Plumage assisted divergence in a vocally complex island endemic:The Dicrurus paradiseus species complex in Sri Lanka

Models of allopatric speciation within an island biogeographic framework suggest that the division of ancestral mainland populations leads to one or more allopatric island species predominantly through natural and sexual selection or genetic drift.Here we studied phenotypic divergence in a phylogenetic framework in the Dicrurus paradiseus allospecies complex in Sri Lanka,a continental island located in the Indian plate,to understand the complexity of phenotypic divergence on an island.Members of the genus Dicrurus are known as drongos and are conserved in morphology and plumage,but highly variable in vocalization due to vocal learning and mimicry.Two closely related drongos are found in Sri Lanka:the endemic D.lophorinus(or D.paradiseus lophorinus to many authors)found in the wet zone of the island and the widespread continental species D.paradiseus,which inhabits the dry zone.Sampling from all major populations,and voucher specimens from museums across their range in Sri Lanka,we examined phenotypic and genetic variation in this group.The phenotype showed two clusters:birds with a fish-like tail and erect crest(D.lophorinus),and birds with elongated tail streamers with backwardly curved crest(D.paradiseus).There was no significant difference in the vocal traits compared.The genetic variation was examined using two nuclear(Myo 2 and c-mos)and two mitochondrial(ND2 and Cytb)loci and the phylogenetic relationship was analyzed using the Bayesian inference coalescent-based species tree estimation method.The quantitative criteria for species delimitation provided a score sufficient to consider these two taxa as distinct species by considering measurements of body and plumage,acoustics,behaviour and distribution.The phylogeny supports distinct species status for the Sri Lanka Drongo(Dicrurus lophorinus)and that the D.lophorinus and D.paradiseus sister pair diverged since 1.35 mya.The variation in the crest and the tail plumage(components of phenotype)were the main contributors of the divergence,despite the similarity in general appearance and vocalization of the allopatric species.

A New Species of Cat Snake(Serpentes:Colubridae) Morphologically Similar to Boiga cynodon from the Nusa Tenggara Islands,Indonesia

We describe a new cat snake species of the genus Boiga from the Nusa Tenggara Islands, Indonesia. The new species is superficially similar to Boiga cynodon, as it was identified previously. It differs from the latter species by the following combination of characteristics: only reaching half of the size of B. cynodon(up to 1250 mm SVL), higher number of dorsal scales; lower ventral and subcaudal counts and having only a very fine postorbital stripe.

Research Progress on the Theory of Delineation and Zoning of Nature Reserves in China and Discussion of Strategies

The construction of nature reserves plays an essential role in protecting natural resources and the ecological environment,especially the conservation of rare and endangered species,which also has a vital function in maintaining the ecological security of the national territory.China has built up a comprehensive network of nature reserves after waves of development,but there are still many problems with the management of nature reserves,such as the definition of boundaries,zoning theory,zoning methods,and legal protection.The definition of boundaries is a tool for effective management of nature reserves,but achieving scientific and effective boundary definition is a difficult problem for the construction and management of reserves.It is also a problem that must be solved to achieve sustainable development.This paper compared three fundamental theories of the conservation of species in nature reserves,namely island biogeography,metapopulation,and landscape ecology,from connotations,applications and advantages,and disadvantages,and discussed the progress of theoretical research to provide valuable references for the definition and planning of effective boundaries of nature reserves.

Prickly pairs: the proportion of spinescent species does not differ between islands and mainlands

Aims Organisms on islands are thought to escape biotic pressure and lose defensive capabilities.However,broadscale,evidence-based tests of this idea are rare.In this study,we asked:(i)whether the proportion of spinescent plant species differed between islands and mainlands and(ii)whether the proportion of spinescent species increased with increasing island area and with decreasing island distance to mainland.Methods We compiled species lists for 18 island–mainland pairs around Australia.We classified 1129 plant species as spinescent or nonspinescent using published species descriptions.Important Findings There was no significant difference between the proportion of spinescent species found on islands and on mainlands.Proportions of spinescent species were not significantly related to island area or distance to mainland.Our results suggest that spinescence is just as important to island plants as it is to mainland plants,even for plants inhabiting small or distal islands.This is unexpected,given prevailing thought and previous work on island–mainland comparisons.Our study demonstrates the importance of testing well-accepted yet untested ideas.