Effect of elevated temperature on membrane lipid saturation in Antarctic notothenioid fish.

Homeoviscous adaptation (HVA) is a key cellular response by which fish protect their membranes against thermal stress. We investigated evolutionary HVA (long time scale) in Antarctic and non-Antarctic fish. Membrane lipid composition was determined for four Perciformes fish: two closely related Antarctic notothenioid species ( and ); a diversified related notothenioid Antarctic icefish (); and a New Zealand species ().

Mitogenomics data reveal effective population size, historical bottlenecks, and the effects of hunting on New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) passed through a population bottleneck due to commercial sealing during the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. To facilitate future management options, we reconstructed the demographic history of New Zealand fur seals in a Bayesian framework using maternally inherited, mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mitogenomic data suggested two separate clades (most recent common ancestor 5000 years ago) of New Zealand fur seals that survived large-scale human harvest.

Geometric morphometrics and molecular systematics of Xanthocnemis sobrina (McLachlan, 1873) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) and comparison to its congeners.

The taxonomy of the damselfly genus Xanthocnemis is revised, with particular focus on populations inhabiting the North Island of New Zealand. Earlier studies revealed two species: X. sobrina, restricted to cool, shaded streams in kauri forests and other forested areas, and X.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the stoat (Mustela erminea) and New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) and their significance for mammalian phylogeny.

The complete mitochondrial genome of three mustelid species, stoats (Mustela erminea), weasels (Mustela nivalis) and ferrets (Mustela furo), and the New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) were sequenced using direct mitochondrial DNA extraction and overlapping long PCRs. The usual 37 mammalian mitochondrial genes (13 protein coding genes, 22 t-RNA and 2 r-RNA) were identified in all four mitogenomes. The divergence of stoats from other members of the sub-family Mustelinae was dated 4.

The effects of island forest restoration on open habitat specialists: the endangered weevil Hadramphus spinipennis Broun and its host-plant Aciphylla dieffenbachii Kirk.

Human alteration of islands has made restoration a key part of conservation management. As islands are restored to their original state, species interactions change and some populations may be impacted. In this study we examine the coxella weevil, (Hadramphus spinipennis Broun) and its host-plant Dieffenbach's speargrass (Aciphylla dieffenbachii Kirk), which are both open habitat specialists with populations on Mangere and Rangatira Islands, Chathams, New Zealand.

Phylogenetic congruence of lichenised fungi and algae is affected by spatial scale and taxonomic diversity.

The role of species' interactions in structuring biological communities remains unclear. Mutualistic symbioses, involving close positive interactions between two distinct organismal lineages, provide an excellent means to explore the roles of both evolutionary and ecological processes in determining how positive interactions affect community structure. In this study, we investigate patterns of co-diversification between fungi and algae for a range of New Zealand lichens at the community, genus, and species levels and explore explanations for possible patterns related to spatial scale and pattern, taxonomic diversity of the lichens considered, and the level sampling replication.

Sliding window analyses for optimal selection of mini-barcodes, and application to 454-pyrosequencing for specimen identification from degraded DNA.

DNA barcoding remains a challenge when applied to diet analyses, ancient DNA studies, environmental DNA samples and, more generally, in any cases where DNA samples have not been adequately preserved. Because the size of the commonly used barcoding marker (COI) is over 600 base pairs (bp), amplification fails when the DNA molecule is degraded into smaller fragments. However, relevant information for specimen identification may not be evenly distributed along the barcoding region, and a shorter target can be sufficient for identification purposes.

Molecular phylogenetics of a South Pacific sap beetle species complex (Carpophilus spp., Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).

Several species of sap beetles in the genus Carpophilus are minor pests of fresh produce and stored products, and are frequently intercepted in biosecurity operations. In the South Pacific region, the superficially similar species C. maculatus and C.

Genetic and pathogenic diversity of Neofusicoccum parvum in New Zealand vineyards.

Genetic diversity of 50 isolates of Neofusicoccum parvum, the predominant species of the Botryosphaeriaceae recovered from grapevines displaying symptoms of dieback and decline in New Zealand, was compared to that of isolates from Australia, South Africa, and California. The eight universally primed polymerase chain reaction (UP-PCR) primers distinguished 56 genotypes, with only four clonal pairs found. Seven main groups were identified in a neighbour-joining (NJ) tree with isolates from different regions and vineyards of New Zealand, Australia, and California distributed in different groups, indicating a high level of intra and intervineyard genetic variation.

Barcoding and border biosecurity: identifying cyprinid fishes in the aquarium trade.

Background: Poorly regulated international trade in ornamental fishes poses risks to both biodiversity and economic activity via invasive alien species and exotic pathogens. Border security officials need robust tools to confirm identifications, often requiring hard-to-obtain taxonomic literature and expertise. DNA barcoding offers a potentially attractive tool for quarantine inspection, but has yet to be scrutinised for aquarium fishes.

Spider: an R package for the analysis of species identity and evolution, with particular reference to DNA barcoding.

Spider: SPecies IDentity and Evolution in R is a new R package implementing a number of useful analyses for DNA barcoding studies and associated research into species delimitation and speciation. Included are functions essential for generating important summary statistics from DNA barcode data, assessing specimen identification efficacy, and for testing and optimizing divergence threshold limits. In terms of investigating evolutionary and taxonomic questions, techniques for assessing diagnostic nucleotides and probability of reciprocal monophyly are also provided.

The great escape: do parasites break Dollo's law?

A long-held assumption in evolutionary studies is that a character that changes from a complex to a simple state is unlikely to return to the same complex state. The extreme version of this assumption has been codified as Dollo's law. Unfortunately, this paradigm has supported the idea that simple and complex traits are qualitatively different, when it is more sensible to suggest that there is a quantitative difference.

Phylogeny of "Philoceanus complex" seabird lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences.

The Philoceanus complex is a large assemblage of lice that parasitise procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses, and their relatives). We obtained mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I DNA sequences from 39 species from diverse hosts and localities. Resolution of deeper relationships between genera was limited, however there is evidence for two major clades, one hosted by albatrosses, the other by petrels.

Dramatically elevated rate of mitochondrial substitution in lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera).

Few estimates of relative substitution rates, and the underlying mutation rates, exist between mitochondrial and nuclear genes in insects. Previous estimates for insects indicate a 2-9 times faster substitution rate in mitochondrial genes relative to nuclear genes. Here we use novel methods for estimating relative rates of substitution, which incorporate multiple substitutions, and apply these methods to a group of insects (lice, Order: Phthiraptera).

Blurring the distinctions between insect pests of animals and plants.

The Royal Entomological Society International Symposium on Insects and Disease was held at the University of Aberdeen on 10-12 September 2001. The symposium was run alongside the society's Annual Meeting (the first time this meeting has been held outside England) in association with the International Union of Forest Research Organisations and the Entomological Society of The Netherlands. The symposium was divided into three sessions: The Insect-Host-Disease Interface; Ecology, Epidemiology and Modelling, and Insect Control in the New Millennium.

EVOLUTION OF HAPLODIPLOIDY IN DERMANYSSINE MITES (ACARI: MESOSTIGMATA).

Haplodiploidy, a widespread phenomenon in which males are haploid and females are diploid, can be caused by a number of different underlying genetic systems. In the most common of these, arrhenotoky, males arise from unfertilized eggs, whereas females arise from fertilized eggs. In another system, pseudoarrhenotoky, males arise from fertilized eggs, but they eliminate the paternal genome at some point prior to spermatogenesis, with the consequence that they do not pass this genome to their offspring.