Type-Species Designation for the Jurassic Mayfly Genus \u3ci\u3eMesephemera\u3c/i\u3e (Ephemeroptera: Mesephemeridae)

(excerpt) Among the many new genera established by Anton Handlirsch in his monumental work Die .fossilen Insekten und die Phylogenie der rezenten Fortnen: Ein Handbuch fur Palaontologen und Zoologen (Wilhelm Engelman, Leipzig, 1906-1908) was a genus of Ephemer- optera for which he designated no type-species and for which one has still not been designated

Phylogenie und Systematik der Gefäßpflanzen

Das Lehr- und Lernposter „Stammbaum der Tracheophyten – Phylogenie und Systematik der Gefäßpflanzen“ gibt einen Überblick a) über die Phylogenie (Stammesgeschichte) der „Farnverwandten“ (Lycophyten und Monilophyten, die „Farne“) bis zu den Familien und b) über die Gymnospermen (Nacktsamer) bis zu den Gattungen. Innerhalb des Baumes werden die hauptsächlichen ursprünglichen und abgeleiteten Merkmale (Plesio- und Apomorphien) sowie typische anatomische und morphologische Merkmale bis zur Stufe der Familien (Gymnospermen) bzw. Ordnungen (Farnpflanzen) und höherer Gruppen aufgeführt. Die farbliche Abstimmung der Großgruppen erleichtert das Lehren und Lernen. Das Poster ist das zweite in einer Reihe, die die Phylogenie der Landpflanzen darstellt. Poster 1 umfasst die Angiospermen (Blütenpflanzen), Poster 3 die „Moose“ (Leber-, Laub- und Hornmoose). In einer Zusammenarbeit mit international renommierten Botanikern sind wir bemüht, die Poster in eine Vielzahl anderer Sprachen übersetzen zu lassen.Stand: Juli 201

SICLE: A high-throughput tool for extracting evolutionary relationships from phylogenetic trees

We present the phylogeny analysis software SICLE (Sister Clade Extractor), an easy-to-use, high- throughput tool to describe the nearest neighbors to a node of interest in a phylogenetic tree as well as the support value for the relationship. The application is a command line utility that can be embedded into a phylogenetic analysis pipeline or can be used as a subroutine within another C++ program. As a test case, we applied this new tool to the published phylome of Salinibacter ruber, a species of halophilic Bacteriodetes, identifying 13 unique sister relationships to S. ruber across the 4589 gene phylogenies. S. ruber grouped with bacteria, most often other Bacteriodetes, in the majority of phylogenies, but 91 phylogenies showed a branch-supported sister association between S. ruber and Archaea, an evolutionarily intriguing relationship indicative of horizontal gene transfer. This test case demonstrates how SICLE makes it possible to summarize the phylogenetic information produced by automated phylogenetic pipelines to rapidly identify and quantify the possible evolutionary relationships that merit further investigation. SICLE is available for free for noncommercial use at http://eebweb.arizona.edu/sicle/.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures in journal submission forma

Evolution and phylogeny of birds - Taxonomic consequences

Nucleotidsequenzen von mitochondrialen und nucleären Markergenen eignen sich hervorragend, um die Phylogenie und Evolution der Vögel zu untersuchen. Eine kürzlich publizierte Analyse mit 19 Kerngenen (Hackett et al. 2008) erlaubte erstmalig die Rekonstruktion einer verlässlichen Phylogenie der Vögel auf Familienebene. Auch für die Systematik der Singvögel erbrachten DNA-Daten bedeutsame Fortschritte. Die von diesen Phylogenien ableitbaren Klassifikationen unterscheiden sich signifikant von der bisher akzeptierten Systematik. Die molekularen Phylogenien erlauben es außerdem, para- und polyphyletische Gruppierungen zu erkennen. Da die Kladistik nur monophyletische Gruppen zulässt, sollten mindestens 22 Gattungsnamen palaearktischer Vogelarten geändert werden. Die DNA-Analysen unterstützen eine Trennung (Splits) von mindestens 44 bestehenden Arten in neue Arten. Insgesamt 4 Vogeltaxa von den Kanarischen Inseln und den Azoren konnten in den letzten 10 Jahren mittels DNAUntersuchungen als neu identifiziert werden. Dieses Review gibt eine Übersicht über die taxonomischen und systematischen Änderungen, die zwischen 1990 und 2010 für die Palaearktis publiziert wurden.Nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear marker genes are well suited to elucidate the evolution and phylogeny of birds. A recent study with 19 nuclear genes (Hackett et al. 2008) has provided a reliable framework of avian phylogeny at the family level which allows to build up a new systematics of birds. This scheme differs substantially from previous checklists and classification systems. A large number of DNA papers give evidence for a new systematics of song birds, too. DNA based phylogenies have indicated a number of paraphyletic and polyphyletic taxa. In order to avoid such conflicts about 22 genus names had to be changed for birds of the Palaearctic. DNA sequence data suggest a split of at least 44 existing species into new species. Furthermore, about 4 new taxa, mostly living on Macaronesian islands, could be identified during the last 10 years by DNA sequence data. This review is focused on taxonomic and classification changes of bird taxa of the Western Palearctic that have been reported between 1990 and 2010

