Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1189647
F. Boero
The European Union, in its calls for projects (an abundant source of funds for the European scientific community), increasingly calls for holistic, integrative, cross-cutting, and ecosystem-based approaches. The scientific community tends to remain reductionistic, also due to overspecialization of journals, or to the compartmentalization of approaches even within the same journal. This leads to a mismatch between what society asks and what science offers. Indeed, science has profited much from reductionism. Complex problems are split into sets of simpler problems that are solved one at a time, then the solutions are assembled and the complex problem is solved. There is a problem, though: it does not work! The whole is more than the sum of the parts. The old philosophers knew it well: analysis must be followed by synthesis! The analytical efficacy of reductionism has led to great scientific advance and it would be unfair to label it as sterile. It is simply not enough. We need also to look at problems from wider perspectives, and connect all their facets into a common, synthetic landscape. Pushed into a corner by rampant reductionism, zoology tried to keep up with the trend and became fragmented into a host of subdisciplines that became increasingly separated from each other. This is witnessed also by the vast array of topics in this journal: surely most readers have little interest in all of the articles of each issue, since the barriers among subdisciplines (from molecular biology to ecology and evolution) are becoming increasingly higher. Not to mention the barriers that divide zoology from the other branches of biology. Science is exposed to a Tower of Babel risk. The scientists who are building the Tower of Knowledge have developed different languages and cannot communicate with each other. Furthermore, they fail to communicate with the rest of society that, indeed, is asking for a change. For instance: we cannot resolve health problems created by bad environmental conditions by curing the proximate causes (the illnesses) with hospitals; the ultimate causes must be removed, bringing the environment back to a healthy state, leading to healthy humans. Medicine is a reductionistic approach to human health, ecology is a holistic approach to the same problem: you cannot have healthy humans if the environment is unhealthy. As simple as that! But, apparently, we are not ready to understand it. Of course this is not a problem that can be solved within a journal. We will continue to publish articles that range from ecology to molecular biology, focusing on animals (and protozoans). However, it might be the case to encourage some progress towards unitary visions. We have the “grand picture”, by the way: it is evolution or, better, ecology and evolution: the change of the individuals (and of their parts) as a response to environmental pressures. In the past, this was called “natural history”, and Darwin (who was eminently a zoologist) labelled himself a
{"title":"The zoology of Babel","authors":"F. Boero","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1189647","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1189647","url":null,"abstract":"The European Union, in its calls for projects (an abundant source of funds for the European scientific community), increasingly calls for holistic, integrative, cross-cutting, and ecosystem-based approaches. The scientific community tends to remain reductionistic, also due to overspecialization of journals, or to the compartmentalization of approaches even within the same journal. This leads to a mismatch between what society asks and what science offers. Indeed, science has profited much from reductionism. Complex problems are split into sets of simpler problems that are solved one at a time, then the solutions are assembled and the complex problem is solved. There is a problem, though: it does not work! The whole is more than the sum of the parts. The old philosophers knew it well: analysis must be followed by synthesis! The analytical efficacy of reductionism has led to great scientific advance and it would be unfair to label it as sterile. It is simply not enough. We need also to look at problems from wider perspectives, and connect all their facets into a common, synthetic landscape. Pushed into a corner by rampant reductionism, zoology tried to keep up with the trend and became fragmented into a host of subdisciplines that became increasingly separated from each other. This is witnessed also by the vast array of topics in this journal: surely most readers have little interest in all of the articles of each issue, since the barriers among subdisciplines (from molecular biology to ecology and evolution) are becoming increasingly higher. Not to mention the barriers that divide zoology from the other branches of biology. Science is exposed to a Tower of Babel risk. The scientists who are building the Tower of Knowledge have developed different languages and cannot communicate with each other. Furthermore, they fail to communicate with the rest of society that, indeed, is asking for a