Ecological corridors homogenize plant root endospheric mycobiota

Ecological corridors promote species coexistence in fragmented habitats where dispersal limits species fluxes. The corridor concept was developed and investigated with macroorganisms in mind, while microorganisms, the invisible majority of biodiversity, were disregarded. We analyzed the effect of corridors on the dynamics of endospheric fungal assemblages associated with plant roots at the scale of 1 m over 2 years (i.e. at five time points) by combining an experimental corridor-mesocosm with high-throughput amplicon sequencing. We showed that plant root endospheric mycobiota were sensitive to corridor effects when the corridors were set up at a small spatial scale. The endospheric mycobiota of connected plants had higher species richness, lower beta-diversity, and more deterministic assembly than the mycobiota of isolated plants. These effects became more pronounced with the development of host plants. Biotic corridors composed of host plants may thus play a key role in the spatial dynamics of microbial communities and may influence microbial diversity and related ecological functions

Cryptic Diversity in Indo-Pacific Coral-Reef Fishes Revealed by DNA-Barcoding Provides New Support to the Centre-of-Overlap Hypothesis

Diversity in coral reef fishes is not evenly distributed and tends to accumulate in the Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago (IMPA). The comprehension of the mechanisms that initiated this pattern is in its infancy despite its importance for the conservation of coral reefs. Considering the IMPA either as an area of overlap or a cradle of marine biodiversity, the hypotheses proposed to account for this pattern rely on extant knowledge about taxonomy and species range distribution. The recent large-scale use of standard molecular data (DNA barcoding), however, has revealed the importance of taking into account cryptic diversity when assessing tropical biodiversity. We DNA barcoded 2276 specimens belonging to 668 coral reef fish species through a collaborative effort conducted concomitantly in both Indian and Pacific oceans to appraise the importance of cryptic diversity in species with an Indo-Pacific distribution range. Of the 141 species sampled on each side of the IMPA, 62 presented no spatial structure whereas 67 exhibited divergent lineages on each side of the IMPA with K2P distances ranging between 1% and 12%, and 12 presented several lineages with K2P distances ranging between 3% and 22%. Thus, from this initial pool of 141 nominal species with Indo-Pacific distribution, 79 dissolved into 165 biological units among which 162 were found in a single ocean. This result is consistent with the view that the IMPA accumulates diversity as a consequence of its geological history, its location on the junction between the two main tropical oceans and the presence of a land bridge during glacial times in the IMPA that fostered allopatric divergence and secondary contacts between the Indian and Pacific oceans

Rapid response to the M_w 4.9 earthquake of November 11, 2019 in Le Teil, Lower Rhône Valley, France

On November 11, 2019, a Mw 4.9 earthquake hit the region close to Montelimar (lower Rhône Valley, France), on the eastern margin of the Massif Central close to the external part of the Alps. Occuring in a moderate seismicity area, this earthquake is remarkable for its very shallow focal depth (between 1 and 3 km), its magnitude, and the moderate to large damages it produced in several villages. InSAR interferograms indicated a shallow rupture about 4 km long reaching the surface and the reactivation of the ancient NE-SW La Rouviere normal fault in reverse faulting in agreement with the present-day E-W compressional tectonics. The peculiarity of this earthquake together with a poor coverage of the epicentral region by permanent seismological and geodetic stations triggered the mobilisation of the French post-seismic unit and the broad French scientific community from various institutions, with the deployment of geophysical instruments (seismological and geodesic stations), geological field surveys, and field evaluation of the intensity of the earthquake. Within 7 days after the mainshock, 47 seismological stations were deployed in the epicentral area to improve the Le Teil aftershocks locations relative to the French permanent seismological network (RESIF), monitor the temporal and spatial evolution of microearthquakes close to the fault plane and temporal evolution of the seismic response of 3 damaged historical buildings, and to study suspected site effects and their influence in the distribution of seismic damage. This seismological dataset, completed by data owned by different institutions, was integrated in a homogeneous archive and distributed through FDSN web services by the RESIF data center. This dataset, together with observations of surface rupture evidences, geologic, geodetic and satellite data, will help to unravel the causes and rupture mechanism of this earthquake, and contribute to account in seismic hazard assessment for earthquakes along the major regional Cévenne fault system in a context of present-day compressional tectonics

Effet de l'exposition aux rayons gamma sur la reaction hemocytaire multicellulaire des larves de Mamestra brassicae (Lep. Noctuidae)

