The oldest tachyporine rove beetle in amber (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae): A new genus and species from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber

A new genus and species of extinct rove beetle, Procileoporus burmiticus gen. and sp. n., is described from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Cenomanian; ca. 99 Ma). Due to the condition of the fossil, parts of the body could not be examined, but sufficient characteristics were visible to allow the specimen to be placed within the subfamily Tachyporinae (tribe Tachyporini). Procileoporus is most similar to the extant genus Cileoporus Campbell in having a slender abdomen, but it differs in having much shorter abdominal setae, prominent striated microreticulation on the elytra, non-lobed tergite VIII, and in other details of the male genital segments. This is the first tachyporine rove beetle from Burmese amber and the oldest record of the subfamily in amber. The evolution of sexual dimorphism in the genital segments is briefly discussed.     

养殖曼氏无针乌贼(Sepiella japonica)的两性异形及判别模式的建立

两性个体的有效鉴别是曼氏无针乌贼高效繁育及养殖模式(如单性养殖)建立的基础。为研究曼氏无针乌贼主要形态指标及雌雄形态差异,测量了160只F1代曼氏无针乌贼的19项可测量性状及13项标准化性状。采用聚类分析、主成分分析和判别分析方法研究了曼氏无针乌贼同生群两性间的形态差异。结果表明:两性间可测量性状和标准化性状各有10项有显著性差异(P0.05);对标准化性状经过主成分分析和R-聚类分析均显示曼氏无针乌贼的两性的差异主要集中在辅助交配器官特征,头部特征,捕食器官和肥瘦特征以及体型特征等4个方面。在此基础上,通过逐步判别法从标准化性状中筛选出3项,即左3腕长/胴长、左4腕长/胴长及左触腕长/胴长,建立了雌雄的判别方程:雄性:F1=223.42X3+165.85X4+7.951X5–108.06;雌性:F2=151.48X3+92.71X4+19.19X5–60.38。所建立的判别方程,对样本群体的综合判别率达到95.00%。利用F2代亲体测量数据对判别函数进行识别验证,综合判别率达到85.34%。在判别方程中的3个标准化性状中,左3腕长/胴长和左4腕长/胴长在两性亲体间均存在显著的差异(P0.05),表明曼氏无针乌贼的雄性在性选择的作用下,交配器官存在显著差异。     

Predominance of parallel‐ and cross‐predation in anglerfish

Several studies in the last 20 years have revealed that morphological asymmetry in fish can be characterized as ‘antisymmetry’. Antisymmetry is a lateral dimorphism in which each population consists of individuals with well‐developed left sides (lefties) and well‐developed right sides (righties). This dimorphism influences predator–prey interactions. In some piscivorous fishes, it has been found that predators can catch more prey of the opposite morphological type to themselves (cross‐predation) than of the same morphological type (parallel‐predation). Our previous work clarified that the predominance of cross‐predation is caused by lateralized behaviors of predators and prey that correspond to their morphological antisymmetry. Moreover, based on the results of our behavioral observations, we hypothesized that parallel‐predation can predominate when predators encounter the potential prey frontally. To test this hypothesis, in the present study we investigated the relationship between lateral morphological types of anglerfish (Lophiomus setigerus) and those of the prey fishes found in their stomachs. Anglerfish attract potential prey using their first dorsal fin (illicium) as a lure, and their frontal encounters with potential prey fishes were photographed in situ and observed in an aquarium. The results of a stomach contents analysis indicated that parallel‐predation predominated in five benthopelagic prey fish species (perches and eels). By contrast, five benthic prey fishes (gobies and weevers) exhibited the predominance of cross‐predation. These results not only demonstrate the predominance of parallel‐predation in a natural fish community, but also suggest that the relationship between morphological types of predator and prey species can be reversed depending on the lifestyle of prey.     

Dimorphism in Placenticeras mintoi from the Upper Cretaceous Bagh Beds, central India

The Upper Cretaceous Bagh Beds yield many biota of which ammonoids are particularly well known. Previously Bagh ammonoids were grouped into many genera and species within several families. The present study, however, shows that failure to recognize dimorphism and a wide range of interspecific variation within the single genus Placenticeras perhaps results in taxonomic oversplitting. Specific dimorphism in P. mintoi has been established.     

Dimorphism in Calceola sandalina (Linneé, 1771)

Based on studying the ontogenetic development of Calceola sandalina in the Early Devonian Yukiang Formation from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China, it is for the first time to issue the evidence indicating the existence of sexual dimorphism in Calceola sandalina. The new discovery will add important data on sexual dimorphism throughout the non-colonial fossil metazoan, and it also may throw lights on studying the taxonomy and phylogeny of Calceola sandalina and its relevant taxa.     

