence of gene flow, has resulted in physiological divergence. Populations that potentially form a common genetic pool were also used; these were populations of the Atlantic Panama cognate that occur in Belize and Florida. Decreases in water temperature occur periodically in Pacific Panama and Florida, but not in Atlantic Panama or Belize. In this study, physiological divergence in oxygen uptake was assessed in response to repeated exposure to either control and decreased temperature or control and increased temperature. Results indicate that, in only some of the genera tested, exposure to decreases in habitat temperature has resulted in divergence. Partial support is found for the corollary that adaptation to an environment with periods of decreased temperature results in reduced compensation during exposure to elevated temperature.     

渤海湾盆地沙河街组钙质超微化石古生态及沉积环境

渤海湾盆地沙河街组中钙质超微化石的发现,表明这一时期渤海湾盆地与海水有过联系。对钙质超微化石古生态及沉积环境研究表明,化石主要产出时代为始新世晚期至渐新世早中期,属“间冰期”亚热带气候型。这一问题的深入研究,对于渤海湾盆地的石油勘探有重要意义。     

Systematic Revision of Trilobites from the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) Klimoli Formation of the Zhuozishan Area, Inner Mongolia, China

New morphologic information permits systematic revision of trilobites from the Middle Ordovician Klimoli Formation of the Zhuozishan area, Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia. The new assemblage is composed of 10 species of the Raphiophoridae, Nileidae, Asaphidae, and Telephinidae.? An asaphid, aff. Mioptychopyge lashachungensis (previously Paraptychopyge lashachungensis) displays an intermediate morphology between the Chinese nobiliasaphine genera Mioptychopyge and Zhenganites. The pygidial doublure is regarded as the most significant character to differentiate Symphysurus klimoliensis (previously Nileus klimoliensis) of the Nileidae from such closely allied taxa as Poronileus. A nileid, cf. Peraspis kujandensis displays typical nileid morphology, unlike the type species, Peraspis lineolata, which might turn out to be an asaphid. Ampyx gongwusuensis sp. nov. of the Raphiophoridae is the first record of the genus in the Zhuozishan area and reveals morphologic details that might be employed to resolve Ampyx taxonomy in China. Morphologic differences between A. gongwusuensis and Abulbaspis ordosensis might represent a case of sexual dimorphism.     

Coevolution between Terrestrial Ecosystem and Earth Environment

Coevolution between terrestrial ecosystem and Earth environment is a hot research topic in both biology and geology. Last progresses in these field are reported from following research subjects: evolution of jawed vertebrates(gnathostomata) from Silurian; occurrence of earliest forests from Devonian of Xinjiang; biodiversity of insects in amber from Cretaceous of Myanmar; Evolution of primates and geochemistry studies from Eocene/Oligocene; studies of Longdan fauna from Lingxia basin, Gansu Province of earlier Pleistocene and endemic cloven-breast fishes from Pliocene Tibet; the correlations thick-boned fish,Hsianwenia wui, and the aridification of the Qaidam Basin; monsoon climate and its impact on biodiversity; study on the flora from Mankang, Tibet of Miocene and its palaeoclimate; depositional environment and its impact on the preservation of fossils; contraction of high resolution Stratigraphic series by using data of paleomagnetism and mammal fossils.     

西南极乔治王岛新生代古生物特征及古环境探讨

西南极乔治王岛发育有一套高钾低铝的拉斑玄武岩,夹火山碎屑岩,属于岛弧火山岩系列。该岛还保存了南极最长的冰川沉积记录,是研究南极冰盖演化历史的重要证据。乔治王岛出露的新生代陆相地层中含有丰富的植物叶、孢粉、茎干、无脊椎动物化石及鸟类足印的痕迹化石等,从始新世到早中新世,化石逐渐减少,表明植物多样性呈明显下降趋势,幸存的稀疏植被被严格限制在冰川周缘的苔原物种上。冰海相地层与古生物研究表明,晚渐新世海相地层主要对应高能环境,早中新世海相地层对应低能环境。对乔治王岛新生代古生物特征及古环境的探讨,不仅理解了古生物及多样性的变化趋势,也为重建南极古环境提供证据。      

寒武纪生物大爆发之后的底栖生态系统工程建造者:以河南地区为例

扰动生物作为生态系统工程建造者,通过对沉积底质的改造直接影响沉积物和水体之间的相互作用(营养物质的循环、迁移和存储),对底栖生态系统工程有重要的影响.遗迹化石作为底栖生物活动的载体,为研究寒武纪大爆发之后底栖生态系统工程建造者的演化规律,并评价底栖生态系统工程建造者对生态系统工程产生的影响提供了依据.对河南地区8个寒武...     