change. For instance: we cannot resolve health problems created by bad environmental conditions by curing the proximate causes (the illnesses) with hospitals; the ultimate causes must be removed, bringing the environment back to a healthy state, leading to healthy humans. Medicine is a reductionistic approach to human health, ecology is a holistic approach to the same problem: you cannot have healthy humans if the environment is unhealthy. As simple as that! But, apparently, we are not ready to understand it. Of course this is not a problem that can be solved within a journal. We will continue to publish articles that range from ecology to molecular biology, focusing on animals (and protozoans). However, it might be the case to encourage some progress towards unitary visions. We have the “grand picture”, by the way: it is evolution or, better, ecology and evolution: the change of the individuals (and of their parts) as a response to environmental pressures. In the past, this was called “natural history”, and Darwin (who was eminently a zoologist) labelled himself a","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"10 1","pages":"151 - 152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83628452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1184331
M. C. Lagar, L. Pazzagli, G. Cappugi, G. Giusfredi, I. Colombini, M. Fallaci, L. Chelazzi, F. Scapini
Abstract Arthropod communities of beach–dune systems are mainly composed by detritivorous species, apparently with overlapping trophic niches. This study aims at distinguishing the trophic roles of sympatric species, by using a biochemical approach in the analysis of gut contents. The digestion of seven trisaccharidic and disaccharidic substrates containing the glycosidic bond was tested in gut homogenates of 10 species of detritivorous insects and crustaceans from a Mediterranean beach–dune system (Tuscany, Italy). Glycosidase activities were compared between species. A dendrogram was determined separating species with different enzymatic activity spectra. The differences observed in the enzymatic activities may be related to a different use of the available food resources and interpreted as an opportunist nutrition of arthropod species sharing the same habitat.
{"title":"Enzyme activity and trophic links of macroarthropods living on an exposed Mediterranean beach–dune system","authors":"M. C. Lagar, L. Pazzagli, G. Cappugi, G. Giusfredi, I. Colombini, M. Fallaci, L. Chelazzi, F. Scapini","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1184331","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1184331","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Arthropod communities of beach–dune systems are mainly composed by detritivorous species, apparently with overlapping trophic niches. This study aims at distinguishing the trophic roles of sympatric species, by using a biochemical approach in the analysis of gut contents. The digestion of seven trisaccharidic and disaccharidic substrates containing the glycosidic bond was tested in gut homogenates of 10 species of detritivorous insects and crustaceans from a Mediterranean beach–dune system (Tuscany, Italy). Glycosidase activities were compared between species. A dendrogram was determined separating species with different enzymatic activity spectra. The differences observed in the enzymatic activities may be related to a different use of the available food resources and interpreted as an opportunist nutrition of arthropod species sharing the same habitat.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"66 1","pages":"221 - 232"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76382283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-10DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1158874
S. Barišić, V. Tutiš, D. Ćiković, Jelena Kralj, Zlatko Ružanović
Abstract The Croatian population of the eagle owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) is estimated at 800–1200 breeding pairs with the majority of population breeding in the Mediterranean region, along the eastern Adriatic coast. The main aims of this work were two-fold: (1) to determine the eagle owl territorial densities in the central part of Mediterranean Croatia; and (2) to examine landscape composition and configuration of the study plots and consider possible reasons for differences in recorded densities. The abundance of the eagle owl was surveyed from 2001 to 2006 within three plots of similar size (a total survey area of 246 km2): two plots were on the mainland and one on the archipelago at about 16 km from the coast. The playback method was used to stimulate eagle owl territorial behaviour and to determine the locations of their territories. Territorial densities ranged from 4.5 to 26.2 pairs/100 km2, with the highest density being recorded on islands. We suggest that this high density is a result of good foraging conditions, especially year-round availability and high abundance of the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis J. F. Naumann, 1840 and the brown rat Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758), together with low risk of human-induced mortality.
