Behaviour, natural history, and annual cycle of the Henderson Island rail Porzana atra (Aves: Rallidae)

The little known endemic Henderson Island rail (or Henderson rail) Porzflna atra , inhabits forest on the coastal plain and upraised plateau of Henderson Island. Rails were studied for 15 months from January 1991 to March 1992. The population was estimated at c. 6200 individuals living in pairs or cooperative groups of 3–4 adults on territories averaging about 1 ha. Two or three eggs were laid in covered or open nests near the ground from mid-July to mid-February. Up to five consecutive nesting attempts were made in cases where eggs or young chicks were lost. Adults laid a second clutch when chicks were fully feathered at about one month of age. Both sexes incubated and helped rear the young. Older chicks sometimes helped feed younger siblings. Dispersal of juveniles from the natal territory took place in April. Adult birds underwent a rapid, simultaneous post-nuptial moult of the remiges in February-April; the post-juvenile moult involved body feathers only. Data on morphometries, breeding ecology, courtship behaviour and voice are compared with available information for the spotless crake P. tabuensis , the Henderson rail's closest relative and probable ancestor. These comparisons provide some information on how these two taxa have differentiated since rails arrived on Henderson Island some time in the last 380000 years.     

Darwin and the Galápagos

Charles Darwin's historic visit to the Galápagos Islands in 1835 represents a landmark in the annals of science. But contrary to the legend long surrounding Darwin's famous Galápagos visit, he continued to believe that species were immutable for nearly a year and a half after leaving these islands. This delay in Darwin's evolutionary appreciation of the Galápagos evidence is largely owing to numerous misconceptions that he entertained about the islands, and their unique organic inhabitants, during the Beagle voyage. For example, Darwin mistakenly thought that the Galápagos tortoise–adult specimens of which he did not collect for scientific purposes–was not native to these islands. Hence he apparently interpreted reports of island-to-island differences among the tortoises as analogous to changes that are commonly undergone by species removed from their natural habitats. As for Darwin's finches, Darwin initially failed to recognize the closely related nature of the group, mistaking certain species for the forms that they appear, through adaptive radiation, to mimic. Moreover, what locality information he later published for his Galápagos finch specimens was derived almost entirely from the collections of three other Beagle shipmates, following his return to England. Even after he became an evolutionist, in March of 1837 (when he discussed his Galápagos birds with the eminent ornithologist John Gould), Darwin's theoretical understanding of evolution in the Galápagos continued to undergo significant developments for almost as many years as it took him to publish the Origin of Species (1859). The Darwin-Galápagos legend, with its romantic portrait of Darwin's 'eureka-like' insight into the Galápagos as a microcosmic 'laboratory of evolution', masks the complex nature of scientific discovery, and, thereby, the real nature of Darwin's genius.     

A population genetic study of the Banks and Torres Islands (Vanuatu) and of the Santa Cruz Islands and polynesian outliers (Solomon Islands)

As part of a multidisciplinary survey of populations in the Banks and Torres Islands of Vanuatu and the Southern and Central Districts of the Solomon Islands, nearly 2,400 persons have been tested for ABO blood groups and a number of serum protein and red cell enzyme genetic marker systems. For the ABO system, the populations are characterized in general by high gene O and low gene B frequencies except in two of the Polynesian Outlier Islands, Rennell and Bellona, which have high frequencies of B. Among the serum proteins, several alleles have distributions indicating significant movement of people between islands. These include Albumin ^{New Guinea} and the transferrin alleles Tf, and Tf, and Tf. Similar specific alleles for red cell enzymes also show distributions reflecting interisland population movement as well as contact with persons from outside the southern Pacific region. Examples are ACP in the acid phosphatase system, PGM and PGM, PGM and PGM, PGK⁴ and also HbJ^Tongariki. The data available for 11 polymorphic systems were used to generate genetic distances. Of the four Polynesian Outlier Islands, Anuta is most remote genetically, with Rennell and Bellona also relatively isolated. The fourth Polynesian Outlier, Tikopia, occupies a position genetically close to the Melanesian populations of the Banks and Torres Islands and the southern Solomons. The history of early European contact and voyaging in the Pacific, as well as archaeological and linguistic evidence and local legends, indicate that significant movements of people occurred between islands and provided opportunities for genes to be introduced from Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The genetic marker studies give evidence for genes from all these sources, though at a low level. Despite this admixture, the Polynesian Outlier and Melanesian populations have preserved their own distinctive genetic patterns.     

Submerged vascular plants and water chemistry in the coastal marsh Albufera de Mallorca (Balearic Islands)

Ten species of aquatic macrophytes have been analyzed for seven environmental variables by means of a significance test. A synthetic view has been obtained through a cluster analysis for species and a principal component analysis for 17 variables which form the multidimensional space where we project the species habitats. Myriophyllum spicatum L., Najas marina L., Potamogeton crispus L., Potamogeton pectinatus L. and Zannichellia pedunculata Reichenb. are widely distributed in the Albufera. Ceratophyllum submersum L. and Ruppia maritima L. var. brevirostris Ag. are considered stenoic. The tolerance of Ceratophyllum submersum to salts is significantly low and that of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande and Ruppia maritima var. brevirostris significantly high. Ceratophyllum submersum has a significantly negative distribution with regard to chlorophyll a and phosphate concentrations. Ceratophyllum demersum L. and C. submersum primarily occur in nitrate-rich waters whereas Ruppia cirrhosa primarily occurs in low nitrate waters.     

