Description of systenobythere gen. nov. (Ostracoda, Crustacea) from the late miocene of southeastern Australia with comments on its problematical taxonomic and palaeoecological affinities

A new ostracod genus and species, Systenobythere archboldi, is described from late Miocene open neritic strata of southeastern Australia. Specimens occur in argillaceous glauconitic sands deposited in offshore continental shelf settings that were periodically influenced by coastal upwelling. Systenobythere archboldi possesses an adductor muscle scar pattern typical of the Bythocytheridae, but has a pentodont hinge and sieve-type normal pore canals atypical of this family.

Permian brachiopod faunas of southeastern Mongolia: systematics, biostratigraphy, palaeogeographical and palaeobiogeographical implications

This research systematically studied Permian brachiopod fossils from southeastern Mongolia and correlated them with many places around East Asia. The research found that the fossil faunas are on the mixed affinities between high-latitude cool- to cold-water and low-latitude warm water species. Explanations are provided through southeastern Mongolia’s unique palaeogeographical and palaeoceanographical position in the Permian time.

Fish assemblages associated with oil industry structures on the continental shelf of north-western Australia

This study provides the first assessment of fish associations with oil and gas structures located in deep water (85-175 m) on Australia's north-west continental shelf, using rare oil industry video footage obtained from remotely operated vehicles. A diverse range of taxa were observed associating with the structures, including reef-dependent species and transient pelagic species. Ten commercially fished species were observed, the most abundant of which was Lutjanus argentimaculatus, with an estimated biomass for the two deepest structures (Goodwyn and Echo) of 109 kg.

Cross-continental comparison of national food consumption survey methods—A narrative review

Food consumption surveys are performed in many countries. Comparison of results from those surveys across nations is difficult because of differences in methodological approaches. While consensus about the preferred methodology associated with national food consumption surveys is increasing, no inventory of methodological aspects across continents is available. The aims of the present review are (1) to develop a framework of key methodological elements related to national food consumption surveys, (2) to create an inventory of these properties of surveys performed in the continents North- America, South-America, Asia and Australasia, and (3) to discuss and compare these methodological properties cross-continentally. A literature search was performed using a fixed set of search terms in different databases. The inventory was completed with all accessible information from all retrieved publications and corresponding authors were requested to provide additional information where missing. Surveys from ten individual countries, originating from four continents are listed in the inventory. The results are presented according to six major aspects of food consumption surveys. The most common dietary intake assessment method used in food consumption surveys worldwide is the 24-HDR (24 h dietary recall), occasionally administered repeatedly, mostly using interview software. Only three countries have incorporated their national food consumption surveys into continuous national health and nutrition examination surveys.

Neohornibrookella sorrentae (Chapman and Crespin, 1928) and allied ostracod taxa from the Neogene of southeastern Australia: systematic and palaeoceanographical relationships, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography

Three closely allied shallow marine taxa, Neohornibrookella sorrentae (Chapman and Crespin), Neohornibrookella glyphica (Neil), and Neohornibrookella nepeani sp. nov. are recorded from latest early Miocene to late Pliocene strata in southeastern Australia. These taxa, together with Neohornibrookella quadranodosa (Holden) from the Miocene of Midway Island (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), form a morphologically distinct group of relatively large species (the sorrentae-group) within the genus Neohornibrookella Jellinek. Latitudinal expansion of the subtropical and warm-temperate climatic belts together with the influence of warm western boundary surface currents associated with the North and South Pacific gyres, are likely to have played key roles in the Miocene dispersal of this species group. Species of the sorrentae-group first migrated south from equatorial west Pacific regions into southeastern Australia during the early Miocene, under the influence of the East Australian Current. During three time intervals (i) latest early Miocene, (ii) latest late Miocene and (iii) earliest late Pliocene, forceful pulses of the East Australian Current played a significant role in propelling the widespread distribution of thermophilic Neohornibrookella species across southeast Australian shallow marine realms. During intervening middle and late Miocene times, Neohornibrookella species are only sporadically present across the Bass Strait region of southeast Australia, indicating a weaker East Australian Current influence and the cooling influence of coastal upwelling. During the mid early Pliocene Neohornibrookella species disappeared from the western Bass Strait region, suggesting the complete exclusion of East Australian Current waters from this region. This was probably due to the counteracting influence of the eastward flowing Zeehan Current (extension of the Leeuwin Current) impinging on the western Bass Strait region. This mid early Pliocene palaeobiogeographical partition in Bass Strait, defined by the distribution of sorrentae-group species, is here termed the Bassian Gateway. The two species, N. sorrentae and N. glyphica, occur concurrently during the mid Miocene in southeast Australia, but are associated with different lithofacies. It is hypothesised that there is a heterochronic evolutionary relationship expressed in the ornament of these two species. The thaerocytherid genera Neohornibrookella Jellinek, Tenedocythere Sissingh and Bosasella Bonaduce are here included in the new ostracod subfamily Tenedocytherinae.

A cross-continental examination and comparison of descriptive criteria in marketing journals-AMJ, EJM and JM

The objective is to perform a cross-continental examination and comparison of non-traditional descriptive criteria in a selection of leading academic journals in marketing. The sample of journals is restricted to the examination and comparison of three academic journals in marketing. The journal sample consists of the Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), the European Journal of Marketing (EJM) and the Journal of Marketing (JM). Empirical research manuscripts dominate in the selected marketing journals. In addition, in the selected journals regular issues dominate in favour of special issues. The descriptive criteria examined and compared in AMJ, EJM and JM are based upon the content analysis of 811 manuscripts published during a six-year period, namely 2000-2005. Manuscripts of types other than empirical research, such as general reviews, literature reviews, conceptual papers, commentaries and book reviews are less likely to get published. Special issues or special sections are less frequent in these journals. This may lead to the situation that specialized journals in sub-areas of marketing may provide better and more comprehensive leading edge coverage and knowledge. The insights provided are in particular valuable for those scholars that do not usually get involved in academic publishing and consequently have a limited understanding and experience of the publication arena of manuscripts in leading academic journals. These insights also will be informative for more experienced academic publishers as they highlight certain characteristics of these journals that enlighten one as to the journals that one should target for publication and the difficulty, just on a numbers basis alone, of getting published in one of these three journals. The principal contribution of this research is the examination and comparison of descriptive criteria in AMJ, EJM and JM – a cross-continental sample of journals and criteria that have not been explored or reported previously in literature.

Ocean currents influence the genetic structure of an intertidal mollusc in southeastern Australia – implications for predicting the movement of passive dispersers across a marine biogeographic barrier

Major disjunctions among marine communities in southeastern Australia have been well documented, although explanations for biogeographic structuring remain uncertain. Converging ocean currents, environmental gradients, and habitat discontinuities have been hypothesized as likely drivers of structuring in many species, although the extent to which species are affected appears largely dependent on specific life histories and ecologies. Understanding these relationships is critical to the management of native and invasive species, and the preservation of evolutionary processes that shape biodiversity in this region. In this study we test the direct influence of ocean currents on the genetic structure of a passive disperser across a major biogeographic barrier. Donax deltoides (Veneroida: Donacidae) is an intertidal, soft-sediment mollusc and an ideal surrogate for testing this relationship, given its lack of habitat constraints in this region, and its immense dispersal potential driven by year-long spawning and long-lived planktonic larvae. We assessed allele frequencies at 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci across 11 sample locations spanning the barrier region and identified genetic structure consistent with the major ocean currents of southeastern Australia. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data indicated no evidence of genetic structuring, but signatures of a species range expansion corresponding with historical inundations of the Bassian Isthmus. Our results indicate that ocean currents are likely to be the most influential factor affecting the genetic structure of D. deltoides and a likely physical barrier for passive dispersing marine fauna generally in southeastern Australia.