A review of the Chinese species of Crossocheilus, with description of a new species (Ostariophysi : Cyprinidae)

Fishes of the genus Crossocheilus in China is reviewed on the basis of specimens in Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Crossocheilus multirastellus is described from the upper Irrawaddy and upper Salween rivers. It is distinguished from all of its congeners by having two black longitudinal stripes on sides of body, 36-38 lateral line scales, 18-25 gill rakers, anus at midpoint between ventral fin and anal fin insertions, ventral fin extending over anus, a large deep blue rhomboid spot above the pectoral fin, and a straight mouth gape almost equal to head width. There are presently two species of Crossocheilus fishes in China. Crossocheilus bamaensis Fang and Crossocheilus liuchengensis Liang, Liu & Wu are recognized here as members of the genus Sinocrossocheilus.

Studies on Chinese species of Gelidiella and Pterocladiella (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta)

A detailed study of materials from our herbarium shows the presence of two species of Gelidiella and three species of Pterocladiella, including two new records and a new species. Previously recorded species include G. acerosa and P. capillacea. G. bornetii and P. caerulescens are new records for China and P. yinggehaiensis is believed to be a new species. This new species is characterized by its small thalli, 1.5-2 cm high, that are more densely branched on the middle to upper parts for one half their lengths. These characteristics are so distinctive that they can be used to separate this species readily from other species now reported in this genus.

A phylogeny of Chinese species in the genus Phrynocephalus (Agamidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences

We investigated the phylogenetic relationships among most Chinese species of lizards in the genus Phrynocephalus (118 individuals, collected from 56 populations of 14 well-defined species and several unidentified specimens) using four mitochondrial gene fragments (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome b, and ND4-tRNA(LEU)). The partition-homogeneity tests indicated that the combined dataset was homogeneous, and maximum-parsimony (MP), neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian (BI) analyses were performed on this combined dataset (49 haplotypes including outgroups for 2058 bp in total). The maximum-parsimony analysis resulted in 24 equally parsimonious trees, and their strict consensus tree shows that there are two major clades representing the Chinese Phrynocephalus species: the viviparous group (Clade A) and the oviparous group (Clade B). The trees derived from Bayesian, ML. and NJ analyses were topologically identical to the MP analysis except for the position of P. mystaceus. All analyses left the nodes for the oviparous group, the most basal clade within the oviparous group, and P. mystaceus unresolved. The phylogenies further suggest that the monophyly of the viviparous species may have resulted from vicariance, while recent dispersal may have been important in generating the pattern of variation among the oviparous species. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

SCALING OF LIMB PROPORTIONS AND LIMB BONE DIAMETERS IN 3 SPECIES OF CHINESE SNUB-NOSED LANGURS (GENUS RHINOPITHECUS)

In this study, aspects of the structural mechanics of the upper and lower limbs of the three Chinese species of Rhinopithecus were examined. Linear regression and reduced major axis (RMA) analyses of natural log-transformed data were used to examine the dimensions of limb bones and other relationships to body size and locomotion. The results of this study suggest that: (1) the allometry exponents of the lengths of long limbs deviate from isometry, being moderately negative, while the shaft diameters (both sagittal and transverse) show significantly positive allometry; (2) the sagittal diameters of the tibia and ulna show extremely significantly positive allometry - the relative enlargement of the sagittal, as opposed to transverse, diameters of these bones suggests that the distal segments of the fore- and hindlimbs of Rhinopithecus experience high bending stresses during locomotion; (3) observations of Rhinopithecus species in the field indicate that all species engage in energetic leaping during arboreal locomotion. The limbs experience rapid and dramatic decelerations upon completion of a leap. We suggest that these occasional decelerations produce high bending stresses in the distal limb segments and so account for the hypertrophy of the sagittal diameters of the ulna and tibia.

