Quantitative Study of the Morphological Variations among Dzieduszyckia Populations from the Devonian Rongxian Formation,South China and their Influencing Factors

The rhynchonellide brachiopod Dzieduszyckia Siemiradzki is widely distributed in the Lower Famennian strata,and exhibits a wide range of morphological variations among populations.1272 autochthonous Devonian Rongxian Dzieduszyckia fossils were collected from three populations in South China,namely the Dazhai,Dalong,and Longmi sections.A series of quantitative morphological analyses were conducted to understand the morphological variation among populations and identify the triggers responsible for such variations.The results show that the Dazhai population differs significantly in morphospace from the Dalong and Longmi populations,while the latter two exhibit more similar morphological features,suggesting that geographic distribution may play a key role in affecting Dzieduszyckia morphology.The Longmi population shows a distinct morphospace from the Dazhai population and an overlapped morphospace with the Dalong population,indicating that habitat may not be the controlling factor.Lastly,the Dazhai and Dalong populations share some morphological similarities,but the Dazhai and Longmi populations occupy completely different morphospaces,indicating that evolution had a greater impact on phenotypic divergence than habitat.Our findings suggest that geographic distribution is the predominant factor influencing the morphological variation of Dzieduszyckia,while evolution and living habitat are less significant,the former of which might play a more important role.

Morphological Variation of Conodonts Platyvillosus from Yinkeng Formation in Chaohu,Anhui Province,China

A preciously undescribed Lower Triassic sequence of a series of multiple cycles of mud-lime rocks, with the argillaceous content decreasing upward while limestone becomes the dominant lithology in the upper part, contains abundant fossils such as conodonts, ammonoids and bivalves. The Yinkeng Formation is the oldest Triassic unit represented, and it conformably overlies dark-gray thin-bedded argillaceous silicalite and intercalated grayish illite clay interbeds of the Upper Permian of Dalong Formation. Conodont samples collected from west Pingdingshan Section, one of four measured sections in Chaohu, yielded abundant Lower Triassic conodonts from the middle part of the Yinkeng Formation. Most interesting and unusual is the abundant occurrence of Platyvillosus in seven samples from the Flemingites-Euflemingites bearing (Smithian) mudstone, rhyolitic clay and limestone part of the section. The associated conodonts are Neospathodus dieneri type 1, N. dieneri type 2, N. dieneri type 3, N. cristagalli, N. waageni eowaageni (nov. subsp.), N. waageni elongata (nov. subsp.), N. waageni waageni, N. sp. G (nov. sp.), N . sp. L (nov. sp.), N . sp. H (nov. sp.), N. alberti, N. novaehollandiae, N. peculiaris, N . aff. discretus, N. conservativus, Parachirognathodus sp. and ramiform elements. The species Platyvillosus , which is restricted to a 1.32 m interval, reveals great variety in shape and denticle ornamentation pattern on the platform. The morphological study of the samples indicates that all speciemens with denticles on the upper surface can be included in intraspecific variation in Platyvillosus costatus (Staesche). Platyvillosus hamadai (Koike), marked by smooth upper surface, also appears to be connected by transitional forms in some samples. The fauna corresponds closely with that of the Taho limestone in Japan, although the depositional environments differ. The associated lithologies of the Yinkeng Formation within Chaohu area reflect a deeper and low energy remaining basin of the northern edge of the Lower Yangtze block.

Intraspecific leaf morphological variation in Quercus dentata Thunb.:a comparison of traditional and geometric morphometric methods,a pilot study

