TAIWANIA
臺灣大學生命科學院,正常發行
選擇卷期
- 期刊
Ceropegia ansariana (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae: Ceropegieae: Chionopegia: Macranthae), a new species is described and illustrated from Blue mountain forests in Champhai district of Mizoram, Northeast India. The new species is superficially similar to Ceropegia khasiana Murug. et al., but it can be distinguished easily by its longer and fewer fascicled roots, 3-15-flowered cymes with 1-3 flowers open at a time, smaller greenish flowers 3.7-4.5 cm long, greenish with purplish maroon streaked and blotched on outer surface of corolla tube, greenish and shorter ovate-lanceolate corolla lobes, shorter inflated base with a few downwardly pointed hairs of different length at the throat and shorter and sparsely ciliate corona lobes. Detailed descriptions, photographic illustrations, phenology and a note on conservation status are provided here.
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Amorphophallus yunnanensis is a perennial herb distributed throughout southwestern China. The degradation and reduction of habitats due to human activities caused declines in A. yunnanensis. We developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers with restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to estimate the genetic diversity and evaluate population differentiation of A. yunnanensis in southwestern China. We found that the genetic diversity of A. yunnanensis was relatively low compared to the widely distributed Amorphophallus konjac. Population structure analyses revealed three genetic groups that corresponded to geographic distributions. One of these genetic groups (group A) that consisted of two populations in the relatively southern part exhibited the highest genetic diversity and more rare alleles, suggesting a hotspot of diversification in A. yunnanensis. These results indicated that the three genetic groups should be treated as distinct evolutionarily significant units and a higher conservation priority should be placed on group A.
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Petrocodon albinervius D.X. Nong & Y.S. Huang (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated as a species new to science occurring in the limestone area of southwestern Guangxi, China. It shows overall most similarity with P. ionophyllus F. Wen, S. Li & B. Pan, P. integrifolius (D. Fang & L. Zeng) A. Weber & Mich. Möller and P. ainsliifolius W.H. Chen & Y.M. Shui in leaf shape, but differs in several characters such as the leaf blade indumentum, leaf veins coloration, the size and shape of bracts, the number of cymes per plant and flowers per cyme, and the shape of the stigma. Besides a diagnosis and detailed description, we also provide ecological information, photographic images, a table and taxonomic notes to distinguish several other morphologically similar Petrocodon species and proposed conservation status for this species.
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Embryology of Corokia has been studied in order to utilize the data for taxonomic considerations. Anther wall consists of epidermis, endothecium, middle layer and tapetum. The ontogeny conforms to Dicotyledonous type. Pollen grains are spheroidal and three-zonocolporate. The ovules are anatropous, unitegmic, and tenuinucellate with a distinct endothelium. Embryo sac development is of Polygonum type. Development of the endosperm is of Cellular type. Both chalazal and micropylar endosperm haustoria are present. The embryogeny conforms to the Chenopodiad type. At the mature embryo sac stage, the integument consists of 1012 layers of cells. In the mature seed only the outer epidermis of the integument persists. The ripe fruit is drupaceous with stony endocarp. Based on embryological characters, considered together with relevant information on morphology, anatomy, cytology and chemotaxonomy of groups regarded related in the past, Corokia deserves to be elevated to the rank of a family, Corokiaceae. The Corokiaceae can be appropriately placed, along with Stylidiaceae, in the order Asterales.
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Infectious coryza (IC) is a severe upper respiratory tract disease of birds. This research was aimed to study different aspects of Avibacterium paragallinarum causing IC in commercial birds. A total of 1000 samples were collected from IC suspected or recently dead birds. Results showed that 80.40% of the samples were positive for A. paragallinarum. All the isolates of A. paragallinarum produced the predicted size of 500 bp amplicons of HPG2 gene on PCR. The percentages of positive samples infected with infectious coryza in commercial birds were: 19.2% for layers, 18.4% for broilers, 16.0% for quails, 15.8% for chukars and 11.0% for pigeons. Among positive cases, serotype A was 24%, serotype B was 29% and serotype C was 27.40%. The isolates of A. paragallinarum were growing well at 35-37 °C, however, growth rate was declined at 24 °C, and 42 °C. Similarly, A. paragallinarum showed optimal growth between pH 5 and 9, but the superlative pH growth values were from 6 to 8 pH. Antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that all tested isolates displayed resistance against Metronidazole, Colistin sulphate, Bacitracin, Streptomycin, Chloramphenicol and Lincomycine, while they were found susceptible to Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Vancomycin, Amoxicillin, and Ciprofloxacin. Investigation of IC in commercial birds will certainly help the diagnosis of the disease, which causes considerable economic loss to the farmers. The current study was designed to report on the incidence of IC caused A. paragallinarum, frequency of occurrence of its serotypes and drug susceptibility pattern. This study will also alert poultry professionals about the disease and help determine specific medication as well as formulate prevention and control strategies.
