Ecology and co-existence of two endemic day gecko (Phelsuma) species in Seychelles native palm forest

In island ecosystems, reptiles play diverse ecological roles as a result of niche broadening, which increases potential niche overlap between species. Ecological niche partitioning is a means of reducing direct competition between coexisting species and differences in habitat use among island gecko species have been suggested as a by-product of specialization to feeding on certain resources. Here, we examine modes and drivers of niche partitioning of two endemic species of Phelsuma gecko (Phelsuma sundbergi and Phelsuma astriata) in relict native palm forest in the Seychelles to further understanding of congeneric reptile co-existence in native habitats. Phelsuma abundance, microhabitat use and habitat composition were quantified in different macrohabitat types. P. sundbergi showed a clear preference for habitat dominated by the coco de mer palm, Lodoicea maldivica and a strong association with male individuals of this dioecious species. P. astriata density increased significantly with arboreal biodiversity but did not display a relationship with a specific tree type. High levels of resource segregation were determined along the microhabitat axis, based on differential tree preference. Our results suggest that P. sundbergi and P. astriata may have evolved to co-exist in this habitat type through partitioning of microhabitat as members of a divergent specialist/generalist assemblage determined by consumption of L. maldivica pollen by P. sundbergi. Our findings concur with the hypothesis that differences in habitat use among island reptiles are a by-product of trophic specialization and support the conservation of native habitat for maintenance of reptile diversity

Metafigural in an aquatics center for Santa Barbara, California

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1989.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 25).This thesis is the design of a center for aquatic sport for the City of Santa Barbara. The design supports a variety of rituals to be acted out by users including infant nonswimmers, elite international competitors, and citizens of all ages seeking to recreate their bodies and spirits. The term "metafigural", invented in my effort to describe an attitude toward architecture and space making, is introduced here. And, the images in this thesis represent the last of several design iterations in each of which I sought to further manifest the attributes of "metafigurality".by Ken Radtkey.M.Arch

Characterization of a Nonclassical Class I MHC Gene in a Reptile, the Galápagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

Squamates are a diverse order of vertebrates, representing more than 7,000 species. Yet, descriptions of full-length major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in this group are nearly absent from the literature, while the number of MHC studies continues to rise in other vertebrate taxa. The lack of basic information about MHC organization in squamates inhibits investigation into the relationship between MHC polymorphism and disease, and leaves a large taxonomic gap in our understanding of amniote MHC evolution. Here, we use both cDNA and genomic sequence data to characterize a class I MHC gene (Amcr-UA) from the Galápagos marine iguana, a member of the squamate subfamily Iguaninae. Amcr-UA appears to be functional since it is expressed in the blood and contains many of the conserved peptide-binding residues that are found in classical class I genes of other vertebrates. In addition, comparison of Amcr-UA to homologous sequences from other iguanine species shows that the antigen-binding portion of this gene is under purifying selection, rather than balancing selection, and therefore may have a conserved function. A striking feature of Amcr-UA is that both the cDNA and genomic sequences lack the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains that are necessary to anchor the class I receptor molecule into the cell membrane, suggesting that the product of this gene is secreted and consequently not involved in classical class I antigen-presentation. The truncated and conserved character of Amcr-UA lead us to define it as a nonclassical gene that is related to the few available squamate class I sequences. However, phylogenetic analysis placed Amcr-UA in a basal position relative to other published classical MHC genes from squamates, suggesting that this gene diverged near the beginning of squamate diversification

Applications of microarray technology in breast cancer research

Microarrays provide a versatile platform for utilizing information from the Human Genome Project to benefit human health. This article reviews the ways in which microarray technology may be used in breast cancer research. Its diverse applications include monitoring chromosome gains and losses, tumour classification, drug discovery and development, DNA resequencing, mutation detection and investigating the mechanism of tumour development

Field Studies Reveal Strong Postmating Isolation between Ecologically Divergent Butterfly Populations

A mismatch between hybrid butterflies and their ecological environment restricts gene flow between populations that feed on different host plants, highlighting the potential importance of a seldom-studied mechanism of reproductive isolation

Colonizations cause diversification of host preferences: a mechanism explaining increased generalization at range boundaries expanding under climate change

International audienceAs species' poleward range limits expand under climate change, generalists are expected to be better colonists than specialists, extending their ranges faster. This effect of specialization on range shifts has been shown, but so has the reverse cause–effect: in a global meta-analysis of butterfly diets, it was range expansions themselves that caused increases in population-level diet breadth. What could drive this unexpected process? We provide a novel behavioral mechanism by showing that, in a butterfly with extensive ecotypic variation, Edith's checkerspot, diet breadths increased after colonization events as diversification of individual host preferences pulled novel hosts into population diets. Subsequently, populations that persisted reverted toward monophagy. We draw together three lines of evidence from long-term studies of 15 independently evolving populations. First, direct observations showed a significant increase in specialization across decades: in recent censuses, eight populations used fewer host genera than in the 1980s while none used more. Second, behavioral preference-testing experiments showed that extinctions and recolonizations at two sites were followed, at first by diversification of heritable preference ranks and increases in diet breadth, and subsequently by homogenization of preferences and contractions of diet breadth. Third, we found a significant negative association in the 1980s between population-level diet breadth and genetic diversity. Populations with fewer mtDNA haplotypes had broader diets, extending to 3–4 host genera, while those with higher haplotype diversity were more specialized. We infer that diet breadth had increased in younger, recently colonized populations. Preference diversification after colonization events, whether caused by (cryptic) host shifts or by release of cryptic genetic variation after population bottlenecks, provides a mechanism for known effects of range shifts on diet specialization. Our results explain how colonizations at expanding range margins have increased population-level diet breadths, and predict that increasing specialization should accompany population persistence as current range edges become range interiors

"We Know Our History": Reframing Significance and Integrity through a Heritage Lens in the Greater Area of Annapolis, California Cultural Resources Management

Purpose: Between 1881 and 1945, the apple industry served as an economic pillar of the community and vicinity of Annapolis, California. Despite having lost much of the associated built environment, members of the community continue to care deeply about the tangible and intangible heritage relating to the apple industry. Contemporary research in overlapping disciplines of heritage management increasingly value recording bothaspects of heritage to support living communities. However, the terms "significance" and "integrity," as defined in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, prioritize perceived physical and aesthetic intactness to convey a unilinear, didactic retelling ofhistory when considering the eligibility of resources to qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This study aimed to sharpen the focus on this disparity between contemporary heritage management literature and existing policy, by adapting oral historical and ethnographic methods to create a historic context statement for the apple industry in Annapolis that would highlight the living community's perspectives on significance and integrity and their value orientations towards the built environment. Procedure: This study began with an archival data synthesis of newspaper sources, localprimary and secondary sources, and historical agricultural bulletins. Three narrators were chosen on the basis of their expertise and personal experience with the subject. Each narrator participated in three oral history interviews on the apple industry and its relevance to contemporary preservation efforts. The historical data and value orientations were then combined with the archival data synthesis in the format of a historic contextstatement, to identify what aspects of the data would speak to the priorities of the format, and which would not. Findings: The narrators' perspectives on the historical built environment periodically overlapped with the values of the NHPA unintentionally. However, the narrators value even dilapidated resources for past, present and future purposes concerning thepreservation of culture and identity in the area, rather than for the broader, impersonal approach of the NHPA. While historical data fit most readily into the format of a historic context statement, present–day community value orientations struggled to fit. Conclusions: Policy is unlikely to soon change to incorporate views on contemporary relevance. However, CRM practitioners working within and beyond the NHPA can easilyutilize such methods to make their work more useful and accessible to living communities