The stripe-backed weasel Mustela strigidorsa: taxonomy, ecology, distribution and status

1. The stripe-backed weasel Mustela strigidorsa is one of the rarest and least-known mustelids in the world. Its phylogenetic relationships with other Mustela species remain controversial, though several unique morphological features distinguish it from congeners. 2. It probably lives mainly in evergreen forests in hills and mountains, but has also been recorded from plains forest, dense scrub, secondary forest, grassland and farmland. Known sites range in altitude from 90 m to 2500 m. Data are insufficient to distinguish between habitat and altitudes which support populations, and those where only dispersing animals may occur. 3. It has been confirmed from many localities in north-east India, north and central Myanmar, south China, north Thailand, north and central Laos, and north and central Vietnam. Given the limited survey effort, the number of recent records shows that the species is not as rare as hitherto believed. Neither specific nor urgent conservation needs are apparent.

鸟类宏观分类和区系地理学研究概述

据Dickinson，E．C．，主编，2003年出版的“m Howard and Moore Gomplete Q蛐ofthe Birds of the World'’一书和2000。2008年的有关文献的记载，在1958～2008年的50年期间，全世界所描述发表鸟类的新种，计 有171种。以每10年中所发表的新种数进行统计比较，以1997～2007年期间所发表的新种为最多；按发现新种所属 目级分类阶元的统计比较，以雀形目发现的新种为最多；按地区进行统计比较，以南美洲发现的新种数为最多，非洲中南部地区和太平洋诸岛为次；在中国境内描记的新种有台湾短翅莺西哟脚嬲旋渤删、峨嵋柳莺场皿瞰灿mzden面、海南柳莺崩砌蚴‰肠砌船、峨嵋鹪莺岛匆船硎豳面、淡尾鹅莺崩锄船．．toror、弄岗穗鹛＆叻帕御赠删、 四川旋木雀眺砌婶删等7种，其中由中国鸟类学者描记的有四川旋木雀和弄岗穗鹛两种。这说明鸟类的宏 观分类研究，时至今日仍有研究的必要和发展空间。种下分类，是探讨同一个物种，随着分布区域的扩大，自然地 理环境条件的变化，而产生地区性分布种群的变异，以致新物种形成的途径，是宏观分类学研究一个物种的演化发 展。所以是当今鸟类分类研究的热点之一。据统计，1958—2008年的50年间，新描述发表的亚种数，约为1 129亚 种。繁殖区域分布较为广泛的种类，所描记的亚种较多。如岛鸫Turd．sp，hbcephaha分化有5l亚种之多。中国鸟类的 分类与区系地理学研究，大致可分为起步时期(1949年以前)、新中国建立之后的考察及宏观分类研究的总结整理 时期(1950—2005)和宏观与微观相结合的发展研究时期(1999年以后)等3个时期。郑作新所出版的《中国鸟类 分布名录》和《中国鸟类区系纲要》等专著，是中国鸟类宏观分类和区系地理学研究较为翔实的阶段性总结，为进 一步研究奠定了坚实的基础。

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 May 2009-31 July 2009

This article documents the addition of 512 microsatellite marker loci and nine pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia, Bashania fangiana, Bashania fargesii, Chaetodon vagabundus, Colletes floralis, Coluber constrictor flaviventris, Coptotermes gestroi, Crotophaga major, Cyprinella lutrensis, Danaus plexippus, Fagus grandifolia, Falco tinnunculus, Fletcherimyia fletcheri, Hydrilla verticillata, Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus, Leavenworthia alabamica, Marmosops incanus, Miichthys miiuy, Nasua nasua, Noturus exilis, Odontesthes bonariensis, Quadrula fragosa, Pinctada maxima, Pseudaletia separata, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Podocarpus elatus, Portunus trituberculatus, Rhagoletis cerasi, Rhinella schneideri, Sarracenia alata, Skeletonema marinoi, Sminthurus viridis, Syngnathus abaster, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis, Verticillium dahliae, Wasmannia auropunctata, and Zygochlamys patagonica. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Chaetodon baronessa, Falco columbarius, Falco eleonorae, Falco naumanni, Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo, Didelphis aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosops paulensis, Monodelphis Americana, Odontesthes hatcheri, Podocarpus grayi, Podocarpus lawrencei, Podocarpus smithii, Portunus pelagicus, Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle,Uroteuthis (Photololigo) edulis, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvauceli and Verticillium albo-atrum. This article also documents the addition of nine sequencing primer pairs and sixteen allele specific primers or probes for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; these primers and assays were cross-tested in both species.