Implications of Extreme Life Span in Clonal Organisms: Millenary Clones in Meadows of the Threatened Seagrass Posidonia oceanica

The maximum size and age that clonal organisms can reach remains poorly known, although we do know that the largest natural clones can extend over hundreds or thousands of metres and potentially live for centuries. We made a review of findings to date, which reveal that the maximum clone age and size estimates reported in the literature are typically limited by the scale of sampling, and may grossly underestimate the maximum age and size of clonal organisms. A case study presented here shows the occurrence of clones of slow-growing marine angiosperm Posidonia oceanica at spatial scales ranging from metres to hundreds of kilometres, using microsatellites on 1544 sampling units from a total of 40 locations across the Mediterranean Sea. This analysis revealed the presence, with a prevalence of 3.5 to 8.9%, of very large clones spreading over one to several (up to 15) kilometres at the different locations. Using estimates from field studies and models of the clonal growth of P. oceanica, we estimated these large clones to be hundreds to thousands of years old, suggesting the evolution of general purpose genotypes with large phenotypic plasticity in this species. These results, obtained combining genetics, demography and model-based calculations, question present knowledge and understanding of the spreading capacity and life span of plant clones. These findings call for further research on these life history traits associated with clonality, considering their possible ecological and evolutionary implications

Identity Construction and Norms of Practice among Bilingual Ngoni in Rural Tanzania

This article investigates identity construction among bilingual Ngoni in rural Tanzania by letting the Ngoni themselves voice their views on their mixing of Swahili and Ngoni. Against the background of a possible language shift, this study focuses on how the symbolic value of language is mediated in the social action of the Ngoni. With an ethnographic approach and by using nexus analysis and ethnolinguistic identity theory as a framework, this article shows that the Ngoni language is the strongest bearer of Ngoni identity. Even though the Ngoni have a monolingual norm, they code-switch. This practice, moulded by history, ideologies and large-scale discourses at the societal level, reflects a hybrid identity, formed by socio-political power structures. The analysis shows that the ethnolinguistic identity of the Ngoni is weak, resulting in unstable bilingualism. Therefore, the findings fuel the discussion of possible future language loss

Language Nesting, Superdiversity and African Diasporas in Regional Australia

This paper tells previously untold stories about the dynamic cultures, linguistic repertoires and language practices of migrants and refugees that are continuously shaped and mediated by the convoluted histories, journeys and migration itineraries of these people. It brings to light the effect of proficiency in multiple languages on their speakers' affiliations, and their perceptions of belonging in local communities. The paper draws on the outcomes of a study with refugee background Africans (hereafter, African diasporas) in regional New South Wales (NSW) to propose the language nesting model that seeks to illustrate the complex linguistic and discursive practices of these people and how such resources are used to create and negotiate material and social spaces in everyday life. The paper concludes that the stories that were elicited - about the languages, cultures, identities, migration histories and just about everything else about the sampled African diasporas - both support and resist the theoretical suppositions of superdiversity in equal measure