Molecular Clusters in Mesoporous Materials as Precursors to Nanoparticles of a New Lacunar Ternary Compound PdxMoyP

Bimetallic clusters of composition Pd2Mo2(g5-C5H5)2(l3-CO)2(l2-CO)4 (PR3)2 (R = ethyl or phenyl) were incorporated by impregnation from solution into two different silica matrices, amorphous xerogels and ordered SBA-15, and a study of their thermal decomposition under a reducing atmosphere is reported. With both matrices, a suitable thermal treatment afforded nanoparticles of a new bimetallic phosphide. Although nanoparticles of composition PdxMoyP, isostructural with Mo3P, were formed in both matrices, they were more uniformly distributed in the SBA-15 framework and showed a narrower size distribution. The samples have been characterized by powder XRD, chemical analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM and electron tomography (3D TEM)

Análise de endemismo de táxons neotropicais de Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

The definition of areas of endemism is central to studies of historical biogeography, and their interrelationships are fundamental questions. Consistent hypotheses for the evolution of Pentatomidae in the Neotropical region depend on the accuracy of the units employed in the analyses, which in the case of studies of historical biogeography, may be areas of endemism. In this study, the distribution patterns of 222 species, belonging to 14 Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) genera, predominantly neotropical, were studied with the Analysis of Endemicity (NDM) to identify possible areas of endemism and to correlate them to previously delimited areas. The search by areas of endemism was carried out using grid-cell units of 2.5° and 5° latitude-longitude. The analysis based on groupings of grid-cells of 2.5° of latitude-longitude allowed the identification of 51 areas of endemism, the consensus of these areas resulted in four clusters of grid-cells. The second analysis, with grid-cells units of 5° latitude-longitude, resulted in 109 areas of endemism. The flexible consensus employed resulted in 17 areas of endemism. The analyses were sensitive to the identification of areas of endemism in different scales in the Atlantic Forest. The Amazonian region was identified as a single area in the area of consensus, and its southeastern portion shares elements with the Chacoan and Paraná subregions. The distribution data of the taxa studied, with different units of analysis, did not allow the identification of individual areas of endemism for the Cerrado and Caatinga. The areas of endemism identified here should be seen as primary biogeographic hypotheses.A definição de áreas de endemismo é central aos estudos de Biogeografia Histórica e suas inter-relações são questões fundamentais. Hipóteses consistentes sobre a evolução de Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) na Região Neotropical dependem da acuidade das unidades empregadas nas análises, que no caso de estudos de biogeografia histórica, podem ser áreas endêmicas. Neste trabalho foram estudados os padrões de distribuição de 222 espécies, pertencentes a 14 gêneros de Pentatomidae, com ocorrência predominantemente neotropical, com base em uma Análise de Endemicidade (NDM) a fim de inferir possíveis áreas endêmicas e relacioná-las a áreas previamente delimitadas. A busca por áreas endêmicas foi realizada com quadrículas de 2,5° e 5° latitude-longitude. A análise com base em agrupamentos de 2,5° latitude-longitude permitiu identificar 51 áreas de endemismo, sendo que o consenso destas áreas resultou em quatro agrupamentos de quadrículas. A segunda análise, com quadrículas de 5° latitude-longitude, resultou em 109 áreas de endemismo. O consenso flexível empregado resultou em 17 áreas de endemismo. As análises foram sensíveis à identificação de áreas de endemismo na Mata Atlântica em diferentes escalas. A região Amazônica foi identificada como uma área única no consenso, sendo que a porção sudeste compartilha elementos com as sub-regiões do Chaco e Paraná. Os dados de distribuição dos táxons estudados, com diferentes unidades de análises, não permitiram a identificação de áreas endêmicas para o Cerrado e a Caatinga. As áreas de endemismo aqui identificadas devem ser tratadas como hipóteses biogeográficas primárias.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Laboratório de Entomologia Sistemática Departamento de ZoologiaUniversidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Zoologia Programa de Pós-Graduação em EntomologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Ciências BiológicasUNIFESP, Depto. de Ciências BiológicasSciEL

Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Carnivorous Plant Family Sarraceniaceae