中国海洋无脊椎动物分类学与系统演化研究进展与展望

综述了我国海域无脊椎动物的分类学和系统演化研究的历史和概况,以及我国分类系统学工作者在海洋无脊椎动物分类学、区系与动物地理学、系统发育与分子系统学领域的主要工作,重点介绍了中国科学院海洋研究所的海洋无脊椎动物分类学工作。涉及类群包括原生动物、海绵动物、刺胞动物、线虫、多毛类环节动物、星虫、螠虫、软体动物、节肢动物、苔藓动物、毛颚动物、棘皮动物、半索动物等主要的无脊椎动物门类。涉及海域以我国管辖海域,特别是中国近海为主,也涉及了西太平洋、西南印度洋等深海环境的无脊椎动物类群的分类学报道。本文总结过去,展望未来,对于在我国在海洋无脊椎动物分类与系统演化研究领域成就基础上,发现薄弱环节,研讨今后本学科的发展方向,填补研究空白,赶超本领域国际前沿,都有重要借鉴意义。     

Impacts of soil fauna on litter decomposition at different succession stages of wetland in Sanjiang Plain, China

Litter decomposition is the key process in nutrient recycling and energy flow. The present study examined the impacts of soil fauna on decomposition rates and nutrient fluxes at three succession stages of wetland in the Sanjiang Plain, China using different mesh litterbags. The results show that in each succession stage of wetland, soil fauna can obviously increase litter decomposition rates. The average contribution of whole soil fauna to litter mass loss was 35.35%. The more complex the soil fauna group, the more significant the role of soil fauna. The average loss of three types of litter in the 4mm mesh litterbags was 0.3–4.1 times that in 0.058mm ones. The decomposition function of soil fauna to litter mass changed with the wetland succession. The average contribution of soil fauna to litter loss firstly decreased from 34.96% (Carex lasiocapa) to 32.94% (Carex meyeriana), then increased to 38.16% (Calamagrostics angustifolia). The contributions of soil fauna to litter decomposition rates vary according to the litter substrata, soil fauna communities and seasons. Significant effects were respectively found in August and July on C. angustifolia and C. lasiocapa, while in June and August on C. meyeriana. Total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents and the C/N and C/P ratios of decaying litter can be influenced by soil fauna. At different wetland succession stages, the effects of soil fauna on nutrient elements also differ greatly, which shows the significant difference of influencing element types and degrees. Soil fauna communities strongly influenced the TC and TP concentrations of C. meyeriana litter, and TP content of C. lasiocapa. Our results indicate that soil fauna have important effects on litter decomposition and this influence will vary with the wetland succession and seasonal variation. Foundation item: Under the auspices of State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (No. 2009CB421103), Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40830535/D0101), Knowledge Innovation Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-BR-16, KSCX2-YW-N-46-06)     

Miocene pinnipeds of the otariid subfamily Allodesminae in the North Pacific Ocean: Systematics and relationships

Abstract Fossil pinnipeds in the extinct otariid subfamily Allodesminae are large, relatively highly evolved marine carnivores that became abundant and diverse in Middle Miocene time and were restricted to the North Pacific Ocean. Their record extends from early Middle Miocene through Late Miocene, with records from California, Oregon, Washington, Baja California and Japan. Allodesmines are characterized by extreme sexual dimorphism, a large orbit, retracted orbital margin of the zygomatic arch, a deeply mortised jugal-squamosal junction, wide palate, bulbous cheek tooth crowns, nearly flat tympanic bulla with wrinkled ventral surface, a large tympanohyal fossa, large ear ossicles and deep mandible. Eleven allodesmine species are known (eight of which are named), in at least four genera, and most belong to the typical genus Allodesmus Kellogg, 1922. The earliest and most generalized allodesmine known is from the early Middle Miocene (ca 16 Ma) Astoria Formation in coastal Oregon. The last known records are from Late Miocene rocks (ca 10 Ma) in California and Washington. New taxa proposed here are: the genus Brachyallodesmus Barnes and Hirota, to contain Allodesmus packardi Barnes, 1972; the genus Megagomphos Hirota and Barnes, to contain Allodesmus sinanoensis (Nagao, 1941); the species Allodesmus sadoensis Hirota, (Middle Miocene, Japan); the species Allodesmus megallos Hirota (Middle Miocene, Japan); and the species Allodesmus gracilis Barnes (Middle Miocene, California). Additionally, the genus Atopotarus Downs, 1956, and the species Allodesmus kelloggi Mitchell, 1966, are resurrected. Allodesmines were apparently a rapidly evolving group, and most appear to have been adapted to roles later filled by otariine, dusignathine and imagotariine otariids, and the Phocidae (true seals). They became extinct in Late Miocene time and left no living descendants. Although some of their characters evolved convergently with various living species of the pinniped family Phocidae, Allodesminae are an otariid group and not part of the evolutionary history of Phocidae.