克罗地亚鹰鸮Bubo Bubo (Linnaeus, 1758)种群数量估计为800-1200对，大部分种群在地中海地区和亚得里亚海东部沿海繁殖。这项工作的主要目的有两个:(1)确定地中海克罗地亚中部地区鹰鸮的领土密度;(2)考察研究地块的景观组成和配置，并考虑密度差异的可能原因。从2001年到2006年，在三个大小相似的样地(总调查面积为246平方公里)内调查了鹰鸮的丰度:两个样地在大陆上，一个在离海岸约16公里的群岛上。该回放方法用于刺激鹰鸮的领土行为，并确定其领土的位置。领土密度为4.5至26.2对/100平方公里，岛屿密度最高。我们认为，这种高密度是良好的觅食条件的结果，特别是黄腿鸥Larus michahellis J. F. Naumann(1840)和褐鼠Rattus Rattus (Linnaeus, 1758)的全年可用性和高丰度，以及人为死亡率低的结果。
{"title":"The eagle owl Bubo bubo (Aves: Strigidae) in the Eastern Adriatic (Croatia): the study case of a high-density insular population","authors":"S. Barišić, V. Tutiš, D. Ćiković, Jelena Kralj, Zlatko Ružanović","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1158874","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1158874","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Croatian population of the eagle owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) is estimated at 800–1200 breeding pairs with the majority of population breeding in the Mediterranean region, along the eastern Adriatic coast. The main aims of this work were two-fold: (1) to determine the eagle owl territorial densities in the central part of Mediterranean Croatia; and (2) to examine landscape composition and configuration of the study plots and consider possible reasons for differences in recorded densities. The abundance of the eagle owl was surveyed from 2001 to 2006 within three plots of similar size (a total survey area of 246 km2): two plots were on the mainland and one on the archipelago at about 16 km from the coast. The playback method was used to stimulate eagle owl territorial behaviour and to determine the locations of their territories. Territorial densities ranged from 4.5 to 26.2 pairs/100 km2, with the highest density being recorded on islands. We suggest that this high density is a result of good foraging conditions, especially year-round availability and high abundance of the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis J. F. Naumann, 1840 and the brown rat Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758), together with low risk of human-induced mortality.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"64 1","pages":"275 - 281"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80643491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-09DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1154615
M. D’Alessandro, T. Romeo, L. Castriota, A. Cosentino, P. Perzia, R. Martins
Abstract The present study is a part of a larger project aiming to characterise the benthic macrofaunal assemblages from the Gulf of Milazzo (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean). Forty-eight samples from 16 sites were collected during the summer of 2010 by means of van Veen grab (0.1 m2) at 20 and 50 m depths to characterise taxonomically, ecologically and biogeographically the present species of Lumbrineridae. Sandy-silt mixed sediments characterised the study area. Abyssoninoe hibernica and Lumbrineris luciliae are newly recorded for the Mediterranean Sea, and Gallardoneris iberica, Lumbrineris geldiayi and Lumbrineris lusitanica are new records for the Central Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, a total of 29 species of Lumbrineridae are currently present and recognised on Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, we provide an updated key to the Mediterranean species of the family.
{"title":"New records of Lumbrineridae (Annelida: Polychaeta) in the Mediterranean biogeographic province, with an updated taxonomic key","authors":"M. D’Alessandro, T. Romeo, L. Castriota, A. Cosentino, P. Perzia, R. Martins","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1154615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1154615","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The present study is a part of a larger project aiming to characterise the benthic macrofaunal assemblages from the Gulf of Milazzo (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean). Forty-eight samples from 16 sites were collected during the summer of 2010 by means of van Veen grab (0.1 m2) at 20 and 50 m depths to characterise taxonomically, ecologically and biogeographically the present species of Lumbrineridae. Sandy-silt mixed sediments characterised the study area. Abyssoninoe hibernica and Lumbrineris luciliae are newly recorded for the Mediterranean Sea, and Gallardoneris iberica, Lumbrineris geldiayi and Lumbrineris lusitanica are new records for the Central Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, a total of 29 species of Lumbrineridae are currently present and recognised on Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, we provide an updated key to the Mediterranean species of the family.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"5 1","pages":"233 - 243"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83559069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-08DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1157631
K. Kerman, Z. Ayas
Abstract Tree sparrows exhibit a range of breeding tactics from nesting in solitary pairs to forming breeding aggregations. We present a case study on the reproductive consequences of nest positioning in a loose breeding colony of Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) in central Turkey. We tested whether height and centrality of nests, together with their interaction, influenced fledging success in a single breeding season by running a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Nest height did not influence fledging success in a significant way. Also, productivity did not differ relative to the distance from the colony edge. This study provides the first detailed information about the effects of nest location on productivity for tree sparrows outside Continental Europe, and emphasizes the need for further studies on this model species.
