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Dr Kanako Ishikawa from Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Otsu, Japan, visited Dr Anne D Jungblut (NHM Life Sciences Department) in April 2012 as part of a project supported by a Daiwa Foundation Small Grant that aims to establish a Lake Biwa periphyton species list and carry out public engagement events on biodiversity, management and conservation of Lake Biwa, Japan.

 

Lake_Biwa.jpg

Proliferation of macrophytes and periphyton in Lake Biwa

 

Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan and one of the twenty oldest lakes in the world. It has many endemic species, and supplies 14 million people with drinking water including the megalopolises Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe Cities. It is a breeding ground for freshwater fish and supports commercial fishing.

 

Microalgae such as cyanobacteria and green algae growing on leaves and stems of submerged water plants (macrophytes) or rock surface are defined as periphyton. These microalgae are not only an important food source for fish and other animals, but can also become nuisance for fishing equipment, water supply system and leisure activities.

 

Periphyton.jpgPeriphyton collected from Lake Biwa

 

In recent years macrophytes have become highly abundant in Lake Biwa and as a consequence periphyton growth has dramatically increased. However, little is still known about the species diversity of Lake Biwa periphyton, in particular the presence of non-native and potentially harmful species. During the visit, Kanako Ishikawa and Anne Jungblut carried out DNA-based analyses on periphyton samples collected from Lake Biwa using culture-independent methods.

 

Lab.jpgKanaka Ishikawa and Anne Jungblut preparing DNA samples for PCR

 

Anne Jungblut will visit the research laboratory of Dr. Kanako Ishikawa (Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute) and Dr Taisuke Ohtsuka (Lake Biwa Museum) in Shiga prefecture, Japan, in July.

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Palaeontology Seminar 

Thursday 7th June
Neil Chalmers Seminar Room, DC2, 16:00

 

 

 

 

Form and function in Cambrian stem-group echinoderms

 

 

 

Dr Imran Rahman, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

Modern echinoderms such as sea urchins and starfish are characterized by a unique pentaradiate body plan, which is established during ontogeny and clearly distinguishes them from other bilaterians. By contrast, some of the earliest fossil representatives of the phylum do not display radial symmetry; most strikingly, two Cambrian groups, ctenocystoids and cinctans, lack almost all the derived characters shared by extant species. These taxa are best interpreted as basal stem-group echinoderms, and hence may provide important insights into the origin and early evolution of echinoderms. However, their fossils are often difficult to interpret because so little of their anatomy has been deciphered, with competing phylogenetic hypotheses derived from differing interpretations of enigmatic characters. In order to better understand the evolutionary significance of these aberrant echinoderms, complete, three-dimensionally preserved ctenocystoid and cinctan fossils were studied using novel imaging (X-ray micro-tomography) and computer modelling (computational fluid dynamics) techniques. The results allow us to reconstruct form and function in the echinoderm stem-group, with implications for the assembly of the echinoderm body plan.

 

 

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For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Zoology Seminar

 

Aplacophoran molluscs—Diversity, Relationships and Hidden Beauty

 

Christiane TODT,
University Museum of Bergen, Norway

 

THURSDAY 7th June, 13.30pm

Neil Chalmers Science Seminar Room (DC.LG16)

 

When residing last summer among the islands and fjords of the western coast of Sweden, I met with an animal the mere external appearance of which immediately attracted my particular attention.
With these words a new species of worm-like marine invertebrate, Neomenia carinata, was introduced to science - communicated by Tycho Tullberg in 1875, finally published in 1886. He could observe a specimen alive and obviously was fascinated by this unknown “worm” covered in calcareous sclerites and creeping on a ciliated ventral gliding sole. Since then, 268 additional species of Solenogastres have been described, and about 130 species of the closely related Caudofoveata. Most of our knowledge on the diversity of the so-called aplacophoran molluscs is based on museum material, predominantly from deep-sea cruises. A wealth of unknown diversity is still resting in museum collections, awaiting attention of one of the very few taxonomic experts. I met my first living solenogaster in 1999 during a field trip to Bermuda. In contrast to Tullberg I knew what I was seeing – educated by my previous thesis work focusing on more or less well-fixed African solenogaster material. Still, I was as fascinated with the strange beauty of these animals. Since 2006, I work in Bergen, Norway, with excellent collecting and culturing facilities and a rich aplacophoran fauna in the fjords just outside the city. In addition, I have access to a large material from Norwegian waters, from recent collection efforts and dating back to the early days of aplacophoran taxonomy. In my seminar talk I will summarize the status quo of knowledge on aplacophoran biodiversity and phylogenetic relationships and outline the planned work for my SYNTHESYS stay at the Natural History Museum (21.5 - 8.6.2012). This work will include testing the suitability of micro-computer-tomography for non-invasive identification of solenogaster museum material.