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Artificial breeding of the iron clam, Cyclina sinensis, was successful for the first time in Taiwan in 2020. To prevent potential inbreeding depression and genetic incompatibility, the genetic diversity and structure of wild populations of C. sinensis must be assessed. The genetic diversity of 153 iron clams from 7 sample populations in Taiwan, including the Penghu and Kinmen Islands, was examined in this study. A total of 658 base pairs in the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequence revealed only one phylogenetically informative site, and 15 haplotypes were identified. Compared with populations on the Chinese coast, those in the south of and in Taiwan Strait exhibited much lower nucleotide diversity (0.0003 vs. 0.0022), which may cause difficulties in the artificial breeding of C. sinensis in Taiwan. Compared with other bivalves, the C. sinensis of northern China did not exhibit lower nucleotide diversity (0.0022 vs. 0.002-0.006). Demographic analyses of C. sinensis in East Asia revealed no pattern of decline. Although Taiwan is closer to southern China (FST = 0.000), the introduction of broodstock from northern China should be evaluated for viability. In addition, our study revealed a difference in the genetic composition and genetic diversity of C. sinensis in Taijiang National Park before and after the enactment of the annual catch limit policy, which warrants further study.
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Studies on the influence of host tree successional status on liana infestation are few or lacking in regenerating forests in Africa. This study examined some likely predictors of the abundance of dominant lianas in a regenerating lowland rainforest in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Six sample plots (0.25 ha each) were sampled in the secondary forest in the Biological Gardens of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. All trees and shrubs (≥ 2 m in height) and lianas attached to the trees and shrubs, were enumerated and their girth sizes were measured. The successional status of the host and lianas was determined. A chi-square analysis was carried out to determine the preferential liana infestation on host species in the forest while logistic binary regression analysis was used to determine the probability of infestation of the host species by each liana species. Liana colonization was species-specific with Chasmanthera dependens, Combretum sp. and Motandra guineensis being the only lianas that preferentially infested specific host species. Senegalia ataxacantha and Combretum sp. were the only lianas that preferred both late- and early-successional host species while Motandra guineensis was the only liana species that preferred both small and large host species. Since late-successional host species are gradually replacing the early-successional hosts in the forest, this makes it more necessary to monitor the tree regeneration process in the forest closely especially because most of the dominant lianas are early-successional species that would impede the regeneration of the trees and shrubs in the forest.
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A small population of fewer than 80 Sousa chinensis taiwanensis inhabits the western coast of Taiwan. To explore the relationship between environmental factors (water depth, temperature, salinity, turbidity, and pH) and distribution patterns of dolphins, this study was conducted in Yunlin, which has been one of the population's core areas despite being subject to heavy industrial development. 242 day-surveys were conducted along four parallel transect lines between 2008 to 2018, during which sightings of 274 dolphin groups of this species were recorded. The standardized dolphin sighting rate (groups/100km) was used as an index for comparison. Contrasting to the roughly steady distribution in east-west gradient, the north-south gradient exhibited substantial and varied temporospatial changes among three sections (north, middle, and south) off the coast of Yunlin and among three periods. Dolphin sighting rate during spring-summer was significantly higher than that during Autumn-winter. Taking data from inshore surveys for long term comparison, we found that sighting rates at the middle section remained high and relatively stable (around 2-4.6), whereas the rates in the other two sections exhibited opposite trend with high fluctuations, e.g. drastically fluctuated between 0-3.4 in the northern section, while from 3.36 declined to 0.35 in the southern section. We further discovered that rapid changes in three environmental factors, including turbidity, pH, water depth and construction disturbance, could play key roles on dolphin distribution patterns, and can serve as good indicators for habitat suitability for this vulnerable subspecies.
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A new species, Rinodina indica Vishal Kumar, R. Ngangom & Nayaka is described from India. It is characterized by ochraceous, areolate, blastidiate thallus with brown, 1-septate Teichophila-type ascospores. Eight additional species of the genus viz., R. archaea (Ach.) Arnold, R. dolichospora Malme, R. mniaroeiza (Nyl.) Arnold, R. obnascens (Nyl.) H. Olivier, R. oleae Bagl., R. plana H. Magn., R. pyrina (Ach.) Arnold and R. trevisanii (Hepp) Körb., are reported for the first time from India. Detailed description, illustration and distribution for new species and new records are provided. A key to all species of Rinodina presently known from India is also provided.
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The first chromosomal analysis of Salween shovelhead catfish (Sperata acicularis) was undertaken by classical cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques in the present study. Ten male and ten female fish were obtained from Salween River, Mae Hong Son Province, Northern Thailand. The mitotic chromosome preparation was directly performed from kidney tissues. Conventional Giemsa staining, Ag-NOR staining, and molecular cytogenetics techniques with FISH using 5S, 18S rDNAs, and microsatellites d(CA)_(15) and d(GC)_(15) repeats as probes were conducted. The results indicated that the diploid chromosome number of S. acicularis was 2n = 56. The fundamental number (NF) was 110 both for males and females. The karyotype is composed of 18 large metacentric, 10 large submetacentric, 14 medium metacentric, 12 medium submetacentric and 2 medium acrocentric chromosomes; sex chromosomes could not be identified. NORs localized at the subtelomeric region of the short arm of metacentric chromosome pair 3, which coincides with location of 18S rDNA probe. 5S rDNA probe signal was detected on the short arm of the metacentric chromosome pairs 5 and 8. The distribution patterns of each analysed microsatellite repeat on the chromosomes differed from each other. Microsatellite d(CA)_(15) repeats were highly accumulated at telomeric regions of all chromosome pairs, and throughout the chromosome in some pairs while the microsatellite d(GC)_(15) repeats were scattered and less accumulated in some chromosome pairs. Overall, we present the karyotype of S. acicularis providing insights into species' evolution and enabling undoubtedly species identification.