Revised diagnosis of the genus Bangana Hamilton, 1822 (Pisces : Cyprinidae), with taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Chinese species

Most morphological characters diagnostic of the 13 Chinese species of the cyprinid genus Sinilabeo Rendahl, 1932, are identical to those of the genus Bangana Hamilton, 1822. Consequently, these 13 species are transferred to Bangana. A revised diagnosis is provided for the now-expanded genus Bangana, and a dichotomous key and taxonomic and nomenclatural notes are included for the following valid Chinese species: B. decora, B. dero, B. devdevi, B. discognathoides, B. lemassoni, B. lippa, B. rendahli, B. tonkinensis, B. tungting, B. wui, B. xanthogenys, B. yunnanensis, and B. zhui. Literature reports, by Chinese authors, of Sinilabeo dero from the upper Irrawady River basin, in Yunnan, are based on misidentifcations of B. devdevi. Sinilabeo cirrhinoides Wu and Lin in Wu, Lin, Chen, Chen and He, 1977, and S. laticeps Wu and Lin in Wu, Lin, Chen, Chen and He, 1977, are junior subjective synonyms of B. devdevi and B. lippa, respectively. Sinilabeo yunnanensis Wu, Lin, Chen, Chen and He, 1977, is an available name, and a lectotype is designated for the species. Bangana zhui ( Zheng and Chen, 1983) is a valid species distinct from B. yunnanensis.

Phylogenetic relationships among Rhacophorinae (Rhacophoridae, Anura, Amphibia), with an emphasis on the Chinese species

The partial nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes was determined for 23 Chinese species of Rhaeophoridae (Amphibia: Anura), representing four of the eight recognized genera. Using Buergeriinae as the outgroup, phylogenetic analyses (

中国原产秋海棠属植物的形态和解剖结构

作者回顾了秋海棠属植物的发现、命名和引种栽培历史，概述了对该属的分类、形态、解剖、染色体研究取得的进展．结合查阅文献、标本和野外考察、栽培、实验观察，论述了秋海棠科的形态特征、秋海棠属中国种的分组、分布和生态习性、生物学特性、栽培繁殖技术和组织培养技术．强调了保护秋海棠属濒危物种的紧迫性，本论文描述了作者亲自采集或引种栽培的33种2亚种、57号中国原产秋海棠属植物的形态和解剖学特征，分析了结构与功能的关系和不同特征对分类与鉴定的价值，提出了中国产秋海棠属6个组和秋海棠科3个属的演化趋势及相应的形态与解剖学证据，就秋海棠科在分类系统中的位置进行了讨论．本文的主要观察结果和论点如下： 1．首次报道本属成熟根的结构：四原型或五原型，木质部由厚壁细胞和放射状排列的导管组成． 2．茎中维管束环状排列，维管束之间有较宽的束间区．直立茎和花序梗的束间形成层向内产生硬化和木化的薄壁组织，将维管束连成封闭的环，但在直立茎和花序梗的节附近以及根状茎中维管束和束间区硬化程度弱，不形成硬化的封闭环．硬化封闭环是和茎的机械支持功能相联系的，节附近硬化程度弱则为离层的形成做准备，有的种除了轴维管束之外还有髓维管束． 3．茎、叶柄和中脉维管束的数目和分布在不同部位可有或大或小的变化，但对种的鉴定仍有一定价值，重要的是要注意选取具有可比性的相同部位．木质部和韧皮部的比例有时也表现出明显的种间差异． 4．叶片气孔只见于下表面，首次发现内环为4个副卫细胞的螺旋型气孔（已有报道的有不等细胞型和内环为3个副卫细胞的螺旋型）．在茎、叶柄和托叶背面气孔生于看上去类似皮孔而实际上由初生组织构成的特殊通气结构上．在本属植物叶片上表面的突出体和子房翅有排水器存在． 5．对各器官特别是叶片表面的毛状体、突出体进行了肉眼、放大镜和显微镜观察，描述了它们的形态和组织学特征，比较了一些种间毛状体组型的区别及鉴定价值． 6．植物体内含有草酸和草酸钙晶体，晶体以棱晶、沙晶和晶簇的形式存在于秋海棠属植物的大部分器官和组织中，在几个细胞相邻处聚集的球形晶簇只见于Sect.Coelocentrum和Sect.Diploclinium，可能表明二者有较密切的关系． 7．根据对子房的解剖研究并结合营养器官特征，认为原来划归Sect.Reichenheimia的B．wangii实际属于Sect. Diploclinium，确认原来没有子房形态描述的B. peltatifolia属于Sect.Diploclinium，B.villifolia属于Sect. Platycentrum。 8．首次较详细描述了花柱和子房中引导组织的分布和形状变化情况。 9．通过对子房结构和其中维管束数目与分布的观察，认为Sect. Platycentrum的2室子房由3个心皮组成，它可能是由3室子房进化而来的． 10.推测中国原产的本属各组的演化趋势如下： (Sect. Mezierea ) →Scct. Sphenanthera → Sect. Begonia → Sect. Reichenheimia ↘Sect. Coelocentrum →Sect. Diploclinium↘ Sect. Platycentrum 11.推测秋海棠科内的演化趋势可能是：Hillebrandia→Begonia→Symbegonia． 12.秋海棠科叶片具单生气孔的种多数只有单表皮，叶片具气孔组的种多数有复表皮．单生气孔和单表皮是较原始的性状，气孔组和复表皮是衍生性状．在10．所列的各组和11.所列的Hillebrandia中，这些性状的发生是和主要依据子房特征而提出的演化趋势基本一致的． 13.中国种的花粉和种子形态变化幅度较小，组间差异不明显．花粉和种子形态表明中国种总的进化程度在秋海棠属中偏低，但没有非洲种所显示的极端情形． 14.证实文献报道的种子萌发时种盖掀起、颈细胞沿胞间层裂开，这是减少种皮对萌发种胚阻力的高度适应机制． 15.作者赞同秋海棠科比四数木科进化程度高、两个科关系最为接近的看法，认为Melchior (1964)修订的Engler系统和Takhtajan(1987)的分类系统对秋海棠科位置的安排可能更接近于反映秋海棠科和其他科之间的系统关系．