National audienc

Barbatula Linck 1790

Key to Chinese species of Barbatula 1a. Anterior and posterior nostrils widely separated.............................................................. 2 1b. Anterior and posterior nostrils closely placed................................................................ 4 2a. Six branched dorsal-fin rays................................................................. B. potaninorum 2b. Seven branched dorsal-fin rays........................................................................... 3 3a. Predorsal body scaled.............................................................................. B. toni 3b. Predorsal body scaleless.......................................................................... B. gibba 4a. Upper lip with a marked median incision; vertebral count 40–42.......................................... B. nuda 4b. Upper lip with a slight median incision; vertebral count 44–45......................................... B. altayensisPublished as part of Cao, Liang & Causse, Romain, 2012, Revision of the loach species Barbatula nuda (Bleeker 1865) (Pisces: Balitoridae) from North China, with a description of a new species from Inner Mongolia, pp. 236-248 in Zootaxa 3586 on page 24

A new deep-water goatfish of the genus Upeneus (Mullidae) from Vanuatu, South Pacific

Uiblein, Franz, Causse, Romain (2013): A new deep-water goatfish of the genus Upeneus (Mullidae) from Vanuatu, South Pacific. Zootaxa 3666 (3): 337-344, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3666.3.

Résistance aux inhibiteurs de l'ALS: gare aux dicots ! Après le coquelicot et les matricaires, la stellaire fait de la résistance

SPE GEAPSINational audienc

Barbatula gibba Cao & Causse 2012, sp. nov.