To compare the application of traditional morphometric methods(TMMs)and geometric morphometric methods(GMMs)in the study of intraspecific leaf morphological characters of Quercus dentata,fifteen linear measurement indices and thirteen landmarks of leaves were used to study leaf morphology of three provenances(H1,H2,and H3).In TMMs,principal component analysis(PCA)showed that leaf size–related indices played an important role in population classification.Partial least square(PLS)analysis showed that the main morphological characters affecting leaf size were the average depth of the lobes and the length–width ratios.However,the important indices to distinguish the provenances were circularity,leaf width,and length–width ratio.The results of discriminant analysis(DA)showed that 74.0%of H1,68.0%of H2,and 74.0%of H3 were correctly classified.Cluster analysis showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2,H1 and H3,and H2 and H3 were 4.3761,11.4629,and 10.2067,respectively.In GMMs,PCA based on symmetrical components showed that the difference in leaf morphology was mainly due to the changing trend of the leaf apex and base,petiole length,and degree of leaf cracking.PLS analysis showed that there was a significant covariation between the leaf symmetrical components and size:as the leaf enlarged,the widest part gradually moved up,and the shape changed from nearly oval to lanceolate.DA results showed that 86.0%and 78.0%of H1 and H2,70.0%and 80.0%of H1 and H3,and 82.0%and 76.0%of H2 and H3 were correctly classified.Canonical variate analysis results showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2,H1 and H3,and H2 and H3 were 1.7238,1.5380,and 1.6329,respectively.Both GMMs and TMMs showed significant differences in morphology among the three Q.dentata provenances,but GMMs had higher classification accuracy and could provide more information about leaf shape,whereas TMMs could provide more information about leaf size.Based on our results,GMMs are promising in the study of leaf morphological variation within Q.dentata provenances.

Physicochemical and Morphological Variation of Bamboo Cell Wall During Hydrothermal Pretreatment

Pretreatment is important for achieving high-value utilization of biomass.This study is conducted to evaluate the destruction of the Moso bamboo cell wall via hydrothermal pretreatment at different temperatures and pH values.Compositional and morphological analyses and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid fractions indicate that the destruction of the cell wall,instead of the degradation or removal of hemicellulose and lignin,or the configuration transition of the cellulose crystal structure,is the most critical aspect for improving bioconversion efficiency.Although only an 8%-10%weight loss is incurred and similar crystalline indexes are achieved after mild hydrothermal treatments,the recovery of glucose is doubled,whereas the recovery of xylose from pretreated samples is approximately 35%.

Invasion and Morphological Variation of the Non- Indigenous Barnacle Chthamalus challengeri(Hoek, 1883) in Yangshan Port and its Surrounding Areas

Invasive species generally possess unique characteristics that allow them to survive the invasion process in order to es- tablish and spread in new habitats. Successful invaders must resist both physical and physiological stresses associated with the changing environment. A common littoral barnacle, Chthamalus challengeri Hoek, 1883 （Crustacea, Cirripedia）, which is native to Japan, South Korea and northern China, has become established in the high-littoral zone adjacent to Yangshan Port, Shanghai, China. A comparison of the morphology of Chthamlus species from Zhoushan archipelago with previous description indicates the occur- rence of C. challengeri. The new immigrant becomes a dominant species in certain high-intertidal habitats of the adjacent area to of Yangshan Port. C. challengeri was found in part of sampling sites in Zhoushan in 2010; however, it dispersed to all the eleven sam- piing sites in 2012. Densities of C.challengeri had increased over 10 times in the last 2 years, with the highest mean value reaching 39533 ± 6243 ind. m-2 in the new habitat. The specific ratios of both operculum area （Sa） to base area （SA） and average height of pa- rietal plates （H） to length of base （L） revealed that C. challengeri displays morphological changes to resist stronger currents in the new habitats for invasion.

Morphological, Cultural, Molecular and Pathogenic Variation of Bipolaris sorokiniana in Wheat

One hundred and twenty isolates of Bipolaris sorokiniana of wheat were isolated, identified and characterized based on morphological, cultural, pathogenic and ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) based molecular parameters. Collected isolates differed in respect of radial mycelial growth rate, color of the colony, surface texture of the colony, shape of the colony, conidia production ability and shape and color of conidia. ITS1 and ITS4 based PCR products yielded a species-specific band of 600 bp (base pairs) on agarose gel for the confirmation of B. sorokiniana. The mycelial growth rate of the isolates ranged from 1.39 to 4.46 mm/day. The septation of conidia ranged from 1.4 to 8.6. On the basis of conidia morphology, the isolates were grouped into five different groups, whereas the isolates were grouped into 12 cultural groups based on cultural characteristics. Cultural group 8 [CG (Cultural Group)-8] was the most virulent [38.5% LAD (Leaf area diseased)] and [CG (cultural Group)-4] was the less virulent [2% LAD (Leaf area diseased)] group among 12 groups when inoculated at tillering stage of wheat cv. Kachan.

