Middle Holocene marine flooding and human response in the south Yangtze coastal plain, East China

Coastal flooding catastrophes have affected human societies on coastal plains around the world on several occasions in the past, and are threatening 21st century societies under global warming and sea-level rise. However, the role of coastal flooding in the interruption of the Neolithic Liangzhu culture in the lower Yangtze valley, East China coast has been long contested. In this study, we used a well-dated Neolithic site (the Yushan site) close to the present coastline to demonstrate a marine drowning event at the terminal stage of the Liangzhu culture and discuss its linkage to relative sea-level rise. We analysed sedimentology, chronology, organic elemental composition, diatoms and dinoflagellate cysts for several typical profiles at the Yushan site. The field and sedimentary data provided clear evidence of a palaeo-typhoon event that overwhelmed the Yushan site at ∼2560 BCE, which heralded a period of marine inundation and ecological deterioration at the site. We also infer an acceleration in sea-level rise at 2560–2440 BCE from the sedimentary records at Yushan, which explains the widespread signatures of coastal flooding across the south Yangtze coastal plain at that time. The timing of this mid-Holocene coastal flooding coincided with the sudden disappearance of the advanced and widespread Liangzhu culture along the lower Yangtze valley. We infer that extreme events and flooding accompanying accelerated sea-level rise were major causes of vulnerability for prehistoric coastal societies

Cells and ballistoconidia.

<p>Morphology of <i>Cryptotrichosporon tibetense</i> CGMCC 2.02614^T. A, vegetative cells in YM broth for 7 days at 17°C; B, ballistoconidia produced on corn meal agar after 7 days at 17°C. Bars = 10 μm.</p

Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Ballistoconidium-Forming Yeasts in Trichosporonales (Tremellomycetes): A Proposal for <i>Takashimella</i> gen. nov. and <i>Cryptotrichosporon tibetense</i> sp. nov.

<div><p><i>Bullera</i> species in the Trichosporonales (Tremellomycetes, Agaricomycotina) are phylogenetically distinct from <i>Bullera alba</i> (teleomorph: <i>Bulleromyces albus</i>), the type species of <i>Bullera</i> that belongs to Tremellales. In the present study, the three <i>Bullera</i> species, namely <i>Bullera formosensis</i>, <i>Bullera koratensis</i> and <i>Bullera lagerstroemiae</i>, and <i>Cryptococcus tepidarius</i> belonging to the Trichosporonales are transferred into a new genus <i>Takashimella</i> gen. nov. (MycoBank No. MB 810672) based on sequence analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, the D1/D2 domains of large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the ITS+5.8S rRNA gene sequences. In addition, the genus <i>Cryptotrichosporon</i> is emended to accommodate a novel ballistoconidium-forming species of the Trichosporonales, which is named as <i>Cryptotrichosporon tibetense</i> (type strain CGMCC 2.02614^T = CBS 10455^T). The MycoBank number of this new species is MB 810688.</p></div

The combined three gene regions ML tree.

<p>The best tree found in maximum-likelihood analysis of the combined sequences of the SSU rRNA, the LSU rRNA D1/D2 domains and the ITS region (including the 5.8S rRNA) depicting the relationships between the <i>Bullera</i> species and other clades within Trichosporonales (Tremellomycetes). Bootstrap percentages over 50% from the 1000 bootstrap replicates and Bayesian posterior probabilities above 0.9 are shown. Bar = 0.02 substitutions per nucleotide position.</p

<i>Penicillium fusisporum</i> and <i>P. zhuangii</i>, Two New Monoverticillate Species with Apical-Swelling Stipes of Section <i>Aspergilloides</i> Isolated from Plant Leaves in China

<div><p>Two new <i>Penicillium</i> species isolated from plant leaves are reported here, namely, <i>P. fusisporum</i> (type strain AS3.15338^T = NRRL 62805^T = CBS 137463^T) and <i>P. zhuangii</i> (type strain AS3.15341^T = NRRL 62806^T = CBS 137464^T). <i>P. fusisporum</i> is characterized by fast growth rate, apical-swelling monoverticillate penicilli, verrucose stipes, fusiform to oblong conidia about 3.5–4×2–2.5 µm and cinnamon-colored sclerotia. While <i>P. zhuangii</i> presents a moderate growth rate, it also bears apical-swelling monoverticillate penicilli but its stipes are smooth-walled, and produces ovoid to globose smooth-walled conidia about 3–3.5 µm. Both species belong to section <i>Aspergilloides</i>, and <i>P. fusisporum</i> is related to “<i>P. thomii</i> var. <i>flavescens</i>”, while <i>P. zhuangii</i> is morphologically similar to <i>P. lividum</i>. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of calmodulin and beta-tubulin genes both show that the two new taxa form distinct monophyletic clades.</p></div

ML phylogram inferred from partial <i>BenA</i> sequences.

<p>Bootstrap percentages over 70% derived from 1000 replicates are indicated at the nodes. Bar  = 0.05 substitutions per nucleotide position.</p

Forty-four strains included in phylogenetic analyses and the GenBank accession numbers for three genetic markers.

<p>Forty-four strains included in phylogenetic analyses and the GenBank accession numbers for three genetic markers.</p

Colonies of <i>P. fusisporum</i> AS3.15338 ^T incubated 7 d at 25°C.

<p>A, Cz; B, CYA; C, MEA; D, YES.</p

Colonies of <i>P. zhuangii</i> AS3.15341 ^T incubated 7 d at 25°C.

<p>A, Cz; B, CYA; C, MEA; D, YES.</p

ML phylogram inferred from partial <i>CaM</i> sequences.

<p>Bootstrap percentages over 70% derived from 1000 replicates are indicated at the nodes. Bar  = 0.05 substitutions per nucleotide position.</p