Holocene history of Aconitum in the Polish Western Carpathians and adjacent regions : long-distance migrations or cryptic refugia?

Aconitum lasiocarpum (Rchb.) Gáyer and A. variegatum L. are forest species with overlapped geographical ranges in the Beskid Niski and Doły Jasielsko-Sanockie Depression (W. Carpathians). They form here a hybrid zone. The cytogenetic evidences based on the Giemsa C-banding in A. variegatum showed the same cytotype in the Silesian Upland and the Moravskoslezské Beskids, pointing to the role of the Moravian Gate in the migrations of plants from the Moravian glacial forest refugium. Another linked the Małopolska Upland (Ojców) with the two Carpathian regions, including the Pieniny Mts. The result points to the two hypothesis. Firstly, there existed glacial forest cryptic refugia in both regions, or the Małopolska’s population is secondary in relation to the Pieniny Mts. ISSR analysis of A. moldavicum showed relationships between one of the Małopolska’s population and the Podolian populations. The Holocene migrations of the species from the Beskid Niski to the Małopolska region were also probable. The refugial character of the Pieniny Mts. was corroborated by their close relation to the relictual populations of A. moldavicum Hacq. from the Nizke Tatr

Natural hybrid zone of Aconitum species in the Western Carpathians : Linnaean taxonomy and ISSR fingerprinting

Aconitum lasiocarpum (Carpathian endemic) and A. variegatum (European endemic) occur sympatrically in the Polish Western Carpathians. Here their taxonomic hybrid A. ×pawlowskii occurs. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the taxonomic (Linnaean approach) and genetic structure (PCR-ISSR analysis) of the populations and individuals in two allopatric and four sympatric populations. We determined 309 individuals (OTUs) to species, subspecies and nothospecies using the Linnaean system of classification, and then genetically fingerprinted 39 randomly chosen OTUs. Comparison of the Nei and Li distances obtained from ISSR and morphological matrices using the Mantel test indicated a significant correlation (n = 39, r = 0.53, P = 0.001). Genetic analysis (NEWHYBRIDS) pointed to 7 OTUs as being later-generation hybrids (B1 introgessants) in the sympatric area. Five of them belong to A. variegatum, indicating cryptic introgression, and two belong to A. ×pawlowskii. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NDMS) showed gene flow between A. lasiocarpum and A. ×pawlowskii. Allopatric, morphologically pure A. lasiocarpum and A. variegatum populations differed significantly in their ISSR profiles (Fischer's R×C test, P < 0.0001). Expected heterozygosity (Hj) was significantly (p=0.05) lower in allopatric (0.1261–0.1268) than in sympatric populations (0.1348–0.1509), indicating a genetic melting pot in sympatry. The results support the existence of a natural interspecific hybrid swarm zone in the sympatric area of occurrence of Aconitum, and the taxonomic circumscription of the nothospecies within the Linnaean taxonomic system

Multiple cryptic refugia of forest grass Bromus benekenii in Europe as revealed by ISSR fingerprinting and species distribution modelling

Despite not having been fully recognized, the cryptic northern refugia of temperate forest vegetation in Central and Western Europe are one of the most important in the Holocene history of the vegetation on the subcontinent. We have studied a forest grass Bromus benekenii in 39 populations in Central, Western and Southern Europe with the use of PCR-ISSR fingerprinting. The indices of genetic population diversity, multivariate, and Bayesian analyses, supplemented with species distribution modelling have enabled at least three putative cryptic northern refugial areas to be recognized: in Western Europe—the Central and Rhenish Massifs, in Central Europe—the Bohemia–Moravia region and in the Eastern/Western Carpathians. Central Poland is the regional genetic melting-pot where several migratory routes might have met. Southern Poland had a different postglacial history and was under the influence of an Eastern/Western Carpathian cryptic refugium. More forest species should be checked in a west–east gradient in Europe to corroborate the hypothesis on the Western European glacial refugia

Refugial pattern of Bromus erectus in central Europe based on ISSR fingerprinting

We studied the thermophilous grass Bromus erectus in Central Europe to determine its pattern of population genetic structure and genetic diversity, using ISSR-PCR fingerprinting to analyze 200 individuals from 37 populations. We found three genetic groups with a clear geographic structure, based on a Bayesian approach. The first group occurred west and south of the Alps, the second east and north of the Alps, and the third was formed by four genetically depauperated populations in Germany. The populations from Germany formed a subset of the Bohemian-Moravian populations, with one private allele. Two differentiation centers, one in the Atlantic-Mediterranean and the second in the Pannonian-Balkan area, were recognized by species distribution modeling. The geographic distribution of the genetic groups coincides with the syntaxonomic split of the Festuco-Brometea class into the Festucetalia valesiaceae and Brometalia erecti orders. We found a statistically significant decrease in mean ISSR bands per individual from south to north, and to a lesser extent from the east to west. The former was explained by Holocene long-distance migrations from southern refugia, the latter by the difference in the gradient of anthropopression. We hypothesize a cryptic northern shelter of the species in Central Europe in the putative Moravian-Bohemian refugium

Additivity of ISSR markers in natural hybrids of related forest species Bromus benekenii and B. ramosus (Poaceae)