 

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Steve Brooks from the Museum and collaborators from UCL, the universities of Nottingham, Bergen and Liverpool, and the RSPB have been examining reasons for the breeding success of the Slavonian grebe Podiceps auritus. The Slavonian grebe has a UK breeding population of only 29 pairs, found in NE Scotland only since 1908.  Loch Ruthven holds the largest British population in an RSPB reserve and breeding success is known to have fluctuated annually since records began in 1970.

 

Slavonian grebe audubon (c) NHM small.jpgSlavonian grebe from Audubon's Birds of America    © Natural History Museum

 

 

The research looked at whether the fluctuations are linked to the numbers of chironomids, the group of flies on which Steve is an expert.  These midges are an important food-source for the grebe chicks.

 

The team analysed a sediment core from the lake by slicing it into 2.5-mm sections to separate sediment on a yearly basis.  In this sediment, they looked at the remains of chironomids, diatoms (planktonic algae which show strong seasonal trends in populations) and algal pigments.   These plant data were used to deduce changes in total phosphorus in the water and to see whether there was a link between algae and the abundance of chironomids. Trends in grebe breeding success, chironomid abundance and algal populations were analysed against climate data to clarify whether climate was the key factor behind all of these fluctuations.

 

The study shows that grebe breeding success is linked with chironomid abundance and chironomid abundance is linked with total phosphorus. Over the past 100 years, lake productivity and chironomid abundance have both risen, increasing more rapidly from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Fluctuations in grebe breeding success from 1970 followed the same pattern as chironomid variation, with a lag of one year. 

 

One of the questions of interest was whether grebe breeding success was influenced by climate variability year by year.  Because the Slavonian grebe is a relative newcomer to the UK, it is not clear how vulnerable this small population is to environmental change.  However. No correlation was found between grebe productivity or chironomid abundance and climate.  The team concludes that breeding success of the grebe depends on food availability in the form of chironomids at Loch Ruthven.

 

Brooks, SJ et al. Population trends in the Slavonian grebe Podiceps  auritus (L.) and Chironomidae (Diptera) at a Scottish loch  Journal of  Paleolimnology April 2012, Volume 47 (4) 631-644  doi: 10.1007/s10933-012-9587-4

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Recent Publications - May

Posted by C Lowry May 22, 2012

Publications for the previous 4 -5 weeks (Search done 17th May)

(Search on the basis of ‘Nat SAME Hist SAME Mus* SAME Lon* in Web of Science + NHM TRING publications)

EARTH SCIENCES

MINERALOGY

Burchell, M.J., Cole, M.J., Price, M.C. & KEARSLEY, A.T. 2012. Experimental investigation of impacts by solar cell secondary ejecta on silica aerogel and aluminum foil: Implications for the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 47(4): 671-683.    

Cockell, C.S., Voytek, M.A., Gronstal, A.L., Finster, K., Kirshtein, J.D., HOWARD, K., Reitner, J., Gohn, G.S., Sanford, W.E., Horton, J.W., Kallmeyer, J., Kelly, L. & Powars, D.S. 2012. Impact Disruption and Recovery of the Deep Subsurface Biosphere. Astrobiology, 12(3): 231-246.

Ferrat, M., WEISS, D.J. & STREKOPYTOV, S. 2012. A single procedure for the accurate and precise quantification of the rare earth elements, Sc, Y, Th and Pb in dust and peat for provenance tracing in climate and environmental studies. Talanta, 93: 415-423.   

