Search results for "class"

Snake richness predicts breeding distribution of short-toed snake eagle in central Italy.

2017

Birds of prey, as top predators, play a key role in ecosystem functioning by regulating prey populations and, by means of cascade effects, promoting biodiversity. This makes them adequate sentinels of ecosystem health. Here we analyse the relationship between the occurrence of breeding short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and both the richness of potential prey species and landscape characteristics by taking into account two different spatial scales (i.e. nest-site scale and landscape scale). The short-toed snake eagle offers an interesting case study for investigating the relationships between top predators, prey diversity, and habitats, because it is an extremely specialised raptor…

Surrounding pathogens shape maternal egg care but not egg production in the European earwig

2017

Earwig mothers increase egg care when pathogens are present in the nest, but do not adapt the quantity and quality of their eggs accordingly. Our results confirm that parents can both detect the presence of microbial pathogens in their nesting area and develop pre-hatching behavioral strategies to reduce the associated risk of pathogen infection. These findings overall emphasize the central importance of pathogens in the evolution of parental care in animals.Twitter: @JMeunierEarwig

Dual colonization of the Palaearctic from different regions in the Afrotropics bySenecio

2016

Aim Investigation of the geographical origin of Senecio and the colonization of the Palaearctic including the relationship of life-history strategy and elevational distribution in the source area and the colonized area. Location Worldwide with a focus on the Afrotropic and the Palaearctic. Methods Sampling focused on adding species from the Afrotropic to existing datasets of Senecio. Two nuclear markers and three chloroplast markers were amplified and sequenced. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used to infer phylogeny, divergence times, biogeographical history and life-history strategy evolution. Results Senecio originated most likely during the Mid to Late Miocene in western …

2017

By the possession of unique exocrine scent glands, Opiliones (harvestmen) arise as a perfect model for studies on the evolutionary history of secretion chemistry. Among gland compounds of harvestmen, it is the quinones that represent recurring elements across the secretions of all suborders. Reliable data on quinone-distribution, however, is only known for Laniatores (benzoquinones) and Cyphophthalmi (naphthoquinones). We here unraveled the quinone-distribution across scent gland secretions of the third large harvestman suborder, the Palpatores (= Eu- and Dyspnoi): Naphthoquinones were found in phalangiid Eupnoi across all subfamilies as well as in nemastomatid (and at least one ischyropsal…

2017

The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is the most widespread bacteria in insects, yet the ecology of novel acquisitions in natural host populations is poorly understood. Using temporal data separated by 12 years, I tested the hypothesis that immigration of a parasitoid wasp led to transmission of its Wolbachia strain to its dipteran host, resulting in double-strain infection, and I used geographic and community surveys to explore the history of transmission in fly and parasitoid. Double infection in the fly host was present before immigration of the parasitoid. Equal prevalence of double infection in males and females, constant prevalence before and after immigration in two regions, and inc…

The origins of northern European Autographa gamma individuals evaluated using hydrogen stable isotopes

2018

Fluctuating Asymmetry in Central and Marginal Populations of Lychnis viscaria in Relation to Genetic and Environmental Factors

1998

Developmental instability in the form of increased fluctuating asymmetry can be caused by either genetic or environmental stress. Because extinctions can be attributed broadly to these factors, fluctuating asymmetry may provide a sensitive tool for detecting such stresses. We studied the level of fluctuating asymmetry of flowers of a perennial outcrossing plant species, Lychnis viscaria, both in natural and common-garden populations. The degree of flower asymmetry was higher in small, isolated, and marginal populations of the species range. These marginal populations also were the most homozygous. In the core area of the species' range, flowers were more symmetrical The level of asymmetry w…

Carotenoids and Some Other Pigments from Fungi and Yeasts †

2021

Carotenoids are an essential group of compounds that may be obtained by microbiological synthesis. They are instrumental in various areas of industry, medicine, agriculture, and ecology. The increase of carotenoids’ demand at the global market is now essential. At the moment, the production of natural carotenoids is more expensive than obtaining their synthetic forms, but several new approaches/directions on how to decrease this difference were developed during the last decades. This review briefly describes the information accumulated until now about the beneficial effects of carotenoids on human health protection, their possible application in the treatments of various diseases, and their…

Loss of Arabidopsis p24 function affects ERD2 traffic and Golgi structure and activates the unfolded protein response

2017

The p24 family of proteins (also known as the TMED family) are key regulators of protein trafficking along the secretory pathway, but very little is known about their functions in plants. A quadruple loss-of-function mutant affecting the p24 genes from the δ-1 subclass of the p24δ subfamily (p24δ3δ4δ5δ6) showed alterations in the Golgi, suggesting that these p24 proteins play a role in the organization of the compartments of the early secretory pathway in Arabidopsis Loss of p24δ-1 proteins also induced the accumulation of the K/HDEL receptor ERD2a (ER lumen protein-retaining receptor A) at the Golgi and increased secretion of BiP family proteins, ER chaperones containing an HDEL signal, pr…

Natural Occurrence of Secondary Bacterial Symbionts in Aphids from Tunisia, with a Focus on Genus Hyalopterus

2018

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) can harbor two types of bacterial symbionts. In addition to the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola Munson, Baumann and Kinsey 1991 (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), several facultative symbiotic bacteria, called secondary (S) symbionts, have been identified among many important pest aphid species. To determine interpopulational diversity of S-symbionts, we carried out a survey in a total of 18 populations of six aphid species collected from six localities in Tunisia, by performing a diagnostic polymerase chain reaction analysis of partial 16S-23S rRNA operon sequences. While 61.7% of individuals contained only Buchnera, three S-symbionts were foun…