The co-occurrence of hybrids and parental species in similar ecological niches poses a question on the role oftraits additivity and overdispersion (emergence of new traits) in microevolutionary processes. We analysed genet-ic polymorphism of Bromus benekenii, B. ramosusand the spontaneous hybrid B. benekenii× B. ramosusinsympatric and allopatric parts of the species distribution in Europe, based on non-coding regions of the taxongenomes (ISSR genetic fingerprinting). We tested 68 individuals in 7 populations, including a hybrid populationin N France. Altogether 233 polymorphic ISSR bands (loci) were obtained. We found that the parent species weregenetically distinct and the hybrids had an additive pattern of ISSR bands found in the putative parental species(NMDS, STRUCTURE); however, there was evidence of introgression towards B. ramosus(NEWHYBRIDS,UPGMA classifications, Nei's D genetic distance). Bromus benekeniihad 72, B. ramosus21 and the hybrids 9 private bands (genetic overdispersion), probably resulting from the rearranged genomes. Based on its lowgenetic divergence index DW, the hybrid population seems to be at a young age. We argue that in the face ofanthropogenic landscape transformations favouring secondary contacts, the hybrids may competitively replacethe parental species in sympatric areas

ISSR analysis of two founding plant species on the volcanic island Surtsey, Iceland : grass versus shrub

Prior to the present study there was limited knowledge about the genetic basis of plant colonization on the 50-year-old island of Surtsey, South Iceland. The aim here was to compare genetic structure of two contrasting species, Festucarubra (arctic fescue) and Empetrum nigrum (crowberry), which have colonized Surtsey since 1973 and 1993, respectively. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to assess genetic diversity and population structure. Two census periods were compared: 1996-1997 and 2005-2006. Using six ISSR primers, we obtained 103 and 139 discernible DNA fragments from F. rubra and E. nigrum respectively. Although the two species displayed similarly high genetic diversity indices (h = 0.238 and 0.235; I = 0.384and 0.380, respectively), they differed significantly in their genetic profiles. Festuca was genetically structured at the subpopulation level (FST = 0.034, p = 0.007), whereas Empetrum showed a lack of genetic differentiation. A Bayesian STRUCTURE computation further revealed temporal and spatial genetic structure of the species. The early arrival grass F. rubra has expanded from a local genepool. The population was however initially established from different sources, forming a genetic melting pot on Surtsey. On the other hand, the late arrival shrub E. nigrum probably derived from a common source of immigrants

Complex characterization of oat (Avena sativa L.) lines obtained by wide crossing with maize (Zea mays L.)

Background. The oat×maize addition (OMA) lines are used for mapping of the maize genome, the studies of centromere-specific histone (CENH3), gene expression, meiotic chromosome behavior and also for introducing maize C4 photosynthetic system to oat. The aim of our study was the identification and molecular-cytogenetic characterization of oat × maize hybrids. Methods. Oat DH lines and oat × maize hybrids were obtained using the wide crossing of Avena sativa L. with Zea mays L. The plants identified as having a Grande- 1 retrotransposon fragment, which produced seeds, were used for genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Results. A total of 138 oat lines obtained by crossing of 2,314 oat plants from 80 genotypes with maize cv. Waza were tested for the presence of maize chromosomes. The presence of maize chromatin was indicated in 66 lines by amplification of the PCR product (500 bp) generated using primers specific for the maize retrotransposon Grande-1. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) detected whole maize chromosomes in eight lines (40%). All of the analyzed plants possessed full complement of oat chromosomes. The number of maize chromosomes differed between the OMA lines. Four OMA lines possessed two maize chromosomes similar in size, three OMA-one maize chromosome, and one OMA-four maize chromosomes. In most of the lines, the detected chromosomes were labeled uniformly. The presence of six 45S rDNA loci was detected in oat chromosomes, but none of the added maize chromosomes in any of the lines carried 45S rDNA locus. Twenty of the analyzed lines did not possess whole maize chromosomes, but the introgression of maize chromatin in the oat chromosomes. Five of 66 hybrids were shorter in height, grassy type without panicles. Twenty-seven OMA lines were fertile and produced seeds ranging in number from 1-102 (in total 613). Sixty-three fertile DH lines, out of 72 which did not have an addition of maize chromosomes or chromatin, produced seeds in the range of 1-343 (in total 3,758). Obtained DH and OMA lines were fertile and produced seeds. Discussion. In wide hybridization of oat with maize, the complete or incomplete chromosomes elimination of maize occur. Hybrids of oat and maize had a complete set of oat chromosomes without maize chromosomes, and a complete set of oat chromosomes with one to four retained maize chromosomes

Kozioł ofiarny w fursuitcie. Hierarchia w fandomach na przykładzie furry

W niniejszym artykule proponuję spojrzenie na globalny fandom jako społeczność, w którą – wbrew wstępnym rozpoznaniom badaczy –wpisana jest hierarchia prestiżu społecznego, zależnego od kilku czynników. Na przykładzie fandomu furry (fanów antropomorficznych przedstawień zwierząt), zajmujących w tej hierarchii niską pozycję, opisuję te czynniki, skupiając się przede wszystkim na normatywności ekspresji, którą fandomy zapożyczają od patriarchalnej kultury głównego nurtu.The following article attempts to demonstrate how fandoms can be regarded as communities which – despite the initial diagnosis and findings of scholars – are based on prestige social hierarchies dependent on several factors. By analyzing the case of the furry fandom (a subculture revolving around anthropomorphic animal characters), which appears to occupy a lowly position in the aforementioned hierarchy, the author discusses the selected factors, with particular emphasis on the normativity of expression in the context of mainstream patriarchal culture permeating most fandoms