JOHANSON, Z., KEARSLEY, A., den Blaauwen, J., Newman, M. & Smith, M.M. 2012. Ontogenetic development of an exceptionally preserved Devonian cartilaginous skeleton. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 318 B(1): 50-58.   

KEARSLEY, A.T., Burchell, M.J., Price, M.C., Cole, M.J., Wozniakiewicz, P.J., Ishii, H.A., Bradley, J.P., Fries, M. & Foster, N.J. 2012. Experimental impact features in Stardust aerogel: How track morphology reflects particle structure, composition, and density. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47(4): 737-762.    

Larner, F. & REHKAMPER, M. 2012. Evaluation of Stable Isotope Tracing for ZnO Nanomaterials-New Constraints from High Precision Isotope Analyses and Modeling. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(7): 4149-4158.    

Nixon, A., Burchell, M.J., Price, M.C., KEARSLEY, A.T. & Jones, S. 2012. Aerogel tracks made by impacts of glycine: Implications for formation of bulbous tracks in aerogel and the Stardust mission. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 47(4): 623-633.    

Ogliore, R.C., Floss, C., Stadermann, F.J., KEARSLEY, A.T., Leitner, J., Stroud, R.M. & Westphal, A.J. 2012. Automated searching of Stardust interstellar foils. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47(4): 729-736.    

Price, M.C., KEARSLEY, A.T., Burchell, M.J., HOWARD, L.E., Hillier, J.K., Starkey, N.A., Wozniakiewicz, P.J. & Cole, M.J. 2012. Stardust interstellar dust calibration: Hydrocode modeling of impacts on Al-1100 foil at velocities up to 300kms-1 and validation with experimental data. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 47(4): 684-695.    

Reissis, D. & ABEL, R.L. 2012. Development of fetal trabecular micro-architecture in the humerus and femur. Journal of Anatomy, 220(5): 496-503.    

Robinson, K.L., Treiman, A.H. & JOY, K.H. 2012. Basaltic fragments in lunar feldspathic meteorites: Connecting sample analyses to orbital remote sensing. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 47(3): 387-399.    

THORNE, R.L., Roberts, S. & HERRINGTON, R.J. 2012. Climate change and the formation of nickel laterite deposits. Geology, 40(4): 331-334.    

VITA-FINZI, C. 2012. River history. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A - Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 370(1966): 2029-2039.    

VITA-FINZI, C. 2012. River history and tectonics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A - Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 370(1966): 2173-2192

WOOLLEY, A.R. & Bailey, D.K. 2012. The crucial role of lithospheric structure in the generation and release of carbonatites: geological evidence. Mineralogical Magazine, 76(2): 259-270.    

Wozniakiewicz, P.J., Ishii, H.A., KEARSLEY, A.T., Burchell, M.J., Bradley, J.P., Price, M.C., Teslich, N., Lee, M.R. & Cole, M.J. 2012. Stardust impact analogs: Resolving pre- and postimpact mineralogy in Stardust Al foils. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47(4): 708-728.    

Wozniakiewicz, P.J., KEARSLEY, A.T., Ishii, H.A., Burchell, M.J., Bradley, J.P., Teslich, N., Cole, M.J. & Price, M.C. 2012. The origin of crystalline residues in Stardust Al foils: Surviving cometary dust or crystallized impact melts? Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47(4): 660-670.    

Xu, Y., Zhang, Y.L., Li, J., Gioia, R., Zhang, G., Li, X.D., SPIRO, B., Bhatia, R.S. & Jones, K.C. 2012. The spatial distribution and potential sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over the Asian marginal seas and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 117.    

Zema, M., WELCH, M.D. & Oberti, R. 2012. High-T behaviour of gedrite: thermoelasticity, cation ordering and dehydrogenation. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 163(5): 923-937.    

PALAEONTOLOGY

Bennett, C.E., Siveter, D.J., Davies, S.J., Williams, M., Wilkinson, I.P., Browne, M. & MILLER, C.G. 2011. Ostracods from freshwater and brackish environments of the Carboniferous of the Midland Valley of Scotland: the early colonization of terrestrial water bodies. Geological Magazine, 149(3): 366-396. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0016756811000719    

Coppard, S.E., Kroh, A. & SMITH, A.B. 2011. The evolution of pedicellariae in echinoids: an arms race against pests and parasites. Acta Zoologica, 93(2): 125-148. DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2010.00487.x.    