{"title":"Effects of nest positioning on fledging success in a breeding colony of Passer montanus (Passeridae): a case study in Central Anatolia, Turkey","authors":"K. Kerman, Z. Ayas","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1157631","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1157631","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Tree sparrows exhibit a range of breeding tactics from nesting in solitary pairs to forming breeding aggregations. We present a case study on the reproductive consequences of nest positioning in a loose breeding colony of Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) in central Turkey. We tested whether height and centrality of nests, together with their interaction, influenced fledging success in a single breeding season by running a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Nest height did not influence fledging success in a significant way. Also, productivity did not differ relative to the distance from the colony edge. This study provides the first detailed information about the effects of nest location on productivity for tree sparrows outside Continental Europe, and emphasizes the need for further studies on this model species.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"10 1","pages":"270 - 274"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87786568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-04DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1153163
Y. Tayhan, B. Y. Yakın, C. V. Tok
Abstract Ophisops elegans is a widely distributed lizard species. Like other lacertids, O. elegans has characteristic head plates. In this paper, the variation of the head plate morphology between sexes was studied in the subspecies Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae. According to our results, both size and shape of the head plates show sexual dimorphism. The most remarkable shape difference between sexes is observed in the parietal region. In addition, the ontogentic allometry of the head plate shapes was investigated.
{"title":"Shape variability of the head of Ophisops elegans Ménétriés, 1832 (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from Konya, Turkey","authors":"Y. Tayhan, B. Y. Yakın, C. V. Tok","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1153163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1153163","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Ophisops elegans is a widely distributed lizard species. Like other lacertids, O. elegans has characteristic head plates. In this paper, the variation of the head plate morphology between sexes was studied in the subspecies Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae. According to our results, both size and shape of the head plates show sexual dimorphism. The most remarkable shape difference between sexes is observed in the parietal region. In addition, the ontogentic allometry of the head plate shapes was investigated.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"205 1","pages":"208 - 212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77472962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-29DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1150525
G. Furfaro, M. Modica, M. Oliverio, P. Mariottini
Abstract The chromodorid nudibranchs Felimare tricolor (Cantraine, 1835), F. fontandraui (Pruvot-Fol, 1951) and F. picta (Shultz in Philippi, 1836) typically show highly variable colour patterns that are misleading for species identification. Their taxonomy has long been confused, and their identification can be difficult if based only on morphological characters. We carried out molecular genetic analyses using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rDNA markers on Mediterranean samples of these three taxa representing a large part of their range of chromatic variation. Results proved the usefulness of the DNA-barcoding approach in assessing species delimitation in this group, and in identification of specimens with body colours not clear for species recognition. We inferred preliminary phylogenetic relationships among one third of the currently recognised species of Felimare: they indicated with good support sister species relationship among Felimare tricolor and F. fontandraui, and suggested (with low support) potential relationships among F. picta, F. verdensis, F. californiensis and F. agassizi.
