Diversification of myco-heterotrophic angiosperms: evidence from Burmanniaceae.

Background - Myco-heterotrophy evolved independently several times during angiosperm evolution. Although many species of myco-heterotrophic plants are highly endemic and long-distance dispersal seems unlikely, some genera are widely dispersed and have pantropical distributions, often with large disjunctions. Traditionally this has been interpreted as evidence for an old age of these taxa. However, due to their scarcity and highly reduced plastid genomes our understanding about the evolutionary histories of the angiosperm myco-heterotrophic groups is poor. Results - We provide a hypothesis for the diversification of the myco-heterotrophic family Burmanniaceae. Phylogenetic inference, combined with biogeographical analyses, molecular divergence time estimates, and diversification analyses suggest that Burmanniaceae originated in West Gondwana and started to diversify during the Late Cretaceous. Diversification and migration of the species-rich pantropical genera Burmannia and Gymnosiphon display congruent patterns. Diversification began during the Eocene, when global temperatures peaked and tropical forests occurred at low latitudes. Simultaneous migration from the New to the Old World in Burmannia and Gymnosiphon occurred via boreotropical migration routes. Subsequent Oligocene cooling and breakup of boreotropical flora ended New-Old World migration and caused a gradual decrease in diversification rate in Burmanniaceae. Conclusion - Our results indicate that extant diversity and pantropical distribution of myco-heterotrophic Burmanniaceae is the result of diversification and boreotropical migration during the Eocene when tropical rain forest expanded dramaticall

Rate accelerations in nuclear 18S rDNA of mycoheterotrophic and parasitic angiosperms

Rate variation in genes from all three genomes has been observed frequently in plant lineages with a parasitic and mycoheterotrophic mode of life. While the loss of photosynthetic ability leads to a relaxation of evolutionary constraints in genes involved in the photosynthetic apparatus, it remains to be determined how prevalent increased substitution rates are in nuclear DNA of non-photosynthetic angiosperms. In this study we infer rates of molecular evolution of 18S rDNA of all parasitic and mycoheterotorphic plant families (except Lauraceae and Polygalaceae) using relative rate tests. In several holoparasitic and mycoheterotrophic plant lineages extremely high substitution rates are observed compared to other photosynthetic angiosperms. The position and frequency of these substitutions have been identified to understand the mutation dynamics of 18S rRNA in achlorophyllous plants. Despite the presence of significantly elevated substitution rates, very few mutations occur in major functional and structural regions of the small ribosomal molecule, providing evidence that the efficiency of the translational apparatus in non-photosynthetic plants has not been affected

Are the genera Hallea and Mitragyna (Rubiaceae-Coptosapelteae) pollen morphologically distinct?

Recent literature is controversial as regards the segregation of Hallea and Mitragyna, and pretends that the two genera show pollen morphological differences. In the present study the pollen morphology of all ten species of the complex is described on the basis of light and scanning electron microscopy (including examination of broken grains, which were obtained with a technique never applied in palynology, viz. shaking with glass beads). The two genera have 3-zonocolporate grains with compound apertures (endoapertures are always H-shaped, sometimes incompletely so). While Hallea showed to be stenopalynous (sexine always tectate-perforate), Mitragyna is more variable (sexine microreticulate

Levensverhalen komen bovendrijven: Met een mobiele chalet door Brussel

Onderzoekers van Odisee hogeschool nestelen zich in de Anneessenswijk, een diverse, dichtbevolkte en kansarme buurt in hartje Brussel. Ze laten bewoners vertellen over hun wijk en brengen die getuigenissen in beeld. Maar nu planten ze er ook een chalet neer. Dat levert een boeiend verhaal.No ISSNstatus: publishe

Distribution of orbicules in Annonaceae mirrors evolutionary trend in angiosperms

Background and aims – Orbicules or Ubisch bodies have been recorded in many angiosperm families and although the first observations date back to 1865, their function in the anther remains enigmatic. In flowering plants a general evolutionary trend is observed from common occurrence of orbicules in early diverging lineages towards a more patchy distribution in derived clades of eudicots. Annonaceae was our family of choice for an in depth study of orbicule distribution in early diverging angiosperms since it met the following three criteria: (1) high tapetum diversity, (2) orbicule presence and absence recorded, and (3) recent phylogeny at genus level available. Key results – Our SEM data of eighteen species show that orbicules are more common in Annonaceae than previously perceived. The resulting orbicule distribution pattern on the family topology indicates a consistent absence of orbicules in the ‘long branch clade’ while orbicules are present in Anaxagorea, the ambavioids, and the ‘short branch clade’. Presence of orbicules is the ancestral condition in the family. Morphologically, Annonaceae orbicules are small (< 1 μm), spherical and smooth. Conclusions – The orbicule distribution pattern in Annonaceae reflects the general evolutionary trend in flowering plants. We hypothesize that orbicule presence can be considered as a powerful proxy for non- amoeboid tapetum characterization in Annonaceae.status: publishe

Digital Storytelling en Herstelrecht. Wonen in Brusselse Wijk Anneessens

no ISSN. no volume/issuestatus: publishe

Consistency of Sedentary Behavior Patterns among Office Workers with Long-Term Access to Sit-Stand Workstations

INTRODUCTION: Sit-stand workstations are a popular intervention to reduce sedentary behavior (SB) in office settings. However, the extent and distribution of SB in office workers long-term accustomed to using sit-stand workstations as a natural part of their work environment are largely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to describe patterns of SB in office workers with long-term access to sit-stand workstations and to determine the extent to which these patterns vary between days and workers. METHODS: SB was objectively monitored using thigh-worn accelerometers for a full week in 24 office workers who had been equipped with a sit-stand workstation for at least 10 months. A comprehensive set of variables describing SB was calculated for each workday and worker, and distributions of these variables between days and workers were examined. RESULTS: On average, workers spent 68% work time sitting [standard deviation (SD) between workers and between days (within worker): 10.4 and 18.2%]; workers changed from sitting to standing/walking 3.2 times per hour (SDs 0.6 and 1.2 h-1); with bouts of sitting being 14.9 min long (SDs 4.2 and 8.5 min). About one-third of the workers spent >75% of their workday sitting. Between-workers variability was significantly different from zero only for percent work time sitting, while between-days (within-worker) variability was substantial for all SB variables. CONCLUSIONS: Office workers accustomed to using sit-stand workstations showed homogeneous patterns of SB when averaged across several days, except for percent work time seated. However, SB differed substantially between days for any individual worker. The finding that many workers were extensively sedentary suggests that just access to sit-stand workstations may not be a sufficient remedy against SB; additional personalized interventions reinforcing use may be needed. To this end, differences in SB between days should be acknowledged as a potentially valuable source of variation