Gomez, B., EWIN, T.A.M. & Daviero-Gomez, V. 2012. The conifer Glenrosa falcata sp nov from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain and its palaeoecology. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 172: 21-32.

JOHANSON, Z., KEARSLEY, A., den Blaauwen, J., Newman, M. & Smith, M.M. 2012. Ontogenetic development of an exceptionally preserved Devonian cartilaginous skeleton. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 318 B(1): 50-58.    

Koch, M. & EDGECOMBE, G.D. 2012. The preoral chamber in geophilomorph centipedes: comparative morphology, phylogeny, and the evolution of centipede feeding structures. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 165(1): 1-62.    

PARR, W.C.H., Chatterjee, H.J. & Soligo, C. 2012. Calculating the axes of rotation for the subtalar and talocrural joints using 3D bone reconstructions. Journal of Biomechanics, 45(6): 1103-1107.    

SMITH, A.B. & Crame, J.A. 2012. Echinoderm faunas from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Palaeontology, 55: 305-324.    

Smith, T.M., Olejniczak, A.J., Zermeno, J.P., Tafforeau, P., Skinner, M.M., Hoffmann, A., Radovcic, J., Toussaint, M., KRUSZYNSKI, R., Menter, M., Moggi-Cecchi, J., Glasmacher, U.A., Kullmer, O., Schrenk, F., STRINGER, C. & Hublin, J.J. 2012. Variation in enamel thickness within the genus Homo. Journal of Human Evolution, 62(3): 395-411.    

SOOKIAS, R.B., Butler, R.J. & Benson, R.B.J. 2012. Rise of dinosaurs reveals major body-size transitions are driven by passive processes of trait evolution. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 279(1736): 2180-2187.    

STRINGER, C. 2012. What makes a modern human. Nature, 485(7396): 33-35.

LIFE SCIENCES

BOTANY

Bebber, D.P., CARINE, M.A., Davidse, G., Harris, D.J., Haston, E.M., PENN, M.G., CAFFERTY, S., Wood, J.R.I. & Scotland, R.W. 2012. Big hitting collectors make massive and disproportionate contribution to the discovery of plant species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences, 279(1736): 2269-2274.

Jayalal, U., WOLSELEY, P., GUEIDAN, C., Aptroot, A., Wijesundara, S. & Karunaratne, V. 2012. Anzia mahaeliyensis and Anzia flavotenuis, two new lichen species from Sri Lanka. The Lichenologist, 44(3): 381-389.    

Karl, R., Kiefer, C., ANSELL, S.W. & Koch, M.A. 2012. Systematics and evolution of arctic-alpine Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae) and its closest relatives in the eastern Mediterranean. American Journal of Botany, 99(4): 778-794.    

SÄRKINEN, T., Pennington, R.T., Lavin, M., Simon, M.F. & Hughes, C.E. 2012. Evolutionary islands in the Andes: Persistence and isolation explain high endemism in Andean dry tropical forests. Journal of Biogeography, 39(5): 884-900. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02644.x     

Wetzel, C.E., Van de Vijver, B., COX, E.J., Bicudo D de C. & Ector, L. 2012. Tursiocola podocnemicola sp. nov., a new epizoic freshwater diatom species from the Amazon basin (Rio Negro, Brazil). Diatom Research, 27(1): 1-8. DOI:10.1080/0269249X.2011.642498.    

ENTOMOLOGY

Barthélémy, C. & BROAD, G.R. 2012. A new species of Hadrocryptus (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with the first account of the biology for the genus. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 24: 47-57.    

Bazsalovicsová, E., Králová-Hromadová, I., ŠTEKKA, J. & Scholz, T. 2011. Molecular characterization of Atractolytocestus sagittatus (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), monozoic parasite of common carp, and its differentiation from the invasive species Atractolytocestus huronensis. Parasitology Research, 110(5): 1621-1629.    

