A New Species of the Genus Protobothrops(Squamata: Viperidae) from Southern Tibet, China and Sikkim, India

A new species of the genus Protobothrops Hoge ＆ Romano-Hoge, 1983, was described from Jilong County, southern Tibet, China, and Chungthang, northern Sikkim, India. It differs from congeners by the following characters： 1） relatively large body size （total length up to 1510 mm）; 2） dorsal scale rows 25-25-19; 3） except for the smooth outermost row, dorsal scales are weakly keeled; 4） relatively high number of ventral （198-216） and subcaudal （65-76 pairs） scales; 5） 7-8 supralabials; 6） 11 to 13 infralabials; 7） dorsal head uniform dark brown, laterally a reddish-brown obscure postocular streak; 8） dorsum of trtmk and tail olive, with distinct black edged red brown transverse bands across the body and tail; and 9） eye from bright brown and reddish brown to mildly brown. The new species was also observed from the Haa Valley in western Bhutan.

A New Species of the Genus Protobothrops(Squamata:Viperidae:Crotalinae) from the Dabie Mountains,Anhui,China

During a biological survey in July 2011, a pit viper was collected from the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, China. The pit viper’s the total length measured 836 mm with a dorsal ground color of yellowbrown, decorated by 56 dark-brown transverse bands. The 4thsupralabial squama of the new species is separated from subocular by two squamae, and the tip of tail is orange; this combination of characters distinguish it from other species of the genus Protobothrops. Based on the body proportions, number of squamae, body color pattern, and comparing the data of its life history with those of other species of Protobothrops, we herein describe it as a new species, belonging to the genus of Protobothrops.

A New Newt of the Genus Cynops(Caudata: Salamandridae) from Guangdong, China

We describe a new species of the genus Cynops from northeastern Guangdong, China. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological and molecular characters. In morphology, it is chra- cterized by distinctive irregular bluish grey spots on the dorsum from head to tail; irregular, bright orange blotches on venter, chin, underside of axillae, limbs, cloaca; one bright orange stripe in the middle of venter; and ventral tail orange red. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA data indicate that this new species forms one highly diverged lineage within the Chinese group of Cynops.

Evaluating the effect of habitat diversity on the speciesarea relationship using land-bridge islands in Thousand Island Lake,China

DEAR EDITOR：The species-area relationship（SAR）describes the phenomenon whereby the number of plant and animal species found in an area of wild habitat is strongly correlated with the size of that area.As one of the few ecological laws,the SAR plays a vital role in the design and assessment of biodiversity protection regions（Lomolino et al,2010;Ladle＆Whittaker,2011）.Increasing area and habitat promote species richness（Triantis et al,2003）and both these mechanisms have

Systematics and Species Validity of the Dabieshan Pit Viper Protobothrops dabieshanensis Huang et al. 2012: Evidence from a Mitochondrial Gene Sequence Analysis

Aimed to evaluate the phylogenetic position of the recently described Protobothrops dabieshanensis Huang et al. （2012）, phylogenic relationships of 12 species within Protobothrops based on four mtDNA gene fragments （12S RNA, 16S RNA, ND4 and Cyt b） were reconstructed in our study. The result indicates a clade composed ofP dabiesha- nensis, P. jerdonii and P xiangchengsis with strong support. The genetic distance among P dabieshanensis, P jerdonii and P xiangchengsis was much lower than other congeners. Based on the data from the phylogenetic analysis and pre- viously described morphological differences, we conclude that P dabieshanensis is a valid species with close affinities to P jerdonii and P xiangchengsis.

Bird guild loss and its determinants on subtropical land-bridge islands, China

Background: The guild concept is useful for understanding the community structure in a land-bridge island system,but most fragmentation studies have focused only on the importance of island area and isolation, other island attributes such as perimeter-area ratio(PAR) were overlooked or understudied.Methods: We have adopted a guild approach to investigate the impacts of island attributes on bird guild richness on a set of 41 recently isolated land-bridge islands in the Thousand Island Lake(TIL), China.Results: We found insectivores had the largest number of species(34 species), fol owed by understory foraging guilds(28 species), omnivores(27 species) and canopy guilds(25 species). Furthermore, our data showed that migrants and residents responded equal y to island area, insectivores and understory guilds were sensitive to island area but omnivores and canopy guilds were not very sensitive. Most guild richness was determined by island area, except for omnivores and canopy guilds.Conclusions: Although PAR or habitat diversity found to be important for bird species richness, our results highlight the importance of island area in maintaining bird diversity in fragmented island systems.

