Publications by authors named "Cihang Luo"
Article Synopsis
- - Identification of serine acetyltransferase (SAT) and O-acetyl serine (thiol) lyase (OASTL) genes in Cardamine hupingshanensis underscores their role in synthesizing selenocysteine (Sec), a crucial compound for plant metabolism under selenium stress.
- - Through genome-wide analysis, the study categorized the ChSAT and ChOASTL genes into distinct groups, revealing evolutionary patterns and significant expression differences across plant tissues in response to varying selenium levels.
- - Silencing specific ChSAT and ChOASTL genes via the VIGS system aimed to clarify their roles in selenium metabolism, aiding future research on how plants manage selenium stress.
Mermithid nematodes are obligate invertebrate parasites dating back to the Early Cretaceous. Their fossil record is sparse, especially before the Cenozoic, thus little is known about their early host associations. This study reports 16 new mermithids associated with their insect hosts from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, 12 of which include previously unknown hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConglobation is an adaptive behaviour occurring independently in various animal groups. Here, we study the evolution of conglobation in Ceratocanthinae, a beetle group with the ability to roll three body segments into a tight ball. It is here implied that this ability evolved only once in the Mesozoic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAposematic coloration from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
March 2022
Aposematic coloration is among the most diverse antipredator strategies, which can signal unpleasantness of organisms to potential predators and reduce the probability of predation. Unlike mimesis, aposematic coloration allows organisms to warn their predators away by conspicuous and recognizable colour patterns. However, aposematism has been a regular puzzle, especially as the long-term history of such traits is obscured by an insufficient fossil record.
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- The Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), occurring around 14 to 17 million years ago, featured global temperatures similar to those predicted for the future, yet there is limited paleoclimatic data from this time.
- Researchers discovered a diverse rainforest biome from this period, known as the Zhangpu biota (~14.7 Ma), in southeastern China, preserved in amber and sedimentary rocks.
- This study indicates that the mid-Miocene rainforest extended further north than previously thought and played a crucial role in shaping biodiversity in East Asia, serving as an important reference for understanding biodiversity changes during global warming.
The fossil record of adult planthoppers is comparatively rich, but nymphs are rare and not well studied. Here, we describe a bizarre armoured planthopper nymph, gen. et sp.
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