Morphological Variation of Donax spp. from Five Beaches in Prachaupkhirikhan, Thailand

Five hundred samples ofDonax spp. were collected from five beaches （Khao Tao, Sea Pine Garden, Pran Buri Forest Park, Sam Roi Yod, and Sam Phraya） in Prachaupkhirikhan province, Thailand. Five morphological variables of each individual were measured and analyzed to reveal morphological variation. The discriminant function analysis of morphology suggested a clear separation into two groups. The individuals from Khao Tao and Sea Pine Garden were grouped together while individuals from Pran Buri Forest Park, Sam Roi Yod and Sam Phraya were classified into the same group. The classification function of discriminant function analysis suggested that 70% of Khao Tao population, 70% of Sea Pine Garden population, 67% of Pran Buri Forest Park population, 64% of Sam Roi Yod population and 34% of Sam Phraya population of Donax spp. could be correctly reassigned by morphology. The misclassification individuals of Sam Phraya population were assigned to Pran Buri Forest Park and Sam Roi Yod population with the correct assignment 38% and 27%, respectively. The results obtained in this study based on morphological variation indicated that Khao Tao and Sea Pine Garden populations ofDonax spp. should be treated as separated units from the other three populations for conservation management. However, the result should be confirmed again as genetic level.

Morphological Variation of Coilia Mystus （Clupeiformes： Engraulidae） in Three Chinese Estuaries

Truss network data were collected and investigated in order to clarify the morphological variation in populations of Coilia mystus from three Chinese estuaries. Nineteen morphometric measurements were made for each individual, and Burnaby＇s multivariate method was used to obtain size-adjusted shape data. The cluster analysis and discriminant analysis were used to discriminate morphological differences among populations. The results indicated that 1） the three populations were clustered into two distinct groups： the first group included Changiiang C. mystus and Zhujiang C. mystus, the last one included Minjiang C. mystus, and 2） discriminant analysis with selected 5 morphological parameters showed that the identification accuracy was between 98.7952% and 100%, and global identification accuracy was 99.2933%. Reproductive isolation and adaption to environmental condition are determinant factors for morphological variation between populations of C. mystus.

Using Morphological Markers to Assess Variations between and within Cultivated and Non-cultivated Provenances of Moringa Oleifera Lam. in Tanzania

The use of morphological markers to assess variations between and within cultivated and non-cultivated provenances of Moringa oleifera Lam. from selected coastal regions of Tanzania was studied. A descriptors list of 15 selected morphological characters was used to generate a character state matrix. Cluster analysis using NTSYS-pc and UPGMA program produced six clusters with similarity ranging from 66% to 100%. The majority cultivated and non-cultivated clusters with similarity ranging from 86-100% and 97-100% respectively reflected a clustering pattern based on the status of individuals whether cultivated or non-cultivated. Most individuals from same population clustered differently indicating high morphological variations within populations than between populations. The present results suggest that selection and conservation of elite germplasm could be achieved by considering individuals from both cultivated and non-cultivated plants.

Comparative Study on the Infectivity and Spore Surface Protein of Nosema bombycis and Its Morphological Variant Strain

A new morphological variant strain of microsporidium was produced by infecting the mulberry looper, Hemerophilaatrilineata [Phthonandria atrilineata], with Nosema bombycis successively for 24 times, and named 24Nbh. Comparativestudies on morphology, infectivity and spore surface protein were conducted. 24Nbh was short and wide, and had asignificant difference (P<0.01) over the Nb spores. The infectivity tests conducted on second instar silkworm larvaeshowed that IC50 of 24Nbh was 1.98104 spores mL-1 and of Nb was 1.72103 spores mL-1, thus indicating that the infectivityof Nb decreased 11.5 times after multiplying in mulberry looper for 24 times. The IC50 of spores from silkworm infected with24 Nbh was 6.9 times less than Nb, showing that the infectivity of 24Nbh spores rejuvenated very fast when reinfected tosilkworms, further more, the length and width of such spore was larger than 24Nbh (P<0.01) and smaller than Nb (P<0.05).The SDS-PAGE profiles of Nb and 24Nbh were generally the same, 4 distinct proteins of 12, 17, 30, 33 kDa were obtainedwith difference in quantity. When 120 g of protein was applied for 2D-PAGE, five suspected different proteins withdifference in quantity were observed. These results demonstrate that these differential proteins maybe associated withvariation in infectivity of the spores.