Overwintering of Rana dybowskii in Northern Guangdong′s Mountainous Areas

[ Objective] To understand the overwintering of Rana dybowskii under four overwintering modes in northern Guangdong＇s mountainous areas. [Method] The overwintering management of Rana dybowskii was performed under four overwintering modes which were outdoor overwintering in water-land, outdoor overwintering in water, indoor overwintering in dryness, and indoor overwintering in freezer, respectively. The time, temperature and overwintering status were recorded. The Rana dybowskii in each group was weighed before and after overwintering, and the body weight loss and the survival rate were calculated. [ Result] Under the outdoor overwintering in water-land, outdoor overwintedng in water, indoor overwintering in dryness, and indoor overwintering in freezer, the survival rate of Rana dybowskii was 40.0%, 41.5%, 82.0% and 84.5%, respectively. [Conclusion] The temperature, overwintering mode and fatness are the important factors affecting the safe overwintering of Rana dybowskii in northern Guangdong.

An Experimental Biotelemetric Study Based on Satellite Tracking During Post-nesting Migrations of Green Turtles

A biotelemetry experiment is conducted to study the migrant behavior of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in South China Sea and acquire the physical environment data. The method in use is to track the post nesting migrant routes of green turtles through the satellite linked transmitters attached on the back of turtles and the global satellite signal transmitting system of Argos. We obtained the positions of the post nesting migrant routes of three green turtles and environment data, which are important in conservation of green turtles and the research of physical oceanography. Based on the test, the concept, principle and method of biotelemetry are also introduced in this paper with a discussion of the further development of this technique and its applying prospection in future.

Bird community comparisons of four plantations and conservation concerns in South China

Plantations of non-native,fast-growing trees are increasing in the tropics and subtropics,perhaps with negative consequences for the native avifauna.We studied bird diversity in 4 types of plantations in South China to deter-mine which plantation types are especially detrimental,and compared our findings with studies in nearby natu-ral forests to assess the magnitude of the negative impact.A total of 57 species was recorded.The mean capture rate of understory birds was 1.7 individuals 100-net-h-1.Bird richness and capture rate were lower in plantations than in nearby natural forests.Babblers(Timaliidae),primarily forest-dependent species in South China,were particularly under-represented in plantations.Species richness,composition and bird density,particularly of un-derstory birds,differed between plantation types.Plantations of Schima,which is native to South China,had the highest species richness according to point count data.Plantations of Acacia(non-native)supported the highest understory species richness and produced the highest capture rate of understory birds,probably because of their complex structure and high arthropod abundance.If bird diversity is to be considered,we strongly recommend that future re-afforestation projects in South China should,as far as possible,use mixed native tree species,and especially Schima,ahead of the other species.

Bird diversity and the conservation value of a new Ramsar site:Guangdong Haifeng Wetlands, China

Wetlands are critical habitats for birds.However,wetlands are being degraded at an accelerating rate due to global human activity,and a disproportionate fraction of wetland-dependent bird species are in decline.We evaluated the conservation value of a new Ramsar site,Guangdong Haifeng Wetlands,China,for birds,by comparing bird communities(using line transect data)in 3 different districts:Gongping,Dongguan Lian’anwei and Dahu.We recorded 139 species of birds,including 26 species that are protected at a national level.Dahu had the highest species richness and diversity,whereas Dongguan Lian’anwei had the highest abundance of birds and the lowest species diversity.Finally,Gongping had both the lowest species richness and the lowest abundance.The ende-mism of constituent species differed among districts,and the bird communities were complementary.There were significant seasonal differences in the species richness and the number of individuals.Spring had the highest species richness and diversity.The present study identifies the high conservation value of Haifeng Wetlands for both waterbirds and terrestrial birds.Our findings suggest that conservation efforts in Haifeng Wetlands and other wetlands should focus not only on wintering migratory birds,but also on resident birds.To accomplish effective conservation,we should consider the reserve and surrounding wetlands as a whole,incorporating ecological research,education and local economic development.

Lineages differentiation and population structure of the light-vented bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis in China based on mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite analysis