Induced spawning of two major species of Chinese carps, Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Aristychthys nobilis in Sri Lanka

Induced spawning of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and bighead carp (Aristychthys nobilis) was carried out successfully in Sri Lanka for the first time in 1977 and 1978, respectively. This article describes the techniques involved in induced spawning in Sri Lanka at the Freshwater Fish Breeding and Experimental Station in Udawalawa.

Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of wood mice (genus Apodemus Kaup, 1829) based on complete mtDNA cytochrome b sequences, with emphasis on Chinese species

Phylogenetic relationships among 15 species of wood mice (genus Apodemus) were reconstructed to explore some long-standing taxonomic problems. The results provided support for the monophyly of the genus Apodemus, but could not reject the hypothesis of paraphyly for this genus. Our data divided the 15 species into four major groups: (1) the Sylvaemus group (A. sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, A. alpicola, and A. uralensis), (2) the Apodemus group (A. peninsulae, A. chevreri, A. agrarius, A. speciosus, A. draco, A. ilex, A. semotus, A. latronum, and A. mystacinus), (3) A. argenteus, and (4) A. gurkha. Our results also suggested that orestes should be a valid subspecies of A. draco rather than an independent species; in contrast, A. ilex from Yunnan may be regarded as a separate species rather than a synonym of orestes or draco. The species level status of A. latronum, tscherga as synonyms of A. uralensis, and A. chevrieri as a valid species and the closest sibling species of A. agrarius were further corroborated by our data. Applying a molecular clock with the divergences of Mus and Rattus set at 12 million years ago (Mya) as a calibration point, it was estimated that five old lineages (A. mystacinus and four major groups above) diverged in the late Miocene (7.82-12.74 Mya). Then the Apodemus group (excluding A. mystacinus) split into two subgroups: agrarius and draco, at about 7.17-9.95 Mya. Four species of the Sylvaemus group were estimated to diverge at about 2.92-5.21 Mya. The Hengduan Mountains Region was hypothesized to have played important roles in Apodemus evolutionary histories since the Pleistocene. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE ELBOW JOINTS IN 5 SPECIES OF CHINESE MACAQUES

In this paper, we report the findings of a comparative study of the elbow joints of five species of macaque that inhabit China: Macaca assamensis, M. arctoides, M. mulatta, M. thibetana and M. nemestrina. Results of multivariate analyses of size-related variables and indices of the elbow joint suggested that the breadths of the ventral aspect of the trochlea and of the medial epicondyle of the humerus as well as indices describing the head of the radius are important factors for discriminating these species. The elbow joint of M. arctoides was most similar to that of M. thibetana, no doubt reflecting recency of common ancestry and similarity in terrestrial locomotion. The structures of the elbow joints in M. nemestrina and assamensis seemed more adapted to arboreal quadrupedalism. The elbow joint of M. mulatta, however, appears intermediate between the most terrestrial and the most arboreal forms.