Phylogenomics and Morphology of Extinct Paleognaths Reveal the Origin and Evolution of the Ratites.

The Palaeognathae comprise the flightless ratites and the volant tinamous, and together with the Neognathae constitute the extant members of class Aves. It is commonly believed that Palaeognathae originated in Gondwana since most of the living species are found in the Southern Hemisphere [1-3]. However, this hypothesis has been questioned because the fossil paleognaths are mostly from the Northern Hemisphere in their earliest time (Paleocene) and possessed many putative ancestral characters [4].

Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of groundwater in South Gobi, Mongolia.

Thirty-nine groundwater samples were collected from wells near the Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi mines in Mongolia and at a relatively pristine site in northern Mongolia during August to September 2013, and analyzed for the concentrations of F, NO, Hg, As, Al, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Pb. A probabilistic risk assessment found that >95% of the population in the areas was at risk from drinking well water. The hazard index (HI) was >1, indicating a non-carcinogenic risk to human health.

A dataset of fishes in and around Inle Lake, an ancient lake of Myanmar, with DNA barcoding, photo images and CT/3D models.

Background: Inle (Inlay) Lake, an ancient lake of Southeast Asia, is located at the eastern part of Myanmar, surrounded by the Shan Mountains. Detailed information on fish fauna in and around the lake has long been unknown, although its outstanding endemism was reported a century ago.

New Information: Based on the fish specimens collected from markets, rivers, swamps, ponds and ditches around Inle Lake as well as from the lake itself from 2014 to 2016, we recorded a total of 948 occurrence data (2120 individuals), belonging to 10 orders, 19 families, 39 genera and 49 species.

Evidence for social parasitism of early insect societies by Cretaceous rove beetles.

The evolution of eusociality in ants and termites propelled both insect groups to their modern ecological dominance. Yet, eusociality also fostered the evolution of social parasitism-an adverse symbiosis, in which the superorganismal colonies formed by these insects are infiltrated by a profusion of invertebrate species that target nest resources. Predominant among these are the aleocharine rove beetles (Staphylinidae), a vast and ecologically diverse subfamily with numerous morphologically and behaviourally specialized socially parasitic lineages.

A New Species of Hyperbenthic Cyclopoid Copepod from Japan: First Record of the Genus Cyclopicina in the Indo-Pacific Region.

A new species of the cyclopinid genus Cyclopicina, C. toyoshioae sp. nov.

Introgression and Habitat Segregation in a Pair of Ladybird Beetle Species in the Genus Propylea (Coccinellidae, Coccinellinae) in Northern Japan.

The ladybird beetles Propylea quatuordecimpunctata and P. japonica have largely overlapping distributions in northern Japan, and in the laboratory produce fertile hybrids. In this study, we surveyed the distribution and morphological differentiation of these species and the hybrids in natural populations, with a focus on western Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Community Sampling and Integrative Taxonomy Reveal New Species and Host Specificity in the Army Ant-Associated Beetle Genus Tetradonia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae).

Army ant colonies host a diverse community of arthropod symbionts. Among the best-studied symbiont communities are those of Neotropical army ants of the genus Eciton. It is clear, however, that even in these comparatively well studied systems, a large proportion of symbiont biodiversity remains unknown.

The allele frequency of ALDH2*Glu504Lys and ADH1B*Arg47His for the Ryukyu islanders and their history of expansion among East Asians.

Objectives: A cline of frequencies of the derived allele of the ALDH2 gene, which causes a deficiency of an enzyme and "facial flushing" in humans who drink alcohol, has been known among the people of the Japanese archipelago. This cline is conventionally explained by admixture with immigrants from the Asian continent occurring during the Yayoi period. Previous studies lack sufficient data from the peripheral regions of the indigenous Jomon people, and those data the ADH1B gene that is involved in the Class I ADH gene cluster and contains another variant leading to a functional change.

A unique new genus and species of the phyline plant bug tribe Hallodapini from the Philippines and Thailand (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Hallodapini).

A unique phyline plant bug representing a new genus and a new species, Peniculimiris meniscus, is documented on the basis of a pair of specimens collected from Nakhon Ratchasima, central Thailand and Palawan, the Philippines. The new genus Peniculimiris, herein placed in the tribe Hallodapini, is characteristic in having a bundle of brush-like, stiff setae on the scutellum and presence of a ventral spine on the genital segment of each sex. The phylogenetic position of Peniculimiris in the Hallodapini and the function of the spines are discussed.

First report of Cheiloneurus exitiosus (Perkins, 1906) and Helegonatopus dimorphus (Hoffer, 1954) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Japan, with remarks on their abundance in rice paddies.

Background: Encyrtid secondary parasitoids of Delphacidae have not been recorded in Japan. However, they may play an important role in the rice ecosystem because they can reduce the number of Dryinidae, the natural enemies of rice planthoppers.

New Information: We found two encyrtid species, Cheiloneurus exitiosus (Perkins, 1906) and Helegonatopus dimorphus (Hoffer, 1954), from rice paddies and the surrounding environment.

