Three new species of Polycystididae are described: Brachyrhynchus triplostylis n. gen. n. sp., B. acutus n. sp. and B. oosterlyncki n. sp. They are the first species of Polycystididae to be described with a second, single-walled accessory stylet connected to a small glandular vesicle in the male system. The three species can be distinguished from each other by the detailed morphology and the relative lengths of the three stylets in the male system. The relationships of these species with other representatives of Polycystididae are discussed.
A morphological and taxonomical account of the taxon Rogneda is given. A new interpretation of the stylet morphology is presented and a new terminology pertaining to these hard parts is proposed. All known species are discussed and additional information is provided when necessary. Seven new species are described. Five of these are from the Mediterranean: R. colpaerti sp. nov., R. licyae sp. nov., R. schaereri sp. nov., R. valckei sp. nov. and R. vangronsveldi sp. nov.R. verveckeni sp. nov. is from the Atlantic coast of Spain (Galicia). The seventh, R. martensi sp. nov., is from Indonesia and is the first species of Rogneda to be found outside the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. All new species can be recognized based on the morphology of the stylets in the male system. A discussion on the similarities and differences of the 22 species is provided, resulting in the grouping of the species into seven morphological groups: the capulata-group, the falcata-group, the hibernica-group, the polyrhabdota-group, the steueri-group, the tripalmata-group and the westbladi-group. R. minuta cannot be placed into any of these groups and therefore stands alone within the taxon. An identification key is provided to facilitate further study of the taxon Rogneda.
Abstract Despite extensive research on molecular pathways controlling the process of regeneration in model organisms, little is known about the actual initiation signals necessary to induce regeneration. Recently, the activation of ERK signaling has been shown to be required to initiate regeneration in planarians. However, how ERK signaling is activated remains unknown. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are well-known early signals necessary for regeneration in several models, including planarians. Still, the probable interplay between ROS and MAPK/ERK has not yet been described. Here, by interfering with major mediators (ROS, EGFR and MAPK/ERK), we were able to identify wound-induced ROS, and specifically H 2 O 2 , as upstream cues in the activation of regeneration. Our data demonstrate new relationships between regeneration-related ROS production and MAPK/ERK activation at the earliest regeneration stages, as well as the involvement of the EGFR-signaling pathway. Our results suggest that (1) ROS and/or H 2 O 2 have the potential to rescue regeneration after MEK-inhibition, either by H 2 O 2 -treatment or light therapy, (2) ROS and/or H 2 O 2 are required for the activation of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, (3) the EGFR pathway can mediate ROS production and the activation of MAPK/ERK during planarian regeneration.
A morphological and taxonomical account of the taxon Phaenocora is provided. An effort was made to locate and study all available material and, where possible, species are briefly re-described. We also describe two new species: Phaenocora gilberti sp. nov. from Cootes Paradise, Ontario, Canada and Phaenocora aglobulata sp. nov. from Prairie Grove, Alabama, USA. Species recognition is based on a combination of both male and female morphology. A comparison of and discussion on all species is given, resulting in a total of 28 valid species, three species inquirendae, five species dubiae, and one nomen nudum. An identification key is provided.
Abstract During their annual migration, avian migrants alternate stopover periods, for refuelling, with migratory flight bouts. We hypothesise that European Nightjars ( Caprimulgus europaeus ) adapt their daily migration tactics in association with biomes. We tracked the autumn migration of 24 European Nightjars, from breeding populations in Mongolia, Belgium and UK, using GPS-loggers and multi-sensor data loggers. We quantified crepuscular and nocturnal migration and foraging probabilities, as well as daily travel speed and flight altitude during active migration in response to biomes. Nightjars adopt a rush tactic, reflected in high daily travel speed, flight altitude and high migration probabilities at dusk and at night, when travelling through ecological barriers. Migration is slower in semi-open, hospitable biomes. This is reflected in high foraging probabilities at dusk, lower daily travel speed and lower migration probabilities at dusk. Our study shows how nightjars switch migration tactics during autumn migration, and suggest nightjars alternate between feeding and short migratory flight bouts within the same night when travelling through suitable habitats. How this may affect individuals’ fuel stores and whether different biomes provide refuelling opportunities en route remains to be investigated, to understand how future land-use change may affect migration patterns and survival probabilities.
Trigonostomum vanmecheleni nov. sp. (Rhabdocoela: Dalytyphloplanida) was collected from algae taken from the channels in Venice (Italy). It can easily be distinguished from its congeners by the detailed morphology of the stylet and of the bursal appendage, which is a coiled tube. Only T. lilliei has a bursal appendage with a comparable morphology. All available material of that species was also studied, leading to the conclusion that T. prytherchi is not a synonym of T. lilliei, as was proposed in earlier literature. T. prytherchi can be distinguished by the fact that the stylet proper is proximally bent over 180°, whereas in the other two species it is bent over 90°, and by the fact that the mantle of the stylet consists of one plate only, where it comprises two plates in the other two species. T. vanmecheleni nov. sp. can be distinguished from T. lilliei by the fact that the two plates of the mantle are different in shape and by the fact that the bursal appendage splits distally into six finer tubes. In T. lilliei the two plates are identical in shape and the bursal appendage splits distally into three to four finer tubes.
Research Infrastructures (RIs) are facilities, resources and services used by the scientific community to conduct research and foster innovation. LifeWatch ERIC has developed various virtual research environments, which include many virtual laboratories (vLabs) offering high computational capacity and comprehensive collaborative platforms that supporting the needs of digital biodiversity science. Over its 250 years of history, the taxonomic research community has developed a system for describing, classifying and naming taxa across multiple levels. For the marine biota, taxonomic information is organized and made publicly available through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) that records more than 250,000 described valid species. Although scientists tend to assign an equal status (in terms of contribution to overall diversity) to each taxon used in taxonomy, biogeography, ecology and biodiversity, the question “ are all taxa equal? ” has never been tested at a global scale. We present evidence that this question can be addressed by applying relatedness indices (Taxonomic Distinctness) over the entire WoRMS metazoan tree. The RvLab, developed by the LifeWatchGreece RI, operating on a high-performance computer cluster, has been used to meet the high computational demands required for such an analysis at a global scale.
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