Sexual Dimorphism and Geographic Variation in the Asian Lance-headed Pitviper Protobothrops mucrosquamatus in the China's Mainland

Sexual dimorphism（SD） and geographic variation（GV） are widespread in snakes. Protobothrops mucrosquamatus（Cantor 1839） is one of the most common Asian venomous snakes with a wide geographical distribution. We examined SD and GV patterns for this species by using multivariate statistical analyses of external morphological characters scored from specimens from the China's Mainland. The result displayed that SD was significant in several external characters in P. mucrosquamatus, and the male P. mucrosquamatus formed two distinct clusters（Hainan Island and China's Mainland）, but the females did not. Based on our present work and the other data, we concluded that no significantly intraspecific differentiation is present within this species.

Leaf stable carbon isotope composition in Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica in relation to leaf physiological and morphological characteristics along an altitudinal gradient

To understand the effects of leaf physiological and morphological characteristics on δ13C of alpine trees, we examined leaf δ13C value, LA, SD, LNC, LPC, LKC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and Narea in one-year-old needles of Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica at ten points along an altitudinal gradient from 1420 m to 2300 m a.s.l. on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China. Our results indicated that all the leaf traits differed significantly among sampling sites along the altitudinal gradient(P<0.001). LA, SD, LPC, LKC increased linearly with increasing elevation, whereas leaf δ13C, LNC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and Narea varied non-linearly with changes in altitude. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that four controlled physiological and morphological characteristics influenced the variation of δ13C. Among these four controlled factors, LKC was the most profound physiological factor that affected δ13C values, LA was the secondary morphological factor, SD was the third morphological factor, LNC was the last physiological factor. This suggested that leaf δ13C was directly controlled by physiological and morphological adjustments with changing environmental conditions due to the elevation.

QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO INFLUENCES OF HIGH SEDIMENT LADEN INUNDATION FLOWS ON THE MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION OF FLOODPLAINS

This article mainly aims at developing an integrated 2-D numerical simulation model on inundation, sediment transportation and the morphological variations of floodplains due to high sediment-laden inundation flows. Due to the complexity of inner and outer boundaries and the arbitrary structures within the computational domain of floodplains, an unstructured Finite-Volume Method （FVM） based on an irregular polygon mesh was worked out so that the influences of complex boundaries can be integrated into the simulation. A case study was conducted in the Lower Yellow River Basin, in which a dike-break at the Huayuankou Hydrological Station was assumed to happen when a flood scale of 1982 was suffered in the region. The simulated spatial distribution of sediment deposition and erosion can be used to reasonably explain the natural phenomena of ＂suspended river＂ of the lower part of the Yellow River. It is concluded that the inundation process of water is similar to a variable-river-bed condition during the simulation because the sediment deposition and erosion are modified by new values at the end of each time step. The mass and momentum conservation were strictly followed during the simulation. Therefore, the prediction of floodplain evolutions by the integrated simulation model, proposed in this study, can be adequately and accurately given if the real condition of an floodplain can be obtained in detail.