The scale and evolutionary significance of horizontal gene transfer in the choanoflagellate

Background It is generally agreed that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is common in phagotrophic protists. However, the overall scale of HGT and the cumulative impact of acquired genes on the evolution of these organisms remain largely unknown. Results Choanoflagellates are phagotrophs and the closest living relatives of animals. In this study, we performed phylogenomic analyses to investigate the scale of HGT and the evolutionary importance of horizontally acquired genes in the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis. Our analyses identified 405 genes that are likely derived from algae and prokaryotes, accounting for approximately 4.4% of the Monosiga nuclear genome. Many of the horizontally acquired genes identified in Monosiga were probably acquired from food sources, rather than by endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) from obsolete endosymbionts or plastids. Of 193 genes identified in our analyses with functional information, 84 (43.5%) are involved in carbohydrate or amino acid metabolism, and 45 (23.3%) are transporters and/or involved in response to oxidative, osmotic, antibiotic, or heavy metal stresses. Some identified genes may also participate in biosynthesis of important metabolites such as vitamins C and K12, porphyrins and phospholipids. Conclusions Our results suggest that HGT is frequent in Monosiga brevicollis and might have contributed substantially to its adaptation and evolution. This finding also highlights the importance of HGT in the genome and organismal evolution of phagotrophic eukaryotes

Phylogenetischer Vergleich von chromosomal- und plasmid-kodierten Genabschnitten in enterohämorrhagischen Escherichia coli

In einem repräsentativen Kollektiv HUS-assoziierter EHEC wurde untersucht, in welchem Verhältnis sich das Plasmid und das Chromosom zueinander entwickelt haben. Dazu wurden 41 Stämme hinsichtlich der plasmid-kodierten Gene EHEC-hlyA und espP untersucht und sequenziert. Diese plasmidalen Sequenzen sowie die konkatenierten Sequenzen der sieben chromosomalen Haushaltsgene aus dem E. coli-MLST-Schema wurden auf ihre Phylogenie untersucht um einen Vergleich der Entwicklung durchzuführen. Von den 42 untersuchten HUSEC-Stämmen waren 23 EHEC-hlyA-positiv und 14 espP-positiv, darunter 12 sowohl EHEC-hlyA als auch espP-positiv. Der Vergleich der phylogenetischen Bäume ergab, dass die Struktur der plasmidalen Sequenzen gegenüber den chromosomalen Sequenzen keine signifikanten Übereinstimmungen aufweisen. Zusammenfassend haben sich somit die chromosomalen Gene unabhängig von den plasmidalen Genen entwickelt.<br

The Crane-Fly \u3ci\u3eTipula (Tipula)\u3c/i\u3e Oleracea (Diptera: Tipulidae) Reported From Michigan; A New Pest of Turfgrass in Eastern North America.