Bone, J., Archer, M., Barraclough, D., EGGLETON, P., Flight, D., Head, M., JONES, D.T., Scheib, C. & Voulvoulis, N. 2012. Public Participation in Soil Surveys: Lessons from a Pilot Study in England. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(7): 3687-3696.    

BROOKS, S.J., Jones, V.J., Telford, R.J., Appleby, P.G., Watson, E., McGowan, S. & Benn, S. 2012. Population trends in the Slavonian grebe Podiceps auritus (L.) and Chironomidae (Diptera) at a Scottish loch. Journal of Paleolimnology, 47(4): 631-644.    

Davies, A.B., EGGLETON, P., van Rensburg, B.J. & Parr, C.L. 2012. The pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis: a test with savanna termite assemblages. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49(2): 422-430.    

Frutos, P., Hoste, H., Sotiraki, S., HALL, M. & Jackson, F. 2012. Specificities of parasitism in goats and sheep: Interactions with nutrition and control strategies. Small Ruminant Research, 103(1): 1-2.    

HANSSON, C. 2012. Achrysocharoides Girault (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) new to tropical America, with eight new species. Zookeys(173): 79-108.    

Hernandez-Lopez, A., Rougerie, R., Augustin, S., LEES, D.C., Tomov, R., Kenis, M., Cota, E., Kullaj, E., HANSSON, C., Grabenweger, G., Roques, A. & Lopez-Vaamonde, C. 2012. Host tracking or cryptic adaptation? Phylogeography of Pediobius saulius (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), a parasitoid of the highly invasive horse-chestnut leafminer. Evolutionary Applications, 5(3): 256-269.    

Larsen, T.B. & VANE-WRIGHT, R.I. 2012. The name Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850) should continue to be used (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). Shilap-Revista De Lepidopterologia, 40(157): 85-86.    

MAHAMDALLIE, S.S. & READY, P.D. 2012. No recent adaptive selection on the apyrase of Mediterranean Phlebotomus: implications for using salivary peptides to vaccinate against canine leishmaniasis. Evolutionary Applications, 5(3): 293-305. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2011.00226.x.    

PONT, A.C. 2012. Muscoidea (Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae) described by P. J. M. Macquart (Insecta, Diptera). Zoosystema, 34(1): 39-111.    

QUICKE, D.L.J. 2012. We Know Too Little about Parasitoid Wasp Distributions to Draw Any Conclusions about Latitudinal Trends in Species Richness, Body Size and Biology. PLoS ONE, 7(2).    

Rodriguez-Roche, R., Villegas, E., COOK, S., Poh Kim, P.A.W., Hinojosa, Y., Rosario, D., Villalobos, I., Bendezu, H., Hibberd, M.L. & Guzman, M.G. 2012. Population structure of the dengue viruses, Aragua, Venezuela, 2006-2007. Insights into dengue evolution under hyperendemic transmission. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 12(2): 332-344.    

Samartin, S., Heiri, O., Vescovi, E., BROOKS, S.J. & Tinner, W. 2012. Late glacial and early Holocene summer temperatures in the southern Swiss Alps reconstructed using fossil chironomids. Journal of Quaternary Science, 27(3): 279-289.    

Sotiraki, S. & HALL, M.J.R. 2012. A review of comparative aspects of myiasis in goats and sheep in Europe. Small Ruminant Research, 103(1): 75-83.    

TIMMERMANS, M. & VOGLER, A.P. 2012. Phylogenetically informative rearrangements in mitochondrial genomes of Coleoptera, and monophyly of aquatic elateriform beetles (Dryopoidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63(2): 299-304.    

WILLIAMS, P.H., An, J.D., Brown, M.J.F., Carolan, J.C., Goulson, D., Huang, J.X. & Ito, M. 2012. Cryptic Bumblebee Species: Consequences for Conservation and the Trade in Greenhouse Pollinators. PLoS ONE, 7(3).    

ZOOLOGY

Brabec, J., Scholz, T., Kralova-Hromadova, I., Bazsalovicsova, E. & OLSON, P.D. 2012. Substitution saturation and nuclear paralogs of commonly employed phylogenetic markers in the Caryophyllidea, an unusual group of non-segmented tapeworms (Platyhelminthes). International Journal for Parasitology, 42(3): 259-267.    

