Documentation of reticulate evolution in peonies (Paeonia) using internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA: implications for biogeography and concerted evolution.

The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA of 33 species of genus Paeonia (Paeoniaceae) were sequenced. In section Paeonia, different patterns of nucleotide additivity were detected in 14 diploid and tetraploid species at sites that are variable in the other 12 species of the section, suggesting that reticulate evolution has occurred. Phylogenetic relationships of species that do not show additivity, and thus ostensibly were not derived through hybridization, were reconstructed by parsimony analysis. The taxa presumably derived through reticulate evolution were then added to the phylogenetic tree according to additivity from putative parents. The study provides an example of successfully using ITS sequences to reconstruct reticulate evolution in plants and further demonstrates that the sequence data could be highly informative and accurate for detecting hybridization. Maintenance of parental sequences in the species of hybrid origin is likely due to slowing of concerted evolution caused by the long generation time of peonies. The partial and uneven homogenization of parental sequences displayed in nine species of putative hybrid origin may have resulted from gradients of gene conversion. The documented hybridizations may have occurred since the Pleistocene glaciations. The species of hybrid origin and their putative parents are now distantly allopatric. Reconstruction of reticulate evolution with sequence data, therefore, provides gene records for distributional histories of some of the parental species.

Recent Reticulate Evolution in the Ecologically Dominant Lineage of Coccolithophores

The coccolithophore family Noëlaerhabdaceae contains a number of taxa that are very abundant in modern oceans, including the cosmopolitan bloom-forming Emiliania huxleyi. Introgressive hybridization has been suggested to account for incongruences between nuclear, mitochondrial and plastidial phylogenies of morphospecies within this lineage, but the number of species cultured to date remains rather limited. Here, we present the characterization of 5 new Noëlaerhabdaceae culture strains isolated from samples collected in the south-east Pacific Ocean. These were analyzed morphologically using scanning electron microscopy and phylogenetically by sequencing 5 marker genes (nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA, plastidial tufA, and mitochondrial cox1 and cox3 genes). Morphologically, one of these strains corresponded to Gephyrocapsa ericsonii and the four others to Reticulofenestra parvula. Ribosomal gene sequences were near identical between these new strains, but divergent from G. oceanica, G. muellerae, and E. huxleyi. In contrast to the clear distinction in ribosomal phylogenies, sequences from other genomic compartments clustered with those of E. huxleyi strains with which they share an ecological range (i.e., warm temperate to tropical waters). These data provide strong support for the hypothesis of past (and potentially ongoing) introgressive hybridization within this ecologically important lineage and for the transfer of R. parvula to Gephyrocapsa. These results have important implications for understanding the role of hybridization in speciation in vast ocean meta-populations of phytoplankton.

Recent Reticulate Evolution in the Ecologically Dominant Lineage of Coccolithophores

The coccolithophore family Noëlaerhabdaceae contains a number of taxa that are very abundant in modern oceans, including the cosmopolitan bloom-forming Emiliania huxleyi. Introgressive hybridization has been suggested to account for incongruences between nuclear, mitochondrial and plastidial phylogenies of morphospecies within this lineage, but the number of species cultured to date remains rather limited. Here, we present the characterization of 5 new Noëlaerhabdaceae culture strains isolated from samples collected in the south-east Pacific Ocean. These were analyzed morphologically using scanning electron microscopy and phylogenetically by sequencing 5 marker genes (nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA, plastidial tufA, and mitochondrial cox1 and cox3 genes). Morphologically, one of these strains corresponded to Gephyrocapsa ericsonii and the four others to Reticulofenestra parvula. Ribosomal gene sequences were near identical between these new strains, but divergent from G. oceanica, G. muellerae, and E. huxleyi. In contrast to the clear distinction in ribosomal phylogenies, sequences from other genomic compartments clustered with those of E. huxleyi strains with which they share an ecological range (i.e., warm temperate to tropical waters). These data provide strong support for the hypothesis of past (and potentially ongoing) introgressive hybridization within this ecologically important lineage and for the transfer of R. parvula to Gephyrocapsa. These results have important implications for understanding the role of hybridization in speciation in vast ocean meta-populations of phytoplankton.