Barbatula gibba sp. nov. (Fig.1c) Holotype. IHB 76 X2566, 70.7 mm SL; Dali-Nur Lake in Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia. Paratypes. IHB 76 X2552–4, 76X2558–9, 76X2562, 76X 2564, 76X2567–8, 76X2574, 76X2576, 76X2584–5, 13 specimens, 46.7–75.7 mm SL, other data same as holotype. Diagnosis. Barbatula gibba is distinguished from all other congeners from northern Asia by having a nearly columnar (vs. slightly compressed) anterior body, and a greatly convex (vs. slightly convex or straight) predorsal profile of the body. It is similar to B. nuda in having a scaleless predorsal body, by which both can be distinguished all other congeners from northern Asia, with sparsely, or fully scaled predorsal bodies. Barbatula gibba further differs from B. nuda in having widely separated (vs. closely-set) nostrils, and an upper lip with a slight and shallow (vs. marked and deep) median indentation. Description. Body elongate, anteriorly nearly columnar with its width nearly equal to depth and posteriorly compressed laterally, scaled posterior to vertical through dorsal-fin origin; small scales sparsely scattered, and embedded beneath skin. Dorsal profile of head straight; predorsal profile of body greatly arched upward and declining rapidly along dorsal-fin base; and postdorsal body straight and slightly parallel with ventral. Ventral profiles of head and body from pectoral-fin insertion to anal-fin origin straight; anal-fin base and postanal profile slightly concave. Greatest body depth at vertical through midpoint between pectoral- and pelvic-fin insertion, and least depth of caudal peduncle at vertical through posterior end of anal-fin rays. Caudal peduncle laterally compressed, shorter than HL, and length of it 1.9 to 2.4 times its depth; width 1.5 to 2.3 times in its depth. Head depressed and triangular in dorsal view, wider than deep. Snout obtuse, shorter than postorbital length of head and head height. Eyes small, close to dorsal profile of head. Nostrils widely separated by a gap twice distance between posterior nostril and anterior edge of eye. Mouth inferior and arched. Lips thick; upper lip slightly papillated with an indistinct median incision and lower lip with small lateral expansions. Upper jaw unexposed or fully covered by upper lip, without processus dentiformis; lower jaw spoon-like with its anterior exposed, and laterally covered by lower lip (Fig. 2c). Three pairs of barbels, one maxillary, and two rostral; inner rostral barbels extending to corner of mouth, and outer rostral ones reaching to vertical of anterior edge of posterior nostril; maxillary ones extending to vertical through post half of eye. Lateral line complete, running slightly below middle of flank anterior to posterior end of anal-fin base, and then along middle of caudal peduncle. Supraorbital canal uninterrupted, not confluent with infraorbital canal; occipital canal continuous, confluent with infraorbital canal. Count of pores in cephalic sensory canal system: 7–8 in supraorbital canal, 12–13 in infraorbital, 3 in occipital, 8–10 in preoperculomandibular, and 60–69 in lateral line. Fins flexible; D. iii, 7; P. i, 10–11; V. i, 6–7; A. iii, 5; C. 7–8+8 = 15–16 branched rays. Dorsal fin with a slightly concave distal margin, origin nearer to caudal-fin base than to tip of snout, last unbranched ray thickened near base. Pectoral fin inserted immediately anterior to vertical through posteriormost point of operculum, adpressed fin reaching nearly halfway to pelvic-fin insertion. Pelvic fin positioned opposite to dorsal-fin origin, adpressed fin not reaching anus. Anal fin with a straight distal margin. Caudal fin emarginated, its upper lobe as long as lower one. Vertebral count 40–42 Intestine forming a zigzag loop anteriorly, not touching U-shaped stomach. Gas bladder bipartite; anterior chamber fully enclosed in dumbbell-like capsule and posterior chamber strongly reduced. Coloration in preservative. Back and side of body brownish, ventral body grayish. Five or six transverse brown bars on predorsal region of body, and four or five on postdorsal region. Spots scattered over lateral body, and on pectoral and pelvic fins. Spots scattered over dorsal and caudal fins, forming three black lines. Sexual dimorphism. Males with broadened and widened unbranched rays and 4–5 outer branched rays of pectoral fin. Dorsal surfaces of pectoral fins covered with breeding tubercles; breeding tubercles sparsely scattered over head and body in males. Distribution. Currently known from Dali-Nur Lake in Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Fig. 4). Etymology. The specific epithet is made from the Latin words ‘ gibbus ’ (humped), referring to the greatly convex predorsal profile of the body. Remarks. We had no access to specimens of these species outside China: B. compressirostris (or B. golubtsovi), B. dgebuadzei, and B. sawadai. The first one was resurrected by Kottelat (2006) as a valid species closely related to B. golubtsovi. According to Kottelat, B. compressirostris differs from B. golubtsovi only in the absence of projections on the skin of the body (vs. presence). For facilitating the description of this new species, we tentatively consider B. compressirostris and B. golubtsovi as the same species. The data used here for the aforementioned species and B. potaninorum are from Prokofiev (2004). Barbatula potaninorum was originally described in Orthrias by Prokofiev (2007) from North China. Its exact type locality remains unclear. The original description stated that the type specimen was collected by the Russian explorer G. N. Potanin in 1887 from Gansu Province and nearby Inner Mongolia bordering with Mongolia, or the upper Xilingol River in Inner Mongolia. However, his figure 23 indicated that the type locality was Gaxun-Nur Lake in Inner Mongolia. Potanin made two expeditions to China: the first one from 1884–1886, and the second one from 1892–1893. The maps of these two expeditions were provided by Wang (1993) (see Luo 2005: pp. 202 and 205). In April 1886, Potanin traveled west to Qinghai Lake, turned to the north, and, through several ridges, got to the sources of the Zhoshuy River (today’s Hei-He). Then, he followed this river down to Gaxun-Nur Lake in Inner Mongolia. His expedition finally came to the Orkhon River, Kiakhta, Mongolia, in November 1886. If the type material of B. potaninorum was caught in 1887, it was not from Gaxun-Nur Lake, and Potanin was not the collector. The material was more likely captured from the upper Xilingol River basin in Inner Mongolia. According to Wang (1993), the Russian military officer E. Harnack made an expedition to Xing’an Mountains, Northeast China, in 1887 (Luo 2003). His expedition started from Peking, turned northeast at Kalgan (today’s Zhangjiakou City), and arrived at Donlon (Inner Mongolia); from there, they headed north to Dali-Nur Lake, which is south of the upper Xilingol River, and eventually entered into Xing’an Mountains. The possibility that the type specimen of B. potaninorum was collected by E. Harnack from the upper Xilingol River nearby the Dali-Nur cannot be ruled out. According to the original description, B. potaninorum possesses a scaled body, pelvic fins anterior to the vertical through the dorsal-fin origin, and widely separated nostrils. These characters are shared with Nemacheilus pechiliensis Fowler 1899, a species tentatively considered to be a synonym of B. toni in this study. The type locality of this species is the Tan Lan Ho, a tributary of the Shu Lan Ho (in the Luan-He basin), around 30 miles northeast of Lama-Miau or Dolon-Nor), Pechili Province, northern China. It is not too far away from the upper Xilingol River basin. Whether B. potaninorum and Nemacheilus pechiliensis are the same species remain uncertain. This hypothesis needs testing based on examination on the type material of the former and additional specimens from the type locality of the latter. For the time being, B. potaninorum is regarded as valid.Published as part of Cao, Liang & Causse, Romain, 2012, Revision of the loach species Barbatula nuda (Bleeker 1865) (Pisces: Balitoridae) from North China, with a description of a new species from Inner Mongolia, pp. 236-248 in Zootaxa 3586 on pages 244-24