BRITZ, R. & Johnson, G.D. 2012. The caudal skeleton of a 20 mm Triodon and homology of its components. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 125(1): 66-73.

Budha, P.B., MORDAN, P.B., NAGGS, F. & Backeljau, T. 2012. Darwininitium - a new fully pseudosigmurethrous orthurethran genus from Nepal (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Cerastidae). Zookeys(175): 19-26.    

CAMERON, R.A.D. & Cook, L.M. 2012. Habitat and the shell polymorphism of Cepaea nemoralis (L.): interrogating the Evolution Megalab database. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 78: 179-184.    

Chen, H.C., Kuo, R.J., Chang, T.C., Hus, C.K., BRAY, R.A. & Cheng, I.J. 2012. Fluke (Spirorchiidae) Infections in Sea Turtles Stranded on Taiwan: Prevalence and Pathology. Journal of Parasitology, 98(2): 437-439.    

Chen, X.R., Gao, S., Liu, W.W., Song, W.B., Al-Rasheid, K.A.S. & WARREN, A. 2012. Taxonomic descriptions of three marine colepid ciliates, Nolandia sinica spec. nov., Apocoleps caoi spec. nov and Tiarina fusa (Claparede & Lachmann, 1858) Bergh, 1881 (Ciliophora, Prorodontida). International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 62: 735-744.    

Dmitrieva, E.V., Gerasev, P.I., GIBSON, D.I., Pronkina, N.V. & Galli, P. 2012. Descriptions of eight new species of Ligophorus Euzet & Suriano, 1977 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from Red Sea mullets. Systematic Parasitology, 81(3): 203-237.    

Marzoug, D., Boutiba, Z., GIBSON, D.I., Pérez-del-Olmo, A. & Kostadinova, A. 2012. Descriptions of digeneans from Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum) (Clupeidae) off the Algerian coast of the western Mediterranean, with a complete list of its helminth parasites. Systematic Parasitology, 81(3): 169-186.    

Mouahid, G., Faliex, E., Allienne, J.F., Cribb, T.H. & BRAY, R.A. 2012. Proctophantastes nettastomatis (Digenea: Zoogonidae) from Vanuatu deep-sea fish: new morphological features, allometric growth, and phenotypic plasticity aspects. Parasitology Research, 110(5): 1631-1638.    

OKAMURA, B., Humphries, S. & GRUHL, A. 2012. Buddenbrockia plumatellae: a novel solution to being a worm. Abstract. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 52: E131-E131.    

SHERRATT, E., WILKINSON, M., GOWER, D.J. & Klingenberg, C.P. 2012. Evolution of Cranial Modularity in Caecilians. Abstract. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 52: E159-E159.    

Toksen, E., BOXSHALL, G.A. & Altinozek, S. 2012. Sagum posteli Delamare-Deboutteville & Nunes-Ruivo, 1954 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on Epinephelus aeneus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire) in Turkish waters, with a key to the species of Sagum Wilson, 1913. Systematic Parasitology, 82(1): 71-80.    

WARREN, B.H., Bermingham, E., Bourgeois, Y., Estep, L.K., PRYS-JONES, R.P., Strasberg, D. & Thebaud, C. 2012. Hybridization and barriers to gene flow in an island bird radiation. Evolution, 66(5): 1490-1505.    

WEBSTER, B.L. & LITTLEWOOD, D.T.J. 2012. Mitochondrial gene order change in Schistosoma (Platyhelminthes: Digenea: Schistosomatidae). International Journal for Parasitology, 42(3): 313-321.    

