Is the Gibraltar strait a barrier to gene flow for the bat Myotis myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)?

Because of their role in limiting gene flow, geographical barriers like mountains or seas often coincide with intraspecific genetic discontinuities. Although the Strait of Gibraltar represents such a potential barrier for both plants and animals, few studies have been conducted on its impact on gene flow. Here we test this effect on a bat species (Myotis myotis) which is apparently distributed on both sides of the strait. Six colonies of 20 Myotis myotis each were sampled in southern Spain and northern Morocco along a linear transect of 1350 km. Results based on six nuclear microsatellite loci reveal no significant population structure within regions, but a complete isolation between bats sampled on each side of the strait. Variability at 600 bp of a mitochondrial gene (cytochrome b) confirms the existence of two genetically distinct and perfectly segregating clades, which diverged several million years ago. Despite the narrowness of the Gibraltar Strait (14 km), these molecular data suggest that neither males, nor females from either region have ever reproduced on the opposite side of the strait. Comparisons of molecular divergence with bats from a closely related species (M. blythii) suggest that the North African clade is possibly a distinct taxon warranting full species rank. We provisionally refer to it as Myotis cf punicus Felten 1977, but a definitive systematic understanding of the whole Mouse-eared bat species complex awaits further genetic sampling, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean areas.

Time of ruin in a risk model with generalized Erlang (n) interclaim times and a constant dividend barrier

In this paper we analyze the time of ruin in a risk process with the interclaim times being Erlang(n) distributed and a constant dividend barrier. We obtain an integro-differential equation for the Laplace Transform of the time of ruin. Explicit solutions for the moments of the time of ruin are presented when the individual claim amounts have a distribution with rational Laplace transform. Finally, some numerical results and a compare son with the classical risk model, with interclaim times following an exponential distribution, are given.

[5 phot. d'Egypte en 1862 par W. Hammerschmidt: Le Caire, Louqsor, Thèbes, Edfou]

Comprend : Le Caire en 1862, ou environs. ; Haute-Egypte, Thèbes, le temple de Louqsor vers 1862 (Maspero en a commencé le déblaiement le 16 mars 1883) ; Haute-Egypte : temple d'Edfou (Apollinopolis magna)avant son déblaiement par Marinette Bey. ; Haute-Egypte : vallée de Bâl el Molouk ; entrée du ravin où sont creusés les hypogées. (vallée des tombeaux des rois, à Thèbes). ; Haute-Egypte, Thèbes(1862 ?): premier pylône de Karnak vu du nord (le pylône ptolémaïque et le temple de Khons à Karnak).

Comment on: Deuterium nuclear fusion at room temperature: A pertinent inequality on barrier penetration

In a recent letter, Rosen claims to justify ...