性类固醇激素E2、MT 对尼罗罗非鱼(Oreochromis niloticus)雌、雄生长差异的影响

性类固醇激素对动物生长有一定的影响, 但其对鱼类雌、雄生长差异的影响机理尚不清楚。 为进一步了解动物雌雄生长差异的内在原因, 本文通过在体注射和荧光定量PCR 方法, 比较了性类 固醇激素(E₂、MT)对尼罗罗非鱼雌鱼和雄鱼的生长及对垂体GH、肝脏GHR1、IGF-I mRNA 表达的 影响。结果表明: 性类固醇激素E₂ 和MT 对尼罗罗非鱼的生长及生长轴相关基因的表达均有显著的 影响, 并且这种影响存在明显的性别二态性。E₂ 明显促进雌鱼的生长但不显著影响雄鱼的生长, MT 显著促进雄鱼和雌鱼的生长; E₂ 可使雌鱼垂体GH 和肝脏GHR1 、IGF-I 的mRNA 水平显著升高 (P<0.05), 但降低雄鱼垂体GH和肝脏GHR1的mRNA表达; MT 显著提高雄鱼垂体GH和肝脏GHR1、 IGF-I mRNA 水平(P<0.05), 但降低雌鱼垂体GH 的mRNA 表达, 促进雌鱼肝脏GHR1 mRNA 的表达, 但对雄鱼肝脏GHR1 的促进作用明显大于雌鱼(P<0.05).上述结果表明, 性类固醇激素对不同性别尼 罗罗非鱼的生长及生长轴相关基因的mRNA 表达有不同的影响, 表现出明显的性别二态性, 提示不 同性别鱼体内性类固醇激素水平的不同可能是导致尼罗罗非鱼雌雄生长二态性的另一内在原因。     

Sex‐related differences in size,function and regeneration of the major cheliped in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi

Pagurus hermit crabs have a well‐developed right cheliped (major cheliped) and in some species the major cheliped of males is longer than that of females. This paper describes sex‐related differences in major cheliped length and regeneration pattern of the major cheliped in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi. We also examined the function of the major cheliped in male–male competition. Major cheliped length of males was longer than that of females in P. filholi. Males regenerated larger chelipeds than females at the first molt after experimentally induced autotomy. Body size growth in males of the regeneration group was less than that in intact males of the control group while there was no significant difference in body size growth of females between regeneration and control groups. Major cheliped length was included in the best model to explain the outcome of male–male competition and thus sexual selection appears to be a causative factor in the sex‐related difference of the major cheliped length. Sex‐related differences in the regeneration pattern may reflect differences in evolutionary pressures on males for large major chelipeds and females for large body size.     

First encounter with a live male blanket octopus: The world's most sexually size‐dimorphic large animal

The first encounter with a live male blanket octopus, Tremoctopus violaceus Chiaie, 1830, illustrates the most extreme example of sexual size‐dimorphism in a non‐microscopic animal. Females attain sizes of up to 2 m long—almost 2 orders of magnitude larger than the 2.4‐cm‐long male. Weight ratios between the sexes are at least 10 000:1 and are likely to reach 40 000:1. Sexual selection and the unique defensive strategy of carrying cnidarian stinging tentacles may both have contributed to the evolution of this extreme size‐dimorphism. Such dimorphism is not seen in any other animal remotely as large.     

Dimorphism in the Ascidian Pyura stolonifera Near Melbourne, Australia, and its Evaluation Through Field Transplant Experiments

Abstract. On the central coast of Victoria, Australia, the ascidian Pyura stolonifera (H eller . 1878) assumes 2 morphs. a yellow form living exclusively on inner shores, and a brown morph mainly on outer coasts. Distributional surveys, morphological analyses and field transplant experiments were conducted as part of a multidisciplinary investigation designed to elucidate the environmental and genetic components of dimorphism in this species. Distributional surveys revealed that the 2 morphs have a parapatric distribution. Morphological analyses showed striking differences between morphs in colours of tissue types, external anatomy, morphometry and gravimetry. Possible ecological significances of this morphological differentiation are discussed. Transplant experiments, in which morphs were moved within and between habitats, yielded no evidence for morphological plasticity in adults of this species for the great majority of characters examined.     

Japan's earliest ostracods

Mesozoic, Cenozoic and especially Holocene ostracod faunas have been documented from Japan. Not surprisingly, considering the plate tectonic factors at play, very few ostracod faunas are known from its early Paleozoic successions. Our pilot studies have recovered new ostracod assemblages from early Paleozoic terranes of Japan. Acid preparation of carbonates has yielded low diversity, poorly preserved yet significant palaeocopid and podocopid ostracod faunas from Wenlock/Ludlow Series Silurian rocks at Gionyama in the Kurosegawa Terrane, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, and Hitoegane in the Hida‐Gaien Terrane, Gifu Prefecture, Honshu. The ostracod faunas include new eurychilinoid (Pauproles supparata gen. et sp. nov.), hollinoid (Hollinella orienta sp. nov.) and beyrichioid (Clintiella antifrigga sp. nov.) palaeocopid taxa. Conodonts recovered from the same sample as the ostracods from Gionyama confirm a mid‐Silurian age for the part of the Gionyama Formation in question. The ostracod faunas recovered from Gionyama and Hitoegane are the first confirmed, well‐documented record of the group from the Silurian of Japan and are therefore the earliest known ostracods from that country (a previous record of purported Ordovician ostracods from Japan is incorrect). The ostracod taxa display links with the paleocontinents of particularly Laurentia and Baltica and demonstrate a pan‐tropical signature; it appears that climate control was stronger than geographical control in shaping this pattern of ostracod distribution. The material recovered includes adult dimorphic (assumed sexual) pairs of three palaeocopid species, which represent Japan's oldest (423–433 million years) known ‘couples’.