Linking leaf veins to growth and mortality rates: an example from a subtropical tree community.

A fundamental goal in ecology is to link variation in species function to performance, but functional trait-performance investigations have had mixed success. This indicates that less commonly measured functional traits may more clearly elucidate trait-performance relationships. Despite the potential importance of leaf vein traits, which are expected to be related to resource delivery rates and photosynthetic capacity, there are few studies, which examine associations between these traits and demographic performance in communities.

A review of the Japanese species of the family Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera).

This paper provides taxonomic and biological data on one new and one newly recorded species of Coptotriche Walsingham and one new and one newly recorded species of Tischeria Zeller from Japan. Coptotriche symplocosella Kobayashi & Hirowatari, sp. n.

Impacts of Dams and Global Warming on Fish Biodiversity in the Indo-Burma Hotspot.

Both hydropower dams and global warming pose threats to freshwater fish diversity. While the extent of global warming may be reduced by a shift towards energy generation by large dams in order to reduce fossil-fuel use, such dams profoundly modify riverine habitats. Furthermore, the threats posed by dams and global warming will interact: for example, dams constrain range adjustments by fishes that might compensate for warming temperatures.

Discovery of a new species of the brachyelytrous net-winged beetle genus Alyculus (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from Peninsular Malaysia.

The net-winged beetle genus Alyculus Kasantsev is reported from Peninsular Malaysia for the first time and a new species, A. malaypeninsularis sp. nov.

Nest-Gallery Development and Caste Composition of Isolated Foraging Groups of the Drywood Termite, Incisitermes minor (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae).

An X-ray computed-tomographic examination of nest-gallery development from timbers naturally infested by foraging groups of Incisitermes minor colonies was conducted. This study documents the colonization process of I. minor to new timbers and how the isolated groups maintain their nest-gallery system.

Annotated catalogue of the Phylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae) from the Korean Peninsula.

The subfamily Phylinae (Miridae) of the Korean Peninsula are catalogued. A total of 88 species are recorded from the Korean Peninsula. This catalogue is based on all available published and unpublished data, mostly representated by recent findings by Duwal in Korean region from 2010‒2015.

Three new species of the ant-mimetic plant bug genus Pilophorus from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Pilophorini).

Three new species of the ant-mimetic plant bug genus Pilophorus Hahn, P. maeharai, P. nakatanii and P.

Revision of the subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst of the parasitoid rove beetle genus Aleochara Gravenhorst of Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae).

The Japanese members of the subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 are revised. Six species are recognized: Aleochara (Aleochara) coreana Bernhauer, 1926; A. (A.

Stenichnus lackneri sp. n. of Japan (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae).

Stenichnus Thomson, 1859 is a species-rich and common genus in the western Palaearctic, but only a few species are known from the Far East. Six species have been so far recorded from Japan (Sharp 1886; Jałoszyński 2004, 2006; Jałoszyński, Arai 2009). Interestingly, the Japanese species occur in the temperate or cool climate of Hokkaido in the north-east (Stenichnus minipollens Jałoszyński, 2004) and in subtropical forests of the south-western Yaeyama Archipelago (St.

Next-Generation Sequencing of an 88-Year-Old Specimen of the Poorly Known Species Liagora japonica (Nemaliales, Rhodophyta) Supports the Recognition of Otohimella gen. nov.

Liagora japonica is a red algal species distributed in temperate regions of Japan. This species has not been collected from its type locality on the Pacific coast of Japan since 1927 and seems to have become extinct in this area. For molecular characterization of L.

Effect of the Hand-Omitted Tool Motion on mu Rhythm Suppression.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of the image of hands on mu rhythm suppression invoked by the observation of a series of tool-based actions in a goal-directed activity. The participants were 11 university students. As a source of visual stimuli to be used in the test, a video animation of the porcelain making process for museums was used.

Diet and predatory behavior of the Asian ant-eating spider, Asceua (formerly Doosia) japonica (Araneae: Zodariidae).

Several spider taxa are specialized to prey on ants. Some species of Zodariidae are known to use specialized tactics to capture ants. In this study, I assessed the diet difference and predatory behavior of the Japanese zodariid Asceua japonica.

Geographic Variation in Skull Morphology of the Large Japanese Field Mice, Apodemus speciosus (Rodentia: Muridae) Revealed by Geometric Morphometric Analysis.

We analyzed geographic variation in skull morphology of the large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus) and determined changes in skull morphology that occurred during the evolutionary history of A. speciosus in relation to the estimated distribution range in the last glacial maximum (LGM). We analyzed 1,416 specimens from 78 localities using geometric morphometric techniques applied to the dorsal side of the cranium and mandible.

Revision of the subgenus Tinotus Sharp, stat. n., of the parasitoid rove-beetle genus Aleochara Gravenhorst (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East.

The subgenus Tinotus Sharp, 1833, stat. n., of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 (Aleocharini: Aleocharina) from Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East is revised.