Molecular phylogeny, recent radiation and evolution of gross morphology of the rhubarb genus Rheum (Polygonaceae) inferred from chloroplast DNA trnL-F sequences

Background and Aims Rheum, a highly diversified genus with about 60 species, is mainly confined to the mountainous and desert regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and adjacent areas. This genus represents a good example of the extensive diversification of the temperate genera in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, in which the forces to drive diversification remain unknown. To date, the infrageneric classification of Rheum has been mainly based on morphological characters. However, it may have been subject to convergent evolution under habitat pressure, and the systematic position of some sections are unclear, especially Sect. Globulosa, which has globular inflorescences, and Sect. Nobilia, which has semi-translucent bracts. Recent palynological research has found substantial contradictions between exine patterns and the current classification of Rheum. Two specific objectives of this research were (1) to evaluate possible relationships of some ambiguous sections with a unique morphology, and (2) to examine possible occurrence of the radiative speciation with low genetic divergence across the total genus and the correlation between the extensive diversification time of Rheum and past geographical events, especially the recent large-scale uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.Methods The chloroplast DNA trnL-F region of 29 individuals representing 26 species of Rheum, belonging to seven out of eight sections, was sequenced and compared. The phylogenetic relationships were further constructed based on the sequences obtained.Key Results Despite the highly diversified morphology, the genetic variation in this DNA fragment is relatively low. The molecular phylogeny is highly inconsistent with gross morphology, pollen exine patterns and traditional classifications, except for identifying all samples of Sect. Palmata, three species of Sect. Spiciformia and a few species of Sect. Rheum as corresponding monophyletic groups. The monotypic Sect. Globulosa showed a tentative position within the clade comprising five species of Sect. Rheum. All of the analyses revealed the paraphyly of R. nobile and R. alexandrae, the only two species of Sect. Nobilia circumscribed by the possession of large bracts. The crude calibration of lineages based on trnL-F sequence differentiation implied an extensive diversification of Rheum within approx. 7 million years.Conclusions Based on these results, it is suggested that the rich geological and ecological diversity caused by the recent large-scale uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the late Tertiary, coupled with the oscillating climate of the Quaternary stage, might have promoted rapid speciation in small and isolated populations, as well as allowing the fixation of unique or rare morphological characters in Rheum. Such a rapid radiation, combined with introgressive hybridization and reticulate evolution, may have caused the transfer of cpDNA haplotypes between morphologically dissimilar species, and might account for the inconsistency between morphological classification and molecular phylogeny reported here.

