Search results for "CLASSIFICATION"
showing 10 items of 29475 documents
Musteloidea (Carnivora, Mammalia) del Mioceno Superior de Venta del Moro (Valencia, España)
2011
The purpose of the present work is to describe the Musteloidea from the Late Miocene locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). We have identified the following species: Martes ginsburgi nov. sp., Lutra affinis Gervais, 1859, Plesiogulo monspessulanus Viret, 1939 and Promephitis alexejewi Schlosser, 1924. Besides Plesiogulo monspessulanus which was already described in this locality and in Las Casiones (MN 13, Teruel Basin), we are approaching an unedited Musteloidea assemblage from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula. The m1 of Martes ginsburgi nov. sp. is similar in size and morphology to the Asian species of the genus, M. anderssoni and M. zdanskyi, but it differs in having a very wi…
Artificial Reefs in Sicily: An Overview
2000
Sicilian cave drawings from the Grotta del Genovese, Isle of Levanzo (west Sicily) ca. 12 000 B.C. show silhouettes of dolphins, tuna, groupers and bass which, together with remains offish (tuna, groupers, bass and others), limpets and oysters from Grotta dell Uzzo, north-western Sicily, indicate the importance of fish and shellfish in the diet of coastal populations of that time (Villari, 1992a, 1992b). Remains of turtles (Caretta caretta), tuna and sharks are evidence of fishing activity during this period (Villari, 1995).
Porites corals from Crete (Greece) open a window into Late Miocene (10Ma) seasonal and interannual climate variability
2006
Variations in the biotic composition of marine shallow water carbonates document global climatic changes. However, a discontinuous stratigraphic record and uncertainties regarding the ages limit the significance of shallow water carbonates as palaeoclimatic archives on geological time-scales. Notwithstanding these deficits, the environmental information stored in the skeleton of reef biota is a unique source of information that resolves seasonal to interannual climate variability in geological time. Application of the method to corals from carbonate rocks is usually restricted to the past 130,000yr, because the aragonite skeleton undergoes rapid diagenetic alteration. Consequently, reconstr…
Alternative feed resources and their effects on the quality of meat and milk from small ruminants
2008
The present paper reviews the quality of meat and milk from sheep and goats offered alternative feeds as a replacement for concentrates. Legume seeds and pods, shrubs, local agro-industrial by-products or novel pasture species are cheap and widely available in Mediterranean countries and are suitable for sheep and goat nutrition. Many of these alternative feed resources (AFR) contain secondary compounds, such as tannins. Tannin-containing feeds result in meat of a lighter colour and tend to increase milk yield and protein content, probably because they protect dietary proteins from ruminal degradation. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in kid meat can be increased by feeding animals ch…
Structural variables drive the distribution of the sensitive lichen Lobaria pulmonaria in Mediterranean old-growth forests
2015
a b s t r a c t We tested the hypothesis that structural variables related to old-growth features affect the distribution of Lobaria pulmonaria in a Mediterranean National Park of Italy. A total of 36 plots, with old-growth characteristics and representing overall three forest types (beech- oak- and mixed- forests) were studied. The lichen was absent in about half of the sites, suggesting that the selection of old-growth forests based solely on structural features is not sufficient to predict the presence of this species, which therefore proves to be rather sensitive and selective. Its abundance was related to high tree circumference and basal area, and to availability of deadwood, confirmi…
Relation between climatic fluctuation and morphological variability in Microtus (Terricola) grafi (Arvicolinae, Rodentia) from Bacho Kiro (Bulgaria, …
2004
Morphological variability within the species Microtus (Terricola) grafi is investigated in relation to the parameters of time and climate. Microtus (Terricola) grafi has been described from the Upper Pleistocene cave of Bacho Kiro (Bulgaria), which has yielded numerous teeth from several levels reflecting climatic fluctuations. The first lower molars are analyzed by 23 biometric variables so as to quantify tooth shape and its variation with time and climate. This morphological analysis reveals a number of shape indexes reflecting whether an individual lived in warm or cold conditions. The most significant result is that individuals living in warm conditions exhibit the more primitive featur…
A new autumn-flowering species of Allium (Alliaceae) from Croatia
2009
Here we describe Allium telmatum Bogdanovic, Brullo, Giusso & Salmeri, a new species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum from North Dalmatia (Croatia). Its chromosome number (2n = 32), karyotype, leaf anatomy, ecology and taxonomical relationships are examined. Several features, such as phenology (flowering in autumn), occurrence in coastal salt marshes, tetraploid chromosome number, and morphology, indicate that it is most closely related to the Tyrrhenian species Allium savii. On the basis of our herbarium survey, we present here a distribution map of the autumn-flowering species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum in the Mediterranean area.
Semi-natural Grassland Vegetation Database of Latvia
2012
The Semi-natural Grassland Vegetation Database of Latvia (GIVD ID EU-LV-001) was first developed in 1999 as part of the PhD Thesis on syntaxonomy and diversity of dry and mesic grasslands of Latvia. The database includes the original releves established by the author as early as 1997. The majority of releves belongs to the Filipendulo-Helictotrichion (Festuco-Brometea) and Arrhenatheretalia communities, but Molinietalia, Nardetalia, Caricion nigrae, Koelerion glaucae and Plantagini-Festucion are covered, as well. The total number of releves stored is 2,500 and there are approximately 700 releves to be digitised. Plot size varies from 1 to 125 m, the majority of releves are 4-9 m large. Rele…
230Th/U dating of Last Interglacial brain corals from Bonaire (southern Caribbean) using bulk and theca wall material
2016
Abstract We compared the suitability of two skeletal materials of the Atlantic brain coral Diploria strigosa for 230Th/U-dating: the commonly used bulk material comprising all skeletal elements and the denser theca wall material. Eight fossil corals of presumably Last Interglacial age from Bonaire, southern Caribbean Sea, were investigated, and several sub-samples were dated from each coral. For four corals, both the ages and the activity ratios of the bulk material and theca wall agree within uncertainty. Three corals show significantly older ages for their bulk material than for their theca wall material as well as substantially elevated 232Th content and (230Th/238U) ratios. The bulk mat…
Age and spatial structure of natural Pinus sylvestris stands in Latvia
2005
Abstract The age and spatial structure of six natural old growth Pinus sylvestris stands in Latvia were investigated, to attempt to identify retrospectively the past features of development. In each stand, one or two plots of size 200–900 m2 were established. Tree locations were mapped, stem diameter was measured, and tree age was determined from cores or by counting branch whorls. Tree distribution was assessed by Ripley's K function. A clumped spatial pattern was shown for P. sylvestris younger than 100 years. The temporal patterns of establishment could be partly linked to favourable climatic periods. The major disturbance affecting pine stands along the coast was windblown sand, which p…