{"title":"A DNA-barcoding approach to the phenotypic diversity of Mediterranean species of Felimare Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967 (Mollusca: Gastropoda), with a preliminary phylogenetic analysis","authors":"G. Furfaro, M. Modica, M. Oliverio, P. Mariottini","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1150525","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1150525","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The chromodorid nudibranchs Felimare tricolor (Cantraine, 1835), F. fontandraui (Pruvot-Fol, 1951) and F. picta (Shultz in Philippi, 1836) typically show highly variable colour patterns that are misleading for species identification. Their taxonomy has long been confused, and their identification can be difficult if based only on morphological characters. We carried out molecular genetic analyses using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rDNA markers on Mediterranean samples of these three taxa representing a large part of their range of chromatic variation. Results proved the usefulness of the DNA-barcoding approach in assessing species delimitation in this group, and in identification of specimens with body colours not clear for species recognition. We inferred preliminary phylogenetic relationships among one third of the currently recognised species of Felimare: they indicated with good support sister species relationship among Felimare tricolor and F. fontandraui, and suggested (with low support) potential relationships among F. picta, F. verdensis, F. californiensis and F. agassizi.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"3 1","pages":"195 - 207"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79842948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-25DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1151562
M. Mura, F. Palmas, S. Cabiddu, A. Sabatini
Abstract Morphological analysis of recently collected specimens of the slender finless eel Apterichtus anguiformis (26 specimens) and the European finless eel Apterichtus caecus (14 specimens) in waters off the coast of Sardinia (central-western Mediterranean) confirmed their distinction from each other. Analysis also revealed a pronounced difference in mouth length in A. anguiformis from Sardinian waters when compared to the holotype and published data. To clarify their taxonomic status, morphological characteristics of the finless eels were analysed using morphometric and meristic characters. The morphometric differences between species were mainly related to the position of the anus and to cranial-related characters. Variation in meristic traits revealed differences in the number of operculum and pre-anal pores as well as the number of total vertebrae. Finally, we were able to capture specimens of these rare species using experimental trawl fishing gear, in which the entire cod-end was covered with a fine mesh net size of 8 mm; this sampling approach would be a good sampling method for further studies.
{"title":"Morphological variation among geographic populations of the rare finless eels Apterichtus anguiformis and Apterichtus caecus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae)","authors":"M. Mura, F. Palmas, S. Cabiddu, A. Sabatini","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1151562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1151562","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Morphological analysis of recently collected specimens of the slender finless eel Apterichtus anguiformis (26 specimens) and the European finless eel Apterichtus caecus (14 specimens) in waters off the coast of Sardinia (central-western Mediterranean) confirmed their distinction from each other. Analysis also revealed a pronounced difference in mouth length in A. anguiformis from Sardinian waters when compared to the holotype and published data. To clarify their taxonomic status, morphological characteristics of the finless eels were analysed using morphometric and meristic characters. The morphometric differences between species were mainly related to the position of the anus and to cranial-related characters. Variation in meristic traits revealed differences in the number of operculum and pre-anal pores as well as the number of total vertebrae. Finally, we were able to capture specimens of these rare species using experimental trawl fishing gear, in which the entire cod-end was covered with a fine mesh net size of 8 mm; this sampling approach would be a good sampling method for further studies.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"172 1","pages":"213 - 220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83375446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-24DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1151563
L. Ilijin, M. Vlahović, M. Mrdaković, A. Gavrilovic, D. Matić, J. Lazarević, V. Perić Mataruga
Abstract Lymantria dispar caterpillars were exposed for 3 days to tannic acid, added to the artificial diet in the following concentrations: 1, 2.5 and 5%. Changes in the morphometric parameters of medial A2 bombyxin immunopositive and dorsolateral L2` prothoracicotropic (PTTH) immunopositive neurosecretory neurons (nsn; sizes of six nsn, the size of their nuclei, and quantification of cytoplasm density) were analysed upon caterpillars’ exposure to this allelochemical. Protein band density, obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) electrophoresis, from regions of bombyxin and PTTH molecular mass (Mr) were estimated. A2 nsn decreased in size, while the size of their nuclei did not change significantly. Relative cytoplasm density and relative band density from the bombyxin Mr region (Mr 4–5 kD) were decreased upon exposure to 1% and 2.5% tannic acid, while the addition of 5% tannic acid to artificial diet increased all of these parameters. Results suggested that lower concentrations of tannic acid stimulate the release of neurosecretory material from A2 nsn, most probably bombyxin-like protein. High tannic acid concentration (5%) probably allocates resources towards induction of other stress protective components instead of bombyxin-mediated metabolic stress response mechanisms. In L2` nsn, the size of nsn, nuclei and the relative cytoplasm density were increased, and relative band density from the region of big PTTH form (Mr 11–15 kD) was higher in all treatments in comparison to control. Results indicate that PTTH is synthesised and stored in the cytoplasm of L2` nsn.
