Phylogenetic relationships of andean-ecuadorian populations of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann 1830) (Diptera : Tephritidae) inferred from COI and COII gene sequences

Abstract. Phylogenetic relationships among Andean-Ecuadorian and other Neotropical populations of Anastrepha fraterculus and related species have been studied using two regions of mtDNA : 405 base pairs within Cytochrome Oxidase I ( COI) and 224 base pairs within Cytochrome Oxidase II (COII). Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Maximun Parsimony (MP) method and haplotype networks. Andean-Ecuadorian populations of A. fraterculus are monomorphic at the COI locus and fall within a clade of South-American lowland populations of A. fraterculus. They appear to be unrelated with populations of northern Andes of Colombia and Venezuela also assigned to A. fraterculus, meaning that this species, as currently circumscribed, is not monophyletic and is composed of different biological entities that are little differentiated morphologically. At the COII locus, AndeanEcuadorian populations of A. fraterculus show a major haplotype with a few variants, and form a clade with the lowland populations of southern Brazil an Argentina, but are clearly differentiated from them. Andean-Ecuadorian populations of Anastrepha fraterculus appear to be homogeneous with respect to their mitochondrial genome and thus their identity as members of a single gene pool is confi rmed by these results. Résumé. Relations phylogénétiques entres les populations des Andes d'Equateur d'Anastreph

Opening a new window to other worlds with spectropolarimetry

A high level of diversity has already been observed among the planets of our own Solar System. As such, one expects extrasolar planets to present a wide range of distinctive features, therefore the characterisation of Earth- and super Earth-like planets is becoming of key importance in scientific research. The SEARCH (Spectropolarimetric Exoplanet AtmospheRe CHaracerisation) mission proposal of this paper represents one possible approach to realising these objectives. The mission goals of SEARCH include the detailed characterisation of a wide variety of exoplanets, ranging from terrestrial planets to gas giants. More specifically, SEARCH will determine atmospheric properties such as cloud coverage, surface pressure and atmospheric composition, and may also be capable of identifying basic surface features. To resolve a planet with a semi major axis of down to 1.4AU and 30pc distant SEARCH will have a mirror system consisting of two segments, with elliptical rim, cut out of a parabolic mirror. This will yield an effective diameter of 9 meters along one axis. A phase mask coronagraph along with an integral spectrograph will be used to overcome the contrast ratio of star to planet light. Such a mission would provide invaluable data on the diversity present in extrasolar planetary systems and much more could be learned from the similarities and differences compared to our own Solar System. This would allow our theories of planetary formation, atmospheric accretion and evolution to be tested, and our understanding of regions such as the outer limit of the Habitable Zone to be further improved.Comment: 23 pages, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronom

A Continental-Wide Perspective: The Genepool of Nuclear Encoded Ribosomal DNA and Single-Copy Gene Sequences in North American Boechera (Brassicaceae)

74 of the currently accepted 111 taxa of the North American genus Boechera (Brassicaceae) were subject to pyhlogenetic reconstruction and network analysis. The dataset comprised 911 accessions for which ITS sequences were analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses yielded largely unresolved trees. Together with the network analysis confirming this result this can be interpreted as an indication for multiple, independent, and rapid diversification events. Network analyses were superimposed with datasets describing i) geographical distribution, ii) taxonomy, iii) reproductive mode, and iv) distribution history based on phylogeographic evidence. Our results provide first direct evidence for enormous reticulate evolution in the entire genus and give further insights into the evolutionary history of this complex genus on a continental scale. In addition two novel single-copy gene markers, orthologues of the Arabidopsis thaliana genes At2g25920 and At3g18900, were analyzed for subsets of taxa and confirmed the findings obtained through the ITS data