PEG

Sutherland, W.J., Bellingan, L., Bellingham, J.R., Blackstock, J.J., BLOOMFIELD, R.M., Bravo, M., Cadman, V.M., Cleevely, D.D., Clements, A., Cohen, A.S., Cope, D.R., Daemmrich, A.A., Devecchi, C., Anadon, L.D., Denegri, S., Doubleday, R., Dusic, N.R., Evans, R.J., Feng, W.Y., Godfray, H.C.J., Harris, P., Hartley, S.E., Hester, A.J., Holmes, J., Hughes, A., Hulme, M., Irwin, C., Jennings, R.C., Kass, G.S., Littlejohns, P., Marteau, T.M., McKee, G., Millstone, E.P., Nuttall, W.J., Owens, S., Parker, M.M., Pearson, S., Petts, J., Ploszek, R., Pullin, A.S., Reid, G., Richards, K.S., Robinson, J.G., Shaxson, L., Sierra, L., Smith, B.G., Spiegelhalter, D.J., Stilgoe, J., Stirling, A., Tyler, C.P., Winickoff, D.E. & Zimmern, R.L. 2012. A Collaboratively-Derived Science-Policy Research Agenda. PLoS ONE, 7(3).    

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Collection Management Seminar


CoRR - Developing Disaster Recovery: Front to Back - A museum wide project 

 

Chris Collins and Clare Valentine, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD.

 

Wednesday 23rd May 2012,

2.30pm-4.00pm

Flett Lecture Theatre, NHM, South Kensington

 

 

Do you know what would happen if there was a major emergency affecting the collections in the museum? How would you react and what would you do? Over the last 4 years Collections Management Staff in Science and members of Design and Conservation have been developing a disaster plan – the CoRR Plan – that coordinates the museums response in an emergency situation when collections are at risk. The CoRR team has already held a number of training exercises across the museum and teams from CoRR have already been involved in real-life responses to a number of smaller building based problems.

 

A major cross museum emergency that causes serious museum wide damage to the collections will require response from all areas of the museum. The Group is focusing on training and developing a coordinated group of individuals who can undertake collection recovery using techniques appropriate to the natural history museums collections.  The CoRR project involves everybody in the museum in some way, from Science to House-Keeping to Estates. 

 

The talk will look at the work we have already done, the current CoRR plan, training initiatives and exercises that are planned, the teams involved in recovery and importantly how you can get involved .

Who should come?

 

 

The seminar is open to all members of the museum who are interested in getting involved or learning more about recovery of the collections in a disaster situation. We also welcome colleagues from other institutions who would find the seminar of interest. There is no booking fee and only large parties need to notify the organiser for catering purposes.

 

Science Group: All senior departmental managers & collection management staff.

Public Engagement Group:  Any staff who work with and use collections or manage staff who work with collections.

 

Tea and coffee will be available in the seminar room lobby area after the talk.


Suggestions for seminar speakers are always most welcome. Please contact the organiser Clare Valentine.

 

 

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Palaeontology Seminar

 

Tracking nautiloid migrational seaways: using pelagic faunas as a complementary tool for palaeogeographic reconstruction

 

Dr. Kathleen Histon, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

 

Thursday 24th May
Neil Chalmers Seminar Room, DC2, 16:00

 

  

Documentation of the distribution and biodiversity of environmentally sensitive groups is an important element in palaeogeographical reconstruction. Establishment of the precise position, width and timing of open seaways is a pivotal factor in unravelling complex regional geodynamic histories. As nautiloid cephalopods are particularly sensitive to distance and water depth separating landmasses and to fluctuations in sea level they can be considered reliable tools for tracing migrational pathways of pelagic faunas during certain intervals. This complementary dataset can be utilized to confirm models regarding palaeocontinent/microterrane position based on the traditional use of distribution of benthonic faunas.

 

Detailed field studies on the cephalopod limestone biofacies from the almost complete biostratigraphically well constrained Silurian successions in the Carnic Alps (Austria) over the past decade have provided significant data regarding the relationship between sea-level change and faunal events for this middle palaeolatitude North Gondwanan microterrane during the Silurian. The response of various faunal groups to the eustatic changes identified on a local scale has been  compared and related to similar studies in progress from other North Gondwana terranes such as Sardinia and Bohemia and on a global scale with some sectors of Avalonia (the British Isles) and Laurentia (North America). The findings may also have critical relevance within the context of identification of nautiloid cephalopod bioevents and their relation to the dynamics of the global carbon cycle. Detailed studies in this respect for major groups such as nautiloids are lacking to date for the Silurian.