The light-vented bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis is a small resident passerine that is found widely in central and south China,North Vietnam,and some East Asian islands,including Hainan,Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.Its subspecies status has been under considerable debate.A total of 10 subspecies have been proposed,but only 4 are widely recognized,including 1 continental taxon,P.s.sinensis,and 3 insular subspecies:P.s.hainanus,P.s.formosae and P.s.orii.Two mitochondrial DNA genes and 9 microsatellite loci were used to investigate the genetic divergence of this species,to identify the evolutionary status of 2 insular subspecies(P.s.hainanus and P.s.formosae)and to uncover probable historical causes that shaped them.The results reveal that P.s.formosae has diverged significantly from the other 2 subspecies because of a substantial time of isolation for populations on Taiwan Island.There was no significant genetic differentiation between P.s.sinensis and P.s.hainanus.The notable morphological difference in P.s.hainanus might be attributed to a rapid,recent adaptation to the tropical environment of Hainan Island.The low genetic divergence between P.s.sinensis and P.s.hainanus might result from a recent divergence or gene flow between them.Two insular subspecies of light-vented bulbul populations might have diverged recently from their continental relatives through a complex evolution history owing to island isolation,ecological isolation,and possibly even hybridization.Both P.s.hainanus and P.s.formosae should be considered important conservation units because of their morphological and genetic distinctiveness.

Topographic heterogeneity and temperature amplitude explain species richness patterns of birds in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Large-scale patterns of species richness have gained much attention in recent years; however, the factors that drive high species richness are still controversial in local regions, especially in highly diversified montane regions. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau （QTP） and the surrounding mountains are biodiversity hot spots due to a high number of endemic montane species. Here, we explored the fac- tors underlying this high level of diversity by studying the relationship between species richness and environmental variables. The richness patterns of 758 resident bird species were summarized at the scale of 1°× 1° grid cell at different taxonomic levels （order, family, genus, and species） and in differ- ent taxonomic groups （Passeriformes, Galliformes, Falconiformes, and Columbiformes）. These rich- ness patterns were subsequently analyzed against habitat heterogeneity （topographical heterogen- eity and land cover）, temperature amplitude （annual temperature, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, and temperature seasonality） and a vegetation index （net primary productivity）. Our re- sults showed that the highest richness was found in the southeastern part of the QTP, the eastern Himalayas. The lowest richness was observed in the central plateau of the QTP. Topographical het- erogeneity and temperature amplitude are the primary factors that explain overall patterns of species richness in the QTP, although the specific effect of each environmental variable varies between the different taxonomic groups depending on their own evolutionary histories and ecological require- ments. High species richness in the southeastern QTP is mostly due to highly diversified habitat types and temperature zones along elevation gradients, whereas the low species richness in the cen- tral plateau of the QTP may be due to environmental and energetic constraints, as the central plateau is harsh environment.

Selection pressure drives the co-evolution of several lipid metabolism genes in mammals

Adipose tissue is an important endocrine organ and energy supplier.Its physiological effect on the regulation of the energy balance is considered an important factor underlying the evolution of mammals.To test whether the genes controlling lipid metabolism have undergone adaptive molecular change in the evolution of mammals,in this study,we used the orthologous gene sequences of 12 important lipid metabolism proteins (leptin,OB-RL,RXRA,RXRB,RXRG,PPARA,PPARB/D,PPARG,PNLIP,ADIPOQ,LPL and UCP1) from NCBI's databases.We found evidence that 4 of the corresponding genes (leptin,ADIPOQ,PNLIP and PPARA) have undergone positive selection in their evolutionary history and that most adaptive changes occurred during the evolution of the super-clades Laurasiatheria (placentals) and suborders within Euarchontoglires (primates and rodents).Comparisons across sets of genes showed that in a third of cases,bursts of positive selection,more than would be expected by chance,occurred on corresponding branches.We propose that the positive selection drives adaptive changes in some lipid metabolism genes in or within Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires clades.Along with evidence from earlier studies,our results show that co-evolution among interacting lipid metabolism proteins has taken place.

HIV-1 can infect northern pig-tailed macaques(Macaca leonina) and form viral reservoirs in vivo

Viral reservoirs of HIV-1 are a major obstacle for curing AIDS. The novel animal models that can be directly infected with HIV-I will contribute to develop effective strategies for eradicating infections. Here, we inoculated 4 northern pig-tailed macaques （NPM） with the HIV-1 strain HIV-1NL4.3 and moni- tored the infection for approximately 3 years （150 weeks）. The HIV-l-infected NPMs showed transient viremia for about 10 weeks after infection. However, cell-associated proviral DNA and viral RNA persisted in the peripheral blood and lymphoid organs for about 3 years. Moreover, replication-competent HIV-1 could be successfully recovered from peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） during long-term infection. The numbers of resting CD4~ T cells in HIV-1 infected NPMs harboring proviruses fell within a range of 2- to 3-1oglo per million cells, and these proviruses could be reactivated both ex vivo and in vivo in response to co-stimulation with the latency-reversing agents JQ1 and prostratin. Our results suggested that NPMs can be infected with HIV-1 and a long-term viral reservoir was formed in NPMs, which might serve as a potential model for HIV-1 reservoir research.