芍药属芍药组的变异与进化：形态、染色体和分子证据

芍药属Paeonia是芍药科Paeoniacea内唯一的一个属。包括大约35个种，间断性的分布于北温带地区。其内三个组分别是牡丹组(sect. Moutan)、北美芍药组(sect. Onaepia)和芍药组(sect. Paeonia)。芍药组是芍药属中最大，也是唯一具有染色体倍性变化的一个组，现有大约25个种。其中，大约半数的种是四倍体（2n＝20），主要分布于地中海地区。虽然有证据表明四倍体类群大多为异源起源，但芍药属内一致的核型、相似的形态和重叠的地理分布使得它们的起源和分类一直存在很大的争议。本研究利用了4个细胞核DNA片段（乙醇脱氢酶基因－Adh1和 Adh2;nrDNA的内转录间隔区－ITS;甘油－3磷酸乙酰转移酶基因－GPAT）和4个叶绿体DNA片段（matK基因;基因间隔区trnL-trnF、psbA-trnH和rps16－trnQ）对芍药组的网状进化进行部分重建。并在此基础上，对推测为杂交起源的P. anomala进行了形态学和细胞发生的研究。主要研究结果如下： 1． 芍药组的系统学 利用多个DNA分子标记(cpDNA: matK, rps16-trnQ; nrDNA: ITS, Adh1, Adh2)，芍药组的二倍体和四倍体类群的系统发育被部分重建。基于最大简约法、贝叶斯法和最大似然法的系统发育分析表明： (a) 除P. tenuifolia之外，所有地中海地区分布的二倍体类群构成一个单系分支。该支与亚洲分布的二倍体类群以及P. tenuifolia成并系关系。 (b) 核和叶绿体DNA系统发育树的不一致，以及ITS、Adh基因的多态性的分析，表明部分二倍体类群间和四倍体类群间都存在杂交事件。这些类群包括：中国新疆阿勒泰地区分布的二倍体种P. anomala和P. intermedia（杂种个体XJ053）;高加索地区分布的二倍体种P. tenuifolia和P. daurica（杂种个体H9933）;土耳其分布的四倍体种P. mascula和P. kesrouanensis（杂交个体在两个居群中检测到）。 (c) 不一致的核和叶绿体DNA系统发育树，以及Adh基因表现出的相同多态性模式进一步支持早先的推测，即四倍体类群P. arietina是异源四倍体。同时扩大的数据分析显示P. obovata近缘类群为其母系亲本，P. tenuifolia近缘类群为其父系亲本。此外，形态上具有一定分化的两个亚种P. arietina ssp. arietina和P. arietina ssp. parnassica是多次起源。 (d) 现今地中海分布类群的近缘种参与了四倍体种P. kesrouanensis 和P. coriacea，以及P. wittmanniana和P. mascula的物种形成。依据Adh序列种内的多态性，初步推测P. kesrouanensis 和P. coriacea可能是异源四倍体，其另一个亲本与P. arietina母系亲本近源。而P. wittmanniana和P. mascula可能是同源四倍体。 (e) P. saueri和P. peregrina的两个亲本类群分别与P. tenuifolia和现今地中海分布二倍体种的近缘类群。 (f) Adh1基因序列中近缘的重组类型暗示：四倍体种P. macrophylla和P. banatica很可能是同倍性杂种。 2． P. anomala的杂交起源和细胞发生 P. anomala新疆阿勒泰地区分布的居群核型第一次被报道。该地区分布的类群核型为2A型(核型公式：2n = 2x = 10 = 6m+2sm+2st)。减数分裂的观察统计显示：阿勒泰地区所有检测个体都是臂内倒位杂合子。基于断片大小以及不同个体染色体桥和/或断片出现率的差异，我们发现该类群臂内倒位存在多态性。荧光原位杂交（FISH）证实P. anomala共有8个18S rDNA位点，并且定位了一个倒位片段在3号染色体的短臂上。此外，高频率的棒状二价体和单价体，以及低的同源染色体的配对系数说明该类群同源染色体间存在分化。染色体结构杂合能够导致部分花粉败育，所有被检测个体的花粉败育率约为8.8 – 29.4%。 扩大的居群取样以及多基因(cpDNA: matK, psbA-trnH, rps16-trnQ, trnL-trnF; nrDNA: ITS, Adh1, Adh2, Gpat)的系统发育分析，进一步支持P. anomala杂交起源于P. veitchii 和P. lactiflora的近缘类群。cpDNA片段和核DNA片段（ITS、GPAT）基因树间的不一致，以及P. anomala Adh1和Adh2序列表现出的多态性都支持该类群杂交起源的推测。不过，表型分析显示P. anomala在形态上偏向于P. veitchii。 3． P. obovata Maxim.四倍体类群的起源 与原先基于形态性状的认识不同，P. obovata 四倍体类群并不是一个严格意义上的同源四倍体。它起源于二倍体P. obovata中国和日本分布的两个地理亚种之间的杂交。Adh2基因仅在中国分布二倍体居群的扩增失败支持这一推测。此外，Adh基因系统发育分析显示：间断性分布于中国中部和中国东北部的四倍体类群是独立起源。

Phylogenetic analyses of Saussurea sect. Pseudoeriocoryne (Asteraceae : Cardueae) based on chloroplast DNA trnL-F sequences

The genus Saussurea is distributed mainly in the temperate and subarctic regions of Eurasia and consists of about 300 species classified into six subgenera and 20 sections. Sect. Pseudoeriocoryne in the subgenus Eriocoryne comprises four species, and is delimited mainly by acaulescence and an inflorescence with congested capitula surrounded by a rosette of leaves. All of these species are endemic to the and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sequences from the chloroplast DNA trnL-F region were obtained for the four species in this section and 26 other species from four subgenera of Saussurea to resolve phylogenetic relationships among these species and to determine whether the shared characters that define sect. Pseudoeriocoryne are synapomorphic or were acquired by convergent evolution. The resulting phylogenies indicated that Saussurea sect. Pseudoeriocoryne as traditionally defined does not constitute a monophyletic group and that each of its species belongs to separate clades. Furthermore, none of these species showed a close relationship with the other species of subgenus Eriocoryne. Our results further indicated that none of the investigated subgenera are monophyletic, and that species from different subgenera clustered together. All these conclusions are provisional and their confirmation would require stronger phylogenetic support. Two possible explanations are suggested for low sequence divergence, poor resolution of internal clades and clustering of species with the rather distinct morphology of Saussurea detected in the present study. The first is rapid radiation and diversification triggered by fast habitat fragmentation due to the recent lifting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Quaternary climate oscillations. This could have led to rapid morphological divergence while sequences diverged very little, and also caused the convergent acquisition of similar characteristics in unrelated lineages due to similar selection pressures. The second possible explanation is that both introgressive hybridization and reticulate evolution might have caused the transferring of cpDNA sequences between morphologically dissimilar species, thus leading to homogenization of sequences between lineages. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New insights into Trimezieae (Iridaceae) phylogeny: what do molecular data tell us?