Effects of heavy metal(Pb) concentration on some growth parameters of plants grown in lead polluted soil under organic fertilizer amendment

This study investigated morphological variation and biomass accumulation that occurred in Sida acuta and Chromolaena odorata plants grown in lead polluted soil under organic fertilizer amendment. The study was carried out in the screen house at the Biological Gardens of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. The experiment was a factorial combination of one heavy metal （Pb） at five levels of concentration （0, 200, 400, 800 and 1,000 mg/kg） in a completely randomized design, and were replicated three times for each of the two plants and two levels （0 g/kg and 9.4 g/kg） of organic fertilizer （OBD-Plus）. Each pot was filled with 5 kg of air-dried and sieved soil and placed on a plastic tray for the collection of excess water. Two weeks after planting, seedlings of uniform height were transplanted from the nursery to experimental pots at the rate of one seedling per pot and grown for 10 weeks. The growth parameters of the plants were biomonitored for 7 weeks. After 10 weeks of treatment, the plants were harvested and dried to calculate the biomass accumulation. The two plant species performed better under fertilizer application than without it. For each of the plant species the growth parameters decreased as the levels of Pb concentration increased. Furthermore, the plants＇ biomass decreased significantly （p 〈0.05） as the levels of Pb concentration increased. The organic fertilizer helped to improve the plants＇ performance in lead-polluted soil.

Primary gliosarcoma with widespread extracranial metastases--spatiotemporal morphological variation

Background:We summarize 5 cases of primary gliosarcoma with widespread extracranial metastases including our case.The glial components are eliminated due to the needs of the living environment in the process of parasitism and survival of brain glioma-sarcoma cells in lung metastasis.Methods:A PubMed search using the keywords"gliosarcoma"and"extracranial metastases"was performed followed by a review of cited literature.Our case was a 50-year-old female presented with headache and dizziness.MRI examination showed that there was a cystic solid tumor in the right temporal lobe.The tumor was removed totally.Seven months after the operation,the patient suffered recurrent intermittent headache.The resection for the recurrent tumor was performed.Postoperative pathology confirmed the recurrent gliosarcoma.A needle biopsy was performed for the nodular on the right lung.The lung tumor pathology suggested a sarcoma structure.Results:There was a female patient in five cases.The age range is 47 to 69 years old.The tumor recurred within a year.A combination of treatment modalities may extend survival;however,the prognosis remains poor.Conclusion:Primary gliosarcoma with extracranial metastases is extremely rare.Some findings uncovered an unexpected spatiotemporal morphological variation in the different foci of the same malignancy.

Skulls Symmetry of ＂White Rasquera＂ Goat

Three common categories of bilateral asymmetry have been described： directional asymmetry, antisymmetry, and FA （fluctuating asymmetry）. FA is the most subtle of the three types of asymmetry, and differs from the patterns of the others in that paired structures tend to be symmetric in size. The analysis of FA allows to estimate the influence of stress factors on animal development and enables evaluation of resistance to stress. The aim of this work was to estimate the symmetry of skulls of a contemporary pure goat breed, as there is currently no study of FA as an estimate of individual quality for domestic goats. For this purpose, 11 landmarks were digitized in two dimensions from the crania of 24 adult goats （12 males and 12 females） belonging to the ＂White Rasquera＂ breed. The skulls showed nearly perfect bilateral symmetry. The low detected values of FA in skulls revealed a weak influence of developmental stress on this goat contemporary population and its strong ability to compensate stress.

Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis(Gracilariaceae,Rhodophyta)in the Mexican Coasts:A Case of Disjunct Distribution?

Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis is a widely reported species of marine red algae, with records from around the world. Particularly in Mexico, it has been recorded along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean as well as the Tropical Mexican Pacific;so, its current distribution on the Mexican coasts is disjunct. From its molecular characterization with COI-5P and rbcL sequences of specimens collected at sites in Mexico where this species has been most frequently recorded, our aim was to re-evaluate the current distribution of Gp. lemaneiformis on the Mexican coasts and discuss the taxonomic implications. Phylogenetic analysis, supported by DNA species delimitation methods, genetic distances and morphological comparisons, showed that the current disjunct distribution of Gp. lemaniformis in Mexico is a consequence of taxonomic misidentifications. From our results, Gp. lemaneiformis is the only species of the genus with a distribution in the Tropical Mexican Pacific, whereas Gp. tenuifrons is the only species with a distribution in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean. Also, we propose that Gp. cata-luziana is to be merged with Gp. tenuifrons, while Gp. costarisensis is to be merged with Gp. lemaneiformis.