 

 

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Zoology Seminar


Aplacophoran molluscs—Diversity, Relationships and Hidden Beauty

 

Christiane TODT
University Museum of Bergen, Norway

 

TUESDAY 22nd May, 12pm

Neil Chalmers Science Seminar Room (DC.LG16)

 


When residing last summer among the islands and fjords of the western coast of Sweden, I met with an animal the mere external appearance of which immediately attracted my particular attention.
With these words a new species of worm-like marine invertebrate, Neomenia carinata, was introduced to science - communicated by Tycho Tullberg in 1875, finally published in 1886. He could observe a specimen alive and obviously was fascinated by this unknown “worm” covered in calcareous sclerites and creeping on a ciliated ventral gliding sole. Since then, 268 additional species of Solenogastres have been described, and about 130 species of the closely related Caudofoveata. Most of our knowledge on the diversity of the so-called aplacophoran molluscs is based on museum material, predominantly from deep-sea cruises. A wealth of unknown diversity is still resting in museum collections, awaiting attention of one of the very few taxonomic experts. I met my first living solenogaster in 1999 during a field trip to Bermuda. In contrast to Tullberg I knew what I was seeing – educated by my previous thesis work focusing on more or less well-fixed African solenogaster material. Still, I was as fascinated with the strange beauty of these animals. Since 2006, I work in Bergen, Norway, with excellent collecting and culturing facilities and a rich aplacophoran fauna in the fjords just outside the city. In addition, I have access to a large material from Norwegian waters, from recent collection efforts and dating back to the early days of aplacophoran taxonomy. In my seminar talk I will summarize the status quo of knowledge on aplacophoran biodiversity and phylogenetic relationships and outline the planned work for my SYNTHESYS stay at the Natural History Museum (21.5 - 8.6.2012). This work will include testing the suitability of micro-computer-tomography for non-invasive identification of solenogaster museum material.

 

 

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Palaeontology Seminar

 

Trilobitomorph trunk segmentation: a tale of trilobites, myriapods and their genes

 

Javier Ortega-Hernández,

Department of Earth Sciences,

University of Cambridge

 

Thursday 10th May, 16:00
Neil Chalmers Seminar Room, DC2,

 

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Trilobites are some of the most common and abundant metazoans preserved in the fossil record, but little is known about the intrinsic mechanisms that orchestrate their body organization. The phylogenetic position of trilobites within total-group Euarthropoda, however, allows making inferences about the processes of segment formation in these extinct taxa, as some of the fundamental genetic processes for constructing the body segments are remarkably conserved among extant arthropods. In this talk I will tackle the problem of trilobite trunk segmentation by drawing comparisons with conserved mechanisms for tergite formation, and its associated gene expression, in extant representatives. The results obtained from studying the tergite development in the centipede Strigamia maritima revives old trilobite segmentation models, and suggest that these extinct arthropods had a considerable, and largely unsuspected, degree of developmental complexity.

 

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html

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Zoology Seminars


Evolutionary Aspects of Reproductive Biology and Morphology of Caecilian Amphibians (Gymnophiona)

 

Susanne Kühnel
Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Universität Jena

 

TUESDAY 15th May, 12pm

Neil Chalmers Science Seminar Room (DC.LG16)

 

 

Among extant vertebrates, caecilians are still considered one of the least-explored groups. This small clade of modern limbless amphibians has striking anatomical novelties and exhibits variable life histories including diverse modes of parity and parental care. All caecilian amphibians practice internal fertilization with the aid of a unique copulatory organ: the everted male cloaca. Since the caecilian cloaca is ontogenetically a part of the digestive system it is not a separate structure exclusively dedicated for reproduction, like e.g. the squamate hemipenis. Nevertheless, the male cloaca reveals a complex morphology being equipped with longitudinal ridges, tuberosities or crests and displays a high diversity among species. Here I present my work on general and functional morphology aspects of the male and female caecilian cloaca based on specimens housed in natural history museum collections. The recent comparative evolutionary study includes species representing the major clades and reproductive modes. It aims to reveal the evolution of specific genital morphologies and if morphological patterns are linked to reproductive modes or other life history and morphological aspects in this fascinating group of tetrapods.

 

For additional details on attending this or other seminars see http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html