The Neotropical tribe Trimezieae are taxonomically difficult. They are generally characterized by the absence of the features used to delimit their sister group Tigridieae. Delimiting the four genera that make up Trimezieae is also problematic. Previous family-level phylogenetic analyses have not examined the monophyly of the tribe or relationships within it. Reconstructing the phylogeny of Trimezieae will allow us to evaluate the status of the tribe and genera and to examine the suitability of characters traditionally used in their taxonomy. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses are presented for 37 species representing all four genera of Trimezieae. Analyses were based on nrITS sequences and a combined plastid dataset. Ancestral character state reconstructions were used to investigate the evolution of ten morphological characters previously considered taxonomically useful. Analyses of nrITS and plastid datasets strongly support the monophyly of Trimezieae and recover four principal clades with varying levels of support; these clades do not correspond to the currently recognized genera. Relationships within the four clades are not consistently resolved, although the conflicting resolutions are not strongly supported in individual analyses. Ancestral character state reconstructions suggest considerable homoplasy, especially in the floral characters used to delimit Pseudotrimezia. The results strongly support recognition of Trimezieae as a tribe but suggest that both generic- and species-level taxonomy need revision. Further molecular analyses, with increased sampling of taxa and markers, are needed to support any revision. Such analyses will help determine the causes of discordance between the plastid and nuclear data and provide a framework for identifying potential morphological synapomorphies for infra-tribal groups. The results also suggest Trimezieae provide a promising model for evolutionary research.

Investigation of RuO2/Ta2O5 thin film evolution by thermogravimetry combined with mass spectrometry

The thermal evolution process of RuO2–Ta2O5/Ti coatings with varying noble metal content has been investigated under in situ conditions by thermogravimetry combined with mass spectrometry. The gel-like films prepared from alcoholic solutions of the precursor salts (RuCl3·3H2O, TaCl5) onto titanium metal support were heated in an atmosphere containing 20% O2 and 80% Ar up to 600 °C. The evolution of the mixed oxide coatings was followed by the mass spectrometric ion intensity curves. The cracking of retained solvent and the combustion of organic surface species formed were also followed by the mass spectrometric curves. The formation of carbonyl- and carboxylate-type surface species connected to the noble metal was identified by Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy. These secondary processes–catalyzed by the noble metal–may play an important role in the development of surface morphology and electrochemical properties. The evolution of the two oxide phases does not take place independently, and the effect of the noble metal as a combustion catalyst was proved.

ASERA : an uncontroversial evolution

The Australasian Science Education Research Association Ltd. (ASERA) is the oldest educational research association in Australasia. Starting as an informal meeting of science educators at Monash University in May 1970, it has evolved progressively without major controversy into a formally constituted limited company that promotes science education at all levels and contexts. There are no revelations of fractures within the association, and no accounts of major controversy, other than reference to a few grumbles here and there when changes were proposed. So, has the ASERA experience been positive and uplifting for all? Are there unspoken controversies? Can the uncontroversial be made controversial?

Multi-level order, friction and contradiction : the evolution of Australian film industry policy

Cultural policy studies have previously highlighted the importance of multiple logics, friction and contradiction in cultural policy. Recent developments in institutional theory provide a framework for analysing change in cultural policy which explores movement between these multiple and sometimes contradictory logics. This paper analyses the role of friction in the evolution of Australian film industry policy and in particular the tension between competing logics regarding nationalism, commercialism and the state. The paper is suggestive of the relevance of institutional theory as a framework for understanding cultural policy evolution.

Defining an Identity : The Evolution of Science Education

Research in science education is now an international activity. This book asks for the first time, Does this research activity have an identity?-It uses the significant studies of more than 75 researchers in 15 countries to see to what extent they provide evidence for an identity as a distinctive field of research.-It considers trends in the research over time, and looks particularly at what progression in the research entails.-It provides insight into how researchers influence each other and how involvement in research affects the being of the researcher as a person.-It addresses the relation between research and practice in a manner that sees teaching and learning in the science classroom as interdependent with national policies and curriculum traditions about science. It gives graduate students and other early researchers an unusual overview of their research area as a whole. Established researchers will be interested in, and challenged by, the identity the author ascribes to the research and by the plea he makes for the science content itself to be seen as problematic.