Facing different predators： adaptiveness of behavioral and morphological traits under predation

Predation is thought to be one of the main structuring forces in animal communities. However, se- lective predation is often measured on isolated traits in response to a single predatory species, but only rarely are selective forces on several traits quantified or even compared between different predators naturally occurring in the same system. In the present study, we therefore measured be- havioral and morphological traits in young-of-the-year Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis and com- pared their selective values in response to the 2 most common predators, adult perch and pike Esox lucius. Using mixed effects models and model averaging to analyze our data, we quantified and compared the selectivity of the 2 predators on the different morphological and behavioral traits. We found that selection on the behavioral traits was higher than on morphological traits and perch predators preyed overall more selectively than pike predators. Pike tended to positively se- lect shallow bodied and nonvigilant individuals （i.e. individuals not performing predator inspec- tion）. In contrast, perch predators selected mainly for bolder juvenile perch （i.e. individuals spend- ing more time in the open, more active）, which was most important. Our results are to the best of our knowledge the first that analyzed behavioral and morphological adaptations of juvenile perch facing 2 different predation strategies. We found that relative specific predation intensity for the di- vergent traits differed between the predators, providing some additional ideas why juvenile perch display such a high degree of phenotypic plasticity.

Pseudohypericin and Hyperforin in Hypericum perforatum from Northern Turkey:Variation among Populations,Plant Parts and Phenological Stages

Hypericum perforatum is a perennial medicinal plant known as ＂St. John＇s wort＂ in Western Europe and has been used in the treatment of several diseases for centuries. In the present study, morphologic, phenologic and population variability in pseudohypericin and hyperforin concentrations among H. perforatum populations from Northern Turkey was investigated for the first time. The aerial parts of H. perforatum plants representing a total of 30 individuals were collected at full flowering from 10 sites of Northern Turkey to search the regional variation in the secondary metabolite concentrations. For morphologic and phenologic sampling, plants from one site were gathered in five phenological stages： vegetative, floral budding, full flowering, fresh fruiting and mature fruiting. The plant materials were air-dried at room temperature and subsequently assayed for chemical concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography. Secondary metabolite concentrations ranged from traces to 2.94mg/g dry weight （DW） for pseudohypericin and traces -6.29mg/g DW for hyperforin. The differences in the secondary metabolite concentrations among populations of H. perforatum were found to be significant. The populations varied greatly in hyperforin concentrations, whereas they produced a similar amount of pseudohypericin. Concentrations of both secondary metabolites in all tissues increased with advancing of plant development and higher accumulation levels were reached at flowering. Among different tissues, full opened flowers were found to be superior to stems, leaves and the other reproductive parts with regard to pseudohypericin and hyperforin accumulations. The present findings might be useful to optimize the processing methodology of wild-harvested plant material and obtain increased concentrations of these secondary metabolites.

Construction of a high-density mutant population of Chinese cabbage facilitates the genetic dissection of agronomic traits

Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa ssp.pekinensis)is an economically important vegetable crop throughout the world,especially in Asia.High-quality genome sequences are available for Chinese cabbage,but gene functional studies remain challenging.To promote functional genomic studies of Chinese cabbage,we generated an ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS)mutant population of~8000 M_(2) plants using the double haploid inbred line A03 as the parent.The genome of A03 was sequenced and used as a reference for high-throughput functional characterization of gene mutations at the whole-genome level.A total of 300 M_(2) to M_(5) EMS mutants were phenotypically screened and then sequenced,revealing 750629 SNPs and 46272 InDel mutations that cover 98.27%of all predicted genes in the A03 genome.A forward-genetics approach was successfully used to identify two genes with chloroplast-related functions that are responsible for the yellow leaf mutant trait.A reverse-genetics approach was also used to identify associations between mutations in five genes of the glucosinolate biosynthetic pathway and variations in glucosinolate content of the mutant plants.In addition,we built the Chinese cabbage EMS mutation database(CCEMD,www.bioinformaticslab.cn/EMSmutation/home)to increase the usability of this mutant population resource.In summary,we performed large-scale screening of a heading Chinese cabbage EMS mutant collection at the phenotypic and genotypic levels,which will facilitate gene mining of Chinese cabbage and might also be useful for the study of other Brassica crops.