Biostratigraphic and aminostratigraphic constraints on the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in north Norfolk,UK

Considerable debate surrounds the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in East Anglia following some recent stratigraphical reinterpretations. Resolution of the stratigraphy here is important since it not only concerns the glacial history of the region but also has a bearing on our understanding of the earliest human occupation of north‐western Europe. The orthodox consensus that all the tills were emplaced during the Anglian (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12) has recently been challenged by a view assigning each major till to a different glacial stage, before, during and after MIS 12. Between Trimingham and Sidestrand on the north Norfolk coast, datable organic sediments occur immediately below and above the glacial succession. The oldest glacial deposit (Happisburgh Till) directly overlies the ‘Sidestrand Unio‐bed’, here defined as the Sidestrand Hall Member of the Cromer Forest‐bed Formation. Dating of these sediments therefore has a bearing on the maximum age of the glacial sequence. This paper reviews the palaeobotany and describes the faunal assemblages recovered from the Sidestrand Unio‐bed, which accumulated in a fluvial environment in a fully temperate climate with regional deciduous woodland. There are indications from the ostracods for weakly brackish conditions. Significant differences are apparent between the Sidestrand assemblages and those from West Runton, the type site of the Cromerian Stage. These differences do not result from contrasting facies or taphonomy but reflect warmer palaeotemperatures at Sidestrand and a much younger age. This conclusion is suggested by the higher proportion of thermophiles at Sidestrand and the occurrence of a water vole with unrooted molars (Arvicola) rather than its ancestor Mimomys savini with rooted molars. Amino acid racemisation data also indicate that Sidestrand is significantly younger than West Runton. These data further highlight the stratigraphical complexity of the ‘Cromerian Complex’ and support the conventional view that the Happisburgh Till was emplaced during the Anglian rather than the recently advanced view that it dates from MIS 16. Moreover, new evidence from the Trimingham lake bed (Sidestrand Cliff Formation) above the youngest glacial outwash sediments (Briton's Lane Formation) indicates that they also accumulated during a Middle Pleistocene interglacial – probably MIS 11. All of this evidence is consistent with a short chronology placing the glacial deposits within MIS 12, rather than invoking multiple episodes of glaciation envisaged in the ‘new glacial stratigraphy’ during MIS 16, 12, 10 and 6. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

δO of carbonate, quartz and phosphate from belemnite guards: implications for the isotopic record of old fossils and the isotopic composition of ancient seawater

Belemnite guards of Cretaceous and Jurassic age were found to contain varying amounts of quartz deposited both on the external surface and inside the rostrum. The oxygen isotopic composition of coexisting carbonate, quartz and phosphate from the same rostrum was measured according to well-established techniques. None of these compounds showed isotopic values in equilibrium with one another. Assuming δ¹⁸O values of the diagenetic water within the range of meteoric waters, the δ¹⁸O(SiO₂) yield temperatures in agreement with the apparent secondary origin of this phase. The δ¹⁸O(CO₃²⁻) range, with a certain continuity, between −10.8 and +0.97 PDB-1 with most of the intermediate values being within the range of the carbonate isotopic values of Mesozoic fossils. The most positive isotopic results obtained from phosphate are close to +23/+24‰ (V-SMOW). They can hardly be related to a secondary origin of the phosphate, or to the presence of diagenetic effects, since these results are among the most positive ever measured on phosphate. As far as we know there is no widespread diagenetic process determining an ¹⁸O enrichment of phosphate. The very low concentration of phosphate did not allow the determination of its mineralogical composition. All the available δ¹⁸O(PO₄³⁻) values from belemnite and non-belemnite fossils of marine origin of Tertiary and Mesozoic age are reported along with the newly measured belemnites. The following conclusions may be drawn from the data reported: (1) the pristine oxygen isotope composition of fossil marine organisms (either carbonate or phosphate) may easily undergo fairly large changes because of oxygen isotope exchange processes with diagenetic water; this process is apparent even in the case of geologically recent fossils; (2) the δ¹⁸O(PO₄³⁻) of belemnite rostra seems to be, at least in the case of the most positive results, in isotopic equilibrium with environmental water because of the similarity between the results from Cretaceous belemnites and the results from Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary pelecypods and fish teeth; 3) if so, the only feasible interpretation that can be suggested for the ¹⁸O enriched data is the possibility of a relatively large variation of the oxygen isotopic composition of ocean paleowater from Jurassic to recent time.     

凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)病原副溶血弧菌(Vibrio parahaemolyticus)的表型及分子特征

采用常规的形态及生理生化特性检验及分子生物学等方法,对引起凡纳滨对虾幼虾发生毁灭性死亡的病原菌进行了致病性、表型生物学及分子生物学的系统研究。结果表明,分离菌为弧菌属(Vibrio Pacini 1954)的副溶血弧菌(Vibrio parahaemolyticus),对凡纳滨对虾、中国对虾及日本对虾仔虾均有强致病性。分离鉴定的4株副溶血弧菌具有淀粉酶、明胶酶、卵磷脂酶活性,但不具有蛋白酶、脂肪酶活性,KP溶血均呈阴性,且均具有K抗原;代表菌株(JGB080708-1株)的16S rRNA基因序列(长度为1456bp,GenBank登录号为GQ205448)和gyrB基因序列(长度为1195bp,GenBank登录号为GQ205453)与副溶血弧菌的两种基因序列相似性均可达98%以上。病原菌的耐药性检测结果显示,对供试49种抗菌药物中的林可霉素等6种药物耐药。     

Decline of Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda, Calanoida) in two water bodies located in the Senegal River hydrosystem (West Africa): Hypotheses and perspectives

Pseudodiaptomus hessei is a key species in many water bodies in the Senegal River hydrosystem but it became rare or completely disappeared from two ecosystems (Lake Guiers and Dakar Bango Reservoir; Senegal, West Africa) after major hydrological changes caused by human action, mainly impoundments on the river in 1985, and the opening of a new estuary mouth in 2003. Kâ et al. [Kâ, S., Pagano, M., Ba, N., Bouvy, M., Leboulanger, C., Arfi, R., Thiaw, O.T., Ndour, E.H.M., Corbin, D., Defaye, D., Cuoc, C., Kouassi, E., 2006. Zooplankton distribution related to environmental factors and phytoplankton in a shallow tropical lake (Lake Guiers, Senegal, West Africa). International Review of Hydrobiology 91(5), 389–405] put forward several hypotheses to explain the reasons for this decline: salinity and chemical changes in the water, predation by a cyclopid predator Mesocyclops ogunnus and/or the inhibiting effects of cyanobacteria and/or diatoms (allelopathy). This study assessed these hypotheses by studying the distribution of P. hessei in 13 stations (including the Dakar Bango reservoir and Lake Guiers) in relation to physical, chemical and biological (phyto- and zooplanktons) factors at each station. We produced a distribution pattern for this species in the Senegal River hydrosystem. Rank correlations and principal component analysis showed that P. hessei was not correlated with conductivity but was positively correlated with pH and alkalinity, suggesting chemical effects. The clear association with two filamentous cyanobacteria (Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Anabaena sp.) did not appear to support the hypothesis of cyanobacteria inhibition but blooming conditions were never encountered during the study. Negative correlation with diatoms (especially with Fragilaria sp.) suggested that aldehyde producing diatoms had a negative effect. Negative correlations with cyclopids such as Mesocyclops supported the hypothesis of cyclopid predation to explain the decline of P. hessei. This study proposes several lines of research for future studies to test these hypotheses.     

半滑舌鳎病原鳗利斯顿氏菌表型及分子特征研究

2008年12月,江苏赣榆某渔场养殖半滑舌鳎出现大量死亡,症状主要表现为:头部、鳃盖及鳍基出血,尾鳍腐烂,腹腔膨胀并积有大量腹水,部分病鱼肠管脱出肛外。从病鱼肝脏、腹水中分离出大量优势生长的细菌,人工感染试验证明其对半滑舌鳎有较强的致病性。对3株分离菌进行了形态特征、理化特性、胞外酶及溶血素活性等表型生物学性状检验;测定了代表菌株的16S rRNA和gyrB基因序列,分析了16S rRNA和gyrB两种基因序列的同源性,并构建了系统发生树,比较了两种基因对分离菌的鉴定能力;结果表明gyrB基因用于细菌种间鉴定更具优越性;基于16S rRNA和gyrB基因的系统发育学分析表明分离菌与鳗利斯顿氏菌具有高同源性,根据分离菌的表型及分子特征,判定分离菌为利斯顿氏菌属(Listonella MacDonell and Colwell 1986)的鳗利斯顿氏菌[Listonella anguillarum (Bergeman 1909) MacDonell and Colwell 1986]。胞外酶活性及溶血活性检测表明3株分离菌均具有淀粉酶、蛋白酶、卵磷脂酶等胞外酶活性,在含7%家兔脱纤血液营养琼脂培养基上呈β型溶血,PCR检测3株供试菌均可扩增出大小约493 bp的溶血素基因和大小约248bp的金属蛋白酶基因。分离菌的耐药谱测定结果显示,对供试49种抗菌药物中的青霉素G等13种药物耐药,对羧苄青霉素等6种药物存在敏感与耐药的株间差异。     

海鞘血细胞培养和细菌污染控制

以海鞘(Ciona savignyi)为研究对象,考察了海鞘血细胞原代培养方法及培养中细菌污染的鉴定和控制.血细胞在培养1 h后贴壁,细胞基本以圆形细胞为主,变形细胞一般呈不规则形.变形细胞存活时间较短,而圆形细胞存活时间较长.对于培养过程中的细菌污染,通过细菌分离、培养和纯培养发现两类菌株检出率较高,均为革兰氏阴性菌.经PCR扩增16S rDNA基因序列片断,结果显示这两类菌株分别属于弧菌属(Vibrio)和施万氏菌属(Shewanella).药敏试验结果显示,弧菌属对氯霉素和环丙沙星等具有较强的敏感性;对施万氏菌属较敏感的药物依次为亚胺培南和氯霉素等.最后比较了几种抗生素组合控制血细胞培养中细菌污染的使用效果,其中氯霉素、亚胺培南加双抗的组合有较好的抑菌效果并对培养细胞的贴壁和生长没有影响.     

中国沿海10 种方蟹16S rRNA 基因序列分析及系统发育研究

中国沿海10种方蟹线粒体16S rRNA基因部分片段的序列长度为517 bp～533 bp。它们的核苷酸序列A、T、G、C的含量相似,A+T的含量(69.8%～76.0%)明显高于G+C的含量;10种方蟹的16S rRNA基因序列比对获得541 bp的同源序列(含插入/缺失位点),除插入/缺失位点外共检测到146个变异位点,其中81个为简约信息位点。4种厚蟹与2种近方蟹的遗传距离(0.054～0.085)都显著小于与其他方蟹之间的遗传距离,甚至明显小于与4种厚蟹原本属于同一相手蟹科的2种相手蟹之间的遗传距离(0.105～0.155);而基于16S rRNA基因片段序列采用NJ法构建的系统进化树的拓扑结构也显示,原本属于相手蟹科的侧足厚蟹、天津厚蟹、日本仿厚蟹和伍氏仿厚蟹没有与2种相手蟹聚为一支,而是最终与属于弓蟹科的2种近方蟹聚为一大支,且有高达99%的支持率。结果表明,4种厚蟹与2种近方蟹的亲缘关系相对较近,而与2种相手蟹等其他方蟹的亲缘关系则相对较远。因此,研究结果支持将4种厚蟹从相手蟹科移到弓蟹科。此外,属于相手蟹科的2种相手蟹聚为一支,属于方蟹科的白纹方蟹和属于斜纹蟹科的瘤突斜纹蟹又各自成为一支;表明16S rRNA基因的分子数据支持其形态学分类结果的正确性,提示上述4科蟹类可能分别为单系。     

两种体色三疣梭子蟹线粒体DNA 部分片段序列的比较分析

三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)作为重要的海洋经济动物,其常见体色(头胸甲)为茶绿色。近年来在我国沿海海域海捕三疣梭子蟹中开始出现体色为紫色的一类梭子蟹,除体色不同外,二者表型特征并无显著差异。对两种体色三疣梭子蟹不同个体的线粒体COI和16S rRNA基因进行了序列比对分析以判定二者之间的亲缘关系。结果发现COI和16S rRNA基因在两种体色三疣梭子蟹群体中的核苷酸序列一致性分别为99.87%和99.88%,表明紫色三疣梭子蟹并未发生亚种的分化,即紫色和茶绿色群体属于同一个种。并利用GenBank数据库检索了梭子蟹科其他15种海产蟹的16S rRNA序列,进行了序列同源性比对分析和分子系统学方面的探讨,为梭子蟹种属分类学研究提供分子依据。     

基于迁移学习方法的山东冷云冰晶特征分布研究

为分析冷云中冰晶的分布特征,揭示冰晶增长演变机制,根据冰晶形状和尺度特征分为8类并进行标注,同时标注1类隔断栏进行数据质量控制,将9类标签图像整合并建立图像集,利用迁移学习VGGNet16方法进行识别训练,经训练模型分类准确率达98%。将模型应用到秋季冷云冰晶特征研究中,选取3次积层混合云和3次层状云降水过程,分析冰晶形状在不同温度区间的占比及冰晶谱变化特征,结果表明,温度通过影响冰晶基面与棱面的比值来决定冰晶初始形状分布,相同温度区间积层混合云内球状冰晶和线型冰晶占比高于层状云,低于-12℃后各类冰晶占比相对固定;积层混合云内线型冰晶直径集中在300~800 μm,冰晶谱呈多峰分布,聚合体直径大于600 μm,冰晶谱首尾两端浓度相当,球状冰晶直径集中在120～300 μm,冰晶谱呈单调下降趋势。     

RSM－16H动测仪在面波法岩土体检测中的应用

对在岩土体检测中推广应用的新技术──瑞雷面波法作了简述，介绍了ＲＳＭ－１６Ｈ型动测仪对稳态和瞬态面波资料的处理实例，并提出了对该仪器在面波测量中的软件改进建议。