Preliminary Estimation of Paleoproductivity via TOC and Habitat Types:Which Method Is More Reliable?—A Case Study on the Ordovician-Silurian Transitional Black Shales of the Upper Yangtze Platform, South China

New total organic carbon （TOC） data from the two Ordovician-Silurian transitional graptolite-bearing black shale intervals, the Wufeng （五峰） Formation and the Longmaxi （龙马溪） Formation in Central Guizhou （贵州） and West Hubei （湖北）, respectively, as well as previously reported TOC data from the same intervals in other places on the Yangtze platform of South China, have been used to produce an initial estimate of the primary paleoproductivity via a conventional inverse method （i.e., Rpp.inverse）. The values of the Rpp.inverse are estimated to be 32 （43-21） gC/（m^2·a）（Wufeng Formation） and 21 （27-16） gC/（m^2·a） （Longmaxi Formation）. Also, simultaneously, the habitat types （i.e., HT; cf., BA： benthic assemblage） and their temporal and spatial changes have been documented from the same succession, and an initial estimate of the primary paleoproductivity has been produced using a forward method （i.e., Rpp-forward） Beingbounded mainly by the peritidal to inner-shelf environment shelly-facies or mixed-facies successions with BA1 to BA3 faunas both at the top and the base, which indicates the habitat types from HT Ⅱ to HT Ⅲ2, the biohabitat type of the two graptolite-bearing black shale intervals can be limited to HT III to HT IV, corresponding to the inner shelf to the outer shelf, with depths from roughly 60 m to 200-300 m. Based on the current data from the South China Sea and the southern part of the East China Sea, values of Rpp-forward should be about 100 to 400 gC/（m^2·a）. The difference in the results via the two methods suggests that paleoproductivity estimates from the geological strata need to be made cautiously, with particular attention paid to the paleogeographic setting, oxic-anoxic conditions, as also the preservation factor of organic carbon.

Trophic Niche Shifts in Mountain Feirana Frogs under Human-mediated Habitat Transformations

Urbanization can induce environmental changes, disturbing habitat transformation process, and resulting in niche shift of species and local extinctions. Amphibians have experienced worldwide population declines, with ha bitat loss acting as one of the most disruptive causes. How amphibian species response to changing habitats could be reflected in their utilization and assimilation of resources. Using stable isotopes, we explored trophic niche variation between natural and transformed habitats for three closely related frog species in the genus Feirana(F. quadranus, F. taihangnica and F. kangxianensis). Our results indicated that the δ~(13)C value was negatively correlated with body size(snout-vent length) and the δ~(15)N value increased along with the ontogenetic process. The δ~(13)C values were significantly different among habitat types, and the variation of δ~(15)N values was relatively limited in different disturbed gradients. Urban groups displayed broader trophic niche width than both rural and natural groups. When species in sympatry, their resource utilization and trophic niche overlap probability were more similar in rural habitats than their natural counterparts. Our findings would be conducive to understand trophic niche and function variation in amphibians during the urbanization process, allowing for effective predictions of ecological consequences of habitat transformation. This study can also provide insight into conservation strategies for mountain amphibians in the Anthropocene.

The Changhsingian Foraminiferal Fauna of the Meishan D Section, Zhejiang, China, and their Ecostratigraphic Implications

Samples were collected continuously and systematically from Beds 2 to 30 of the Meishan D section, and nearly 4,000 foraminiferal specimens were recognized. In total, 72 species （partially including undetermined species and conformis species） in 34 genera of foraminifers were identified. Twelve foraminiferal community zones were established from Beds 2 to 27 based on the abundance, dominance, diversity, and equitability of the foraminiferal fauna and a functional morphological analysis of the dominant and characteristic species. The habitat type indicated by each community zone and the sedimentary features were used to determine the paleo-water depths and the relative changes in sea level. We generated curves of both the habitat type and the hydrodynamic conditions, which together indicate the relative changes in the paleo-water depth and the substrate features in the studied area during the Changhsingian. This study discusses the possible relationship between the foraminiferal community zones and the sea-level changes based on a statistical analysis of the foraminiferal community zones.

Genome size evolution of the extant lycophytes and ferns

Ferns and lycophytes have remarkably large genomes.However,little is known about how their genome size evolved in fern lineages.To explore the origins and evolution of chromosome numbers and genome size in ferns,we used flow cytometry to measure the genomes of 240 species(255 samples)of extant ferns and lycophytes comprising 27 families and 72 genera,of which 228 species(242 samples)represent new reports.We analyzed correlations among genome size,spore size,chromosomal features,phylogeny,and habitat type preference within a phylogenetic framework.We also applied ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression analysis to preference of habitat type and genome size.Using the phylogeny,we conducted ancestral character reconstruction for habitat types and tested whether genome size changes simultaneously with shifts in habitat preference.We found that 2 C values had weak phylogenetic signal,whereas the base number of chromosomes(x)had a strong phylogenetic signal.Furthermore,our analyses revealed a positive correlation between genome size and chromosome traits,indicating that the base number of chromosomes(x),chromosome size,and polyploidization may be primary contributors to genome expansion in ferns and lycophytes.Genome sizes in different habitat types varied significantly and were significantly correlated with habitat types;specifically,multinomial logistic regression indicated that species with larger 2 C values were more likely to be epiphytes.Terrestrial habitat is inferred to be ancestral for both extant ferns and lycophytes,whereas transitions to other habitat types occurred as the major clades emerged.Shifts in habitat types appear be followed by periods of genomic stability.Based on these results,we inferred that habitat type changes and multiple whole-genome duplications have contributed to the formation of large genomes of ferns and their allies during their evolutionary history.