(excerpt) The subgenus Tipula (Tipula) is an Old World group with two introduced species in North America, the European Crane Fly, Tipula (T.) paludosa Meigen and T. (T.) oleracea Linnaeus, sometimes called the Common Crane Fly (Oosterbroek, 2005). Tipula paludosa is better known in North America, long established in the Pacific Northwest (Jackson 1975) and Canadian Maritimes provinces (Alexander 1962), more recently in California (Umble and Rao 2004, S. Gaimari, California Dept. Food and Agriculture, pers. comm.). It is a leading insect pest of turf grass and pastures in these areas, including infestin

Antimicrobially active microorganisms associated with marine bryozoans

Bryozoans are sessile colonial animals that can be found in various aquatic and mainly in marine environments. Due to their sessile nature, bryozoans compete for surfaces they can colonize but, on the other hand, are confronted with microbial colonizers on their surfaces. Interactions of the bryozoan with its associates, as well as within the microbial community, are mediated chemically. Biofilm formation and composition is mainly influenced by the use of chemical compounds. Studies on the bryozoan-associated microbial diversity are scarce, and surveys on the antimicrobial potential of these associated bacteria are missing. The present study focused on isolating bryozoan-associated bacteria, assessing their antimicrobial properties and classifying them phylogenetically. Various bryozoan specimens were collected in the Baltic (10 specimens) and the Mediterranean Sea (11 specimens). Bacteria were isolated using a variety of nutrient media and tested for their antimicrobial abilities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative indicator strains, as well as against the yeast Candida glabrata. 30% of all isolates displayed activity and were phylogenetically classified on the basis of 16S rDNA gene sequences. Whereas all isolates were active against Gram-positive indicators, four isolates exhibited additional anti-Escherichia coli activity, the phylogenetic analysis revealed affiliation to Gram-negative phyla (Flavobacteria, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria). One isolate belonged to the Gram-positive Actinobacteria. Both species- and strain-specific activity patterns were revealed. Furthermore, site-specific distribution patterns of associated bacteria were found. Of these antibiotically active isolates, the strain B390 was described as type strain of the novel species Tenacibaculum adriaticum. Also, specimens of the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea were sampled in the Baltic Sea for the first more detailed analysis on antimicrobially active isolates. Low-nutrient media featuring “artificial” or “natural” ingredients were used for isolation of bacteria. Additionally, the antibiotic test panel was extended to six different production media. The impact of these media on the phylogenetic diversity, as well as on activity patterns was determined. Although bacteria were affiliated with same phyla (Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, additionally Bacilli), the isolates of this sampling were more diverse as far as genus or phylotype affiliation was concerned. Especially within the Alphaproteobacteria, several probably novel bacterial species were found. Furthermore, the use of six different media for activity testing resulted in a more than twofold higher hit rate of active isolates in comparison to only one single medium

Un silicoflagelado en el Albiano medio de la Cuenca Austral, Argentina

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic investigations of Cretaceous sediments within the southern high latitude Austral Basin, Argentina, have revealed the presence of a fragment of a silicoflagellate possibly belonging to the species Variramus aculeifera (Deflandre) McCartney, Wise, Harwood and Gersonde. Although only a fragment was identified in the samples examined from this locality, its presence is important, as it is only the second documented occurrence of an Early Cretaceous silicoflagellate. The specimen was found in a subsurface sample from the informal Palermo Aike Formation at Austral Basin. This stratigraphic level is interpreted as middle Albian on the basis of calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy. The specimen consists of a fragmented strut with broken spines at the base, which allows the observation of the hollow skeletal structure. The strut is curved and slightly expanded at the widest part, which are characteristics diagnostic of the genus Variramus.Estudios sobre nanofósiles calcáreos en sedimentitas cretácicas de la Cuenca Austral, Argentina, revelaron la presencia de un fragmento de un silicoflagelado, posiblemente de Variramus aculeifera (Deflandre) McCartney, Wise, Harwood and Gersonde. A pesar de que se recuperó solo un fragmento, su presencia es importante porque representa el segundo registro de silicoflage-lados del Cretácico Temprano. El espécimen fue hallado en una muestra de subsuelo correspondiente a la Formación Palermo Aike, en la Cuenca Austral. Ese nivel estratigráfico fue interpretado como Albiano medio sobre la base de los nanofósiles calcáreos. El ejemplar corresponde al fragmento de una barra con espinas rotas en la base, que permitieron observar la naturaleza hueca del esqueleto silíceo. La barra es curva y presenta un leve ensanchamiento, dos características diagnósticas del género Variarmus.Fil: Perez Panera, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentin