Molecular evidence for the sister relationship of the eastern Asia-North American intercontinental species pair in the Podophyllum group (Berberidaceae)

The presumed pair relationships of intercontinental vicariad species in the Podophyllum group (Sinopodophyllum hexandrum vs. Podophyllum pelatum and Diphylleia grayi vs. D. cymosa) were recently, considered to be paraphyletic. In the present paper, the trnL-F and ITS gene sequences of the representatives were used to examine the sister relationships of these two vicariad species. A heuristic parsimony analysis based on the trnLF data identified Diphylleia as the basal clade of the other three genera, but provided poor resolution of their inter-relationships. High sequence divergence was found in the ITS data. ITS1 region, more variable but parsimonyuninformative. has no phylogenetic value, Sequence divergence of the ITS2 region provided abundant, phylogenetically informative variable characters. Analysis of ITS2 sequences confirmeda sister relationship between the presumable vicariad species, in spite of a low bootstrap support for Sinopodophyllum hexandrum vs. Podophyllum pelatum. The combined ITS2 and trnL-F data enforced a sister relationship between Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Podophyllum pelatum with an elevated bootstrap support of 100%. Based on molecular phylogeny, the morphological evolution of this group was discussed. The self-pollination might have evolved from cross-fertilization two times in this group. The different pollination and seed dispersal systems of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Podophlyllum pelatum resulted from their adaptations to different ecological habitats. The divergence time of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum-Podophyllum pelatum is estimated to be 6.52+/-1.89 myr based on the ITS divergence. The divergence of this species pair predated or co-occurred with the recent uplift of the Himalayas 4-3 myr during the late Miocene and the formation of the alpine habitats. Sinopodophyllum hexandrum developed a host of specialized characters in its subsequent adaptation to the arid alpine surroundings. The present study confirmed the different patterns of species relationship between Asian-North American disjuncts. The isolation of plant elements between North America and eastern Asia must have been a gradual process, resulting in the different phylogenetic patterns and divergence times of the disjuncts.

13万年以来黄土高原东缘与捷克的风成沉积序列

The loess-paleosols in the Chinese loess plateau and Europe are the main eolian sediment sequences in mid-latitude area of north hemisphere. They record not only the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental processes since the last interglacial, but also the configuration of magnetic field during polarity transition. Comparisons of environmental magnetism, paleomagnetism and climate proxy analysis has been made for the loess/paleosol sequences in Datong and Czech Republic. The Datong loess/paleosol sequence is composed of the Holocene soil SO, the last glacial loess LI, the last interglacial soil SI and the upper penultimate loess L2. A basalt layer occurs in L2. The main magnetic minerals in LI and SI are magnetite, maghemite and ilmenite. The presence of local volcanic elastics in the loess and the characteristics of the magnetic minerals indicate that there are local materials in Datong loess, which differentiate the Datong loess from the central and eastern loess of the Chinese Loess Plateau. In addition, there are four polarity events in Datong loess, which are generally consistent with Gothenburg> Mono Lake, Laschamp and Blake events. Some signals of the East Asia monsoon were recorded in the Datong loess/paleosol sequences. Magnetic susceptibility, the content of >63um grains and the organic matter are used as climate proxies, which are similar to those of the typical eolian sediments in the loess plateau. In addition, it is possible that the Datong loess also recorded the Younger Dryas and the climatic fluctuations during the Holocene. The main magnetic minerals in the loess/paleosol at Znojmo section are magnetite, maghemite, hematite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and goethite. The morphology of these grains reveals that the iron sulfides originated from the eluvium loam above hypothetical ore deposits in the vicinity of the section or glaciofluvial sediments from nearby glacial margins. The pattern of the susceptibility variation at Dolni Vestonice section is coincident with that of the organic matter content. The grain size variation along the section recorded the climate instability since the last interglacial. The climate events in the Dolni Vestonice section may be correlated with the Heinrich events recorded in North Atlantic sediments, suggesting they controlled by the same marine-continent climate system.

International Security in the Western Hemisphere: Legal and Institutional Developments

Odello, Marco, 'International Security in the Western Hemisphere: Legal and Institutional Developments', Anuario de Derecho Internacional, (2005) 21, pp.379-411 RAE2008

'Possession is nine tenths of the law': Britain and the boundaries of Eastern Europe since 1945

Hughes, R. G., ''Possession is nine tenths of the law': Britain and the boundaries of Eastern Europe since 1945', Diplomacy and Statecraft, (2005) 16(4) pp.723-747 RAE2008

Models of Backwardness versus Transformation in Eastern Europe. Review Article

This paper is critical analysis of book by Anna Sosnowska, "Zrozumieć zacofanie. Spory historyków o Europę Wschodnią (1947-1994)" [To Understand Backwardness: Historians' Deabates about Eastern Europe (1947-1994)]. Warszawa 2004.