The carnivorous plant family Sarraceniaceae comprises three genera of wetland-inhabiting pitcher plants: Darlingtonia in the northwestern United States, Sarracenia in eastern North America, and Heliamphora in northern South America. Hypotheses concerning the biogeographic history leading to this unusual disjunct distribution are controversial, in part because genus- and species-level phylogenies have not been clearly resolved. Here, we present a robust, species-rich phylogeny of Sarraceniaceae based on seven mitochondrial, nuclear, and plastid loci, which we use to illuminate this family's phylogenetic and biogeographic history. The family and genera are monophyletic: Darlingtonia is sister to a clade consisting of Heliamphora+Sarracenia. Within Sarracenia, two clades were strongly supported: one consisting of S. purpurea, its subspecies, and S. rosea; the other consisting of nine species endemic to the southeastern United States. Divergence time estimates revealed that stem group Sarraceniaceae likely originated in South America 44–53 million years ago (Mya) (highest posterior density [HPD] estimate = 47 Mya). By 25–44 (HPD = 35) Mya, crown-group Sarraceniaceae appears to have been widespread across North and South America, and Darlingtonia (western North America) had diverged from Heliamphora+Sarracenia (eastern North America+South America). This disjunction and apparent range contraction is consistent with late Eocene cooling and aridification, which may have severed the continuity of Sarraceniaceae across much of North America. Sarracenia and Heliamphora subsequently diverged in the late Oligocene, 14–32 (HPD = 23) Mya, perhaps when direct overland continuity between North and South America became reduced. Initial diversification of South American Heliamphora began at least 8 Mya, but diversification of Sarracenia was more recent (2–7, HPD = 4 Mya); the bulk of southeastern United States Sarracenia originated co-incident with Pleistocene glaciation, <3 Mya. Overall, these results suggest climatic change at different temporal and spatial scales in part shaped the distribution and diversity of this carnivorous plant clade

The Sneeuberg: A new centre of floristic endemism on the Great Escarpment, South Africa

The Sneeuberg mountain complex (Eastern Cape) comprises one of the most prominent sections of the Great Escarpment in southern Africa but until now has remained one of the botanically least known regions. The Sneeuberg is a discrete orographical entity, being delimited in the east by the Great Fish River valley, in the west by the Nelspoort Interval, to the south by the Plains of Camdeboo, and to the north by the Great Karoo pediplain. The highest peaks range from 2278 to 2504 m above sea level, and the summit plateaux range from 1800 to 2100 m. Following extensive literature review and a detailed collecting programme, the Sneeuberg is reported here as having a total flora of 1195 species of which 107 (9%) are alien species, 33 (2.8%) are endemic, and 13 (1.1%) near-endemic. Five species previously reported as Drakensberg Alpine Centre (DAC) endemics are now known to occur in the Sneeuberg (representing range extensions of some 300–500 km). One-hundred-and-five species (8.8%) are DAC near-endemics, with the Sneeuberg being the western limit for most of these. Ten species (0.8%) represent disjunctions across the Karoo Interval from the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) to the Sneeuberg. In all, some 23 significant range extensions, eight new species, and several rediscoveries are recorded. We conclude by recognising the Sneeuberg as a new centre of endemism along the Great Escarpment, with floristic affinities with the Albany Centre and the DAC, and links to the CFR

Cichlid biogeography: comment and review

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72313/1/j.1467-2979.2004.00148.x.pd

Phylogeny of the tropical tree family Dipterocarpaceae based on nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast RBCL gene

The Dipterocarpaceae, well-known trees of the Asian rain forests, have been variously assigned to Malvales and Theales. The family, if the Monotoideae of Africa (30 species) and South America and the Pakaraimoideae of South America (one species) are included, comprises over 500 species. Despite the high diversity and ecological dominance of the Dipterocarpaceae, phylogenetic relationships within the family as well as between dipterocarps and other angiosperm families remain poorly defined. We conducted parsimony analyses on rbcL sequences from 35 species to reconstruct the phylogeny of the Dipterocarpaceae. The consensus tree resulting from these analyses shows that the members of Dipterocarpaceae, including Monotes and Pakaraimaea, form a monophyletic group closely related to the family Sarcolaenaceae and are allied to Malvales. The present generic and higher taxon circumscriptions of Dipterocarpaceae are mostly in agreement with this molecular phylogeny with the exception of the genus Hopea, which forms a clade with Shorea sections Anthoshorea and Doona. Phylogenetic placement of Dipterocarpus and Dryobalanops remains unresolved. Further studies involving representative taxa from Cistaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Hopea, Shorea, Dipterocarpus, and Dryobalanops will be necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the phylogeny and generic limits of the Dipterocarpaceae