{"title":"Tannic acid modulates the activity of bombyxin- and PTTH-producing neurons in Lymantria dispar L. (Insecta: Lepidoptera) caterpillars","authors":"L. Ilijin, M. Vlahović, M. Mrdaković, A. Gavrilovic, D. Matić, J. Lazarević, V. Perić Mataruga","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1151563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1151563","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Lymantria dispar caterpillars were exposed for 3 days to tannic acid, added to the artificial diet in the following concentrations: 1, 2.5 and 5%. Changes in the morphometric parameters of medial A2 bombyxin immunopositive and dorsolateral L2` prothoracicotropic (PTTH) immunopositive neurosecretory neurons (nsn; sizes of six nsn, the size of their nuclei, and quantification of cytoplasm density) were analysed upon caterpillars’ exposure to this allelochemical. Protein band density, obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) electrophoresis, from regions of bombyxin and PTTH molecular mass (Mr) were estimated. A2 nsn decreased in size, while the size of their nuclei did not change significantly. Relative cytoplasm density and relative band density from the bombyxin Mr region (Mr 4–5 kD) were decreased upon exposure to 1% and 2.5% tannic acid, while the addition of 5% tannic acid to artificial diet increased all of these parameters. Results suggested that lower concentrations of tannic acid stimulate the release of neurosecretory material from A2 nsn, most probably bombyxin-like protein. High tannic acid concentration (5%) probably allocates resources towards induction of other stress protective components instead of bombyxin-mediated metabolic stress response mechanisms. In L2` nsn, the size of nsn, nuclei and the relative cytoplasm density were increased, and relative band density from the region of big PTTH form (Mr 11–15 kD) was higher in all treatments in comparison to control. Results indicate that PTTH is synthesised and stored in the cytoplasm of L2` nsn.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"5 1","pages":"153 - 161"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77470184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-23DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1139636
Wenqin Zhong, Guiming Wang, Qi Zhou, Lin Ma, Xiaochun Wan, Wei Liu
Abstract Resource partitioning may allow species coexistence. Sand dunes in the typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, China, consist of desert, shrub and grass habitats, providing an appropriate system for studies of spatial niche partitioning among small mammals. We collected data to verify the niche separation hypothesis that coexisting small mammals would separate into spatial niches, and the productivity hypothesis that the highest species richness and overlap were to be expected in the most productive and diverse shrub habitat of the north-facing slopes, in contrast with the less productive grass and desert habitats of sand dunes. We trapped small mammals on 44 sand dunes in the summer of 1984 using snap traps. We captured 12 species of small mammals among three types of habitats. Cricetulus barabensis was a habitat generalist, present in all three types of habitats. Spermophilus dauricus was present only in the grass habitat, Allactaga sibirica and Dipus sagitta only in the desert habitat, and Apodemus peninsulae primarily in the shrub habitat. The shrub habitat hosted the largest number of small mammal species among the three types of habitats, supporting the productivity hypothesis. Habitat separation is an important mechanism for structuring small mammal communities in Inner Mongolia grasslands.
{"title":"Spatial niche partitioning of coexisting small mammals in sand dunes","authors":"Wenqin Zhong, Guiming Wang, Qi Zhou, Lin Ma, Xiaochun Wan, Wei Liu","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1139636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1139636","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Resource partitioning may allow species coexistence. Sand dunes in the typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, China, consist of desert, shrub and grass habitats, providing an appropriate system for studies of spatial niche partitioning among small mammals. We collected data to verify the niche separation hypothesis that coexisting small mammals would separate into spatial niches, and the productivity hypothesis that the highest species richness and overlap were to be expected in the most productive and diverse shrub habitat of the north-facing slopes, in contrast with the less productive grass and desert habitats of sand dunes. We trapped small mammals on 44 sand dunes in the summer of 1984 using snap traps. We captured 12 species of small mammals among three types of habitats. Cricetulus barabensis was a habitat generalist, present in all three types of habitats. Spermophilus dauricus was present only in the grass habitat, Allactaga sibirica and Dipus sagitta only in the desert habitat, and Apodemus peninsulae primarily in the shrub habitat. The shrub habitat hosted the largest number of small mammal species among the three types of habitats, supporting the productivity hypothesis. Habitat separation is an important mechanism for structuring small mammal communities in Inner Mongolia grasslands.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"70 1","pages":"248 - 254"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77273574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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