GENETIC VARIABILITY OF GELIDIUM CANARIENSIS (RHODOPHYTA) DETERMINED BY ISOZYME ELECTROPHORESIS1

The populations of Gelidium canariensis (Grunow) Seoane-Camba from the Canary Islands were analyzed for genetic variability by isozyme electrophoresis in 1989 and 1990. Each population was divided into sporophytic and gametophytic subpopulations. Twenty-three to 27 putative alleles corresponding to 22 gene loci were analyzed. Sev-enteen loci were monomorphic in all six subpopulations, and five were polymorphic in at least one subpopulation. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found. The amount of genetic variability (percentage of polymorphic loci, mean number of alleles per locus, and average gene diversity) of haploid subpopulations was lower than that of diploid subpopulations. No correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance was found. Low genetic differentiation between sporophytic and gametophytic subpopulations of the same locality was obsewed in two populations. The low genetic diversity and genetic differentiation suggest that the genetic structure of the populations of G. canariensis from the Canary Islands is due to a combination of founder effects and the predominance of asexual reproduction. Initial differences in gene frequencies may have persisted because of insufficient time to reach a higher level of differentiation.     

Two new species of the genusAmblyeleotris (Pisces: Gobiidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

Two new shrimp-associated gobies,Amblyeleotris yanoi sp. nov. andA. masuii sp. nov. are described on the basis of specimens from Iriomote-jima Island and Okinawa-jima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.A. yanoi is distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of the following characters: 14 anal fin soft rays, 19 pectoral fin rays, 97–103 longitudinal scales, a candle flame-shaped marking on the caudal fin, a very low membrane connecting the pelvic fins and absence of a ventral frenum.A. masuii differs from all other congeners by having 92–97 longitudinal scales, the length of the interpelvic connecting membrane relative to the longest pelvic fin ray (0.43–0.66), black blotches on the sides of the chin, and blue spots on the opercle and preopercle.     

Amphipod crustaceans as an important component of zoobenthos of the shallow Antarctic sublittoral

Benthic quantitative samples were taken in 1988 in the soft bottom sublittoral of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetlands) using a Tvärminne-type bottom sampler and SCUBA-diving technique at 7 successive stations situated at depths from 4 to 30 m.Dominant animal groups in terms of abundance were Amphipoda, Polychaeta and Bivalvia, whereas in terms of biomass Echinoidea were also dominant. Amphipod crustaceans clearly dominated the zoobenthos at depths from 10 to 25 m (the numerical share surpaising 60%) with maximal abundance of abt. 17 000 ind m^–2; in terms of biomass at specific depths amphipods occupied the 1st, 2nd or 3rd place with maximal biomass of abt. 100 g m^–2 where the maximal total biomass of zoobenthos reached 260 g m^–2 (10 m).Amphipoda were the most diversified group with some 35 taxa belonging to 14 families. Most species belonged to Eusiridae s.l. and Lysianassidae s.l. Dominant forms were Pontogeneiella brevicornis, Prostebbingia gracilis, Schraderia gracilis, Hippomedon kergueleni, Orchomenella cf. ultima, Cardenio paurodactylus and Paraphoxus rotundifrons.     

长山群岛海域真核微藻粒级结构及扇贝摄食选择性

采用高通量测序-分子鉴定分级技术于2019年对长山群岛全海域真核微藻粒级结构进行了研究。结果发现,春季以中（47%）、小粒级（41%）为主,夏季以小（39%）、大粒级（38%）为主,秋季以大粒级（60%）为主,春、夏、秋季小、中、大粒级微藻比例为42：47：11、39：23：38、22：18：60。小粒级微藻优势种为细小微胞藻（Micromonas pusilla）、融合微胞藻（Micromonas commoda）和金牛微球藻（Ostreococcus tauri）,中粒级微藻优势种为剧毒卡尔藻（Karlodinium veneficum）、大粒级微藻优势种为柔弱几内亚藻（Guinardia delicatula）、平野亚历山大藻（Alexandrium hiranoi）、多纹膝沟藻（Gonyaulax polygramma）,综合整个真核微藻群落,春季由中粒径的剧毒卡尔藻占据优势（23.9%）,夏季由大粒径的平野亚历山大藻占据优势（29.4%）,秋季由大粒径的多纹膝沟藻占据优势（66.8%）,有毒甲藻在该海域中占有绝对优势,贝毒累积风险较高,小粒径微藻中金牛微球藻和抑食金球藻曾在渤海引发褐潮,潜在威胁该海域贝类养殖业。虾夷扇贝对小粒级和大粒级微藻的选择性较低,对中粒级微藻的选择性较高,尤其对水体中优势种剧毒卡尔藻一直表现出主动选择。光学需氧量、无机氮、溶解氧、石油类及部分重金属Cd、As、Hg影响着整个长山群岛海域真核微藻粒级结构时空演变。