First skulls of the early Eocene primate Shoshonius cooperi and the anthropoid-tarsier dichotomy

The phylogenetic relationships of living tarsiers and extinct omomyid primates are critical for deciphering the origin and relationships of primate higher taxa, particularly anthropoids. Three competing phylogenetic hypotheses are: (1) tarsiers are most closely related to early Cenozoic Omomyidae, particularly genera such as Necrolemur from the late Eocene of Europe; (2) tarsiers share a more recent common ancestry with anthropoids than they do with any known omomyid; (3) tarsiers and/or omomyids are most closely related to strepsirhines. The anatomy of four skulls of the early Eocene omomyid Shoshonius cooperi--the first cranial material recovered for this genus--strongly suggests that Shoshonius shares a more recent common ancestry with Tarsius than do either anthropoids or other Eocene omomyids for which cranial anatomy is known. If the primate suborder Haplorhini (anthropoids, omomyids, tarsiids) is monophyletic, the phylogenetic position of Shoshonius requires that anthropoids and Tarsius diverged by at least the early Eocene, some 15 million years before the first appearance of anthropoids in the fossil record.     

Interrelationships among primate higher taxa

One of the most controversial issues in primate palaeontology concerns the phylogenetic position of the extinct primate infraorder Adapiformes. During the Eocene, this group of primates of modern aspect possessed a holarctic distribution, and may have been present in the poorly known Palaeogene of Africa. Mainly on the basis of craniodental morphology, at least four hypotheses have been proposed concerning the phylogenetic interrelationships among adapiforms and other primate higher taxa: (1) that adapiforms are ancestral to both lemuriforms (including Lorisoidea) and anthropoids; (2) that adapiforms cannot be shown to possess a special phylogenetic relationship with either lemuriforms or anthropoids; (3) that adapiforms are the sister taxon of lemuriforms; and (4) that Adapiformes is not a natural, monophyletic group, but rather consists of nested clades within the radiation of lemuriforms. Here, we describe features of the ankle and wrist joints of several adapiform taxa that provide an independent test of the preceding hypotheses. These traits suggest that lemuriforms are monophyletic with respect to known adapiforms, but that adapiforms nevertheless are their stem lineage (sensu Ax).     

The oldest known anthropoid postcranial fossils and the early evolution of higher primates

The middle Eocene primate family Eosimiidae, which is known from sites in central and eastern China and Myanmar, is central to efforts to reconstruct the origin and early evolution of anthropoid or 'higher' primates (monkeys, apes and humans). Previous knowledge of eosimiid anatomy has been restricted to the dentition and an isolated petrosal bone, and this limited anatomical information has led to conflicting interpretations of early anthropoid phylogeny. Here we describe foot bones of Eosimias from the same middle Eocene sites in China that yield abundant dental remains of this primate. Tarsals of Eosimias show derived anatomical traits that are otherwise restricted to living and fossil anthropoids. These new fossils substantiate the anthropoid status of Eosimias and clarify the phylogenetic position of anthropoids with respect to other major primate clades. Early anthropoids possessed a mosaic of primitive and derived traits in their postcranial skeletons, reflecting their derivation from haplorhine ancestors that retained many prosimian-like features.     

Late Eocene of Burma yields earliest anthropoid primate, Pondaungia cotteri.

In April 1978, a fragment of a primate lower jaw containing the second and third molar teeth was found in late Eocene exposures of the Pondaung Hills about 1 mile north-west of Mogaung village in northwestern Central Burma. This approximately 40-Myr-old specimen is the first fossil primate found in Burma since the fragmentary remains of the controversial earliest anthropoids Pondaungia cotteri Pilgrim and Amphipithecus mogaungensis Colbert were recovered more than 50 yr ago. The jaw described here is believed to represent further evidence of P. cotteri. Its recovery from undoubled late Eocene exposures coupled with its salient higher primate characters and excellent state of preservation provides the opportunity to substantiate further that the Pondaung primates of Burma are the earliest known record of the Anthropoidea.     

Late middle Eocene epoch of Libya yields earliest known radiation of African anthropoids

Reconstructing the early evolutionary history of anthropoid primates is hindered by a lack of consensus on both the timing and biogeography of anthropoid origins. Some prefer an ancient (Cretaceous) origin for anthropoids in Africa or some other Gondwanan landmass, whereas others advocate a more recent (early Cenozoic) origin for anthropoids in Asia, with subsequent dispersal of one or more early anthropoid taxa to Africa. The oldest undoubted African anthropoid primates described so far are three species of the parapithecid Biretia from the late middle Eocene Bir El Ater locality of Algeria and the late Eocene BQ-2 site in the Fayum region of northern Egypt. Here we report the discovery of the oldest known diverse assemblage of African anthropoids from the late middle Eocene Dur At-Talah escarpment in central Libya. The primate assemblage from Dur At-Talah includes diminutive species pertaining to three higher-level anthropoid clades (Afrotarsiidae, Parapithecidae and Oligopithecidae) as well as a small species of the early strepsirhine primate Karanisia. The high taxonomic diversity of anthropoids at Dur At-Talah indicates either a much longer interval of anthropoid evolution in Africa than is currently documented in the fossil record or the nearly synchronous colonization of Africa by multiple anthropoid clades at some time during the middle Eocene epoch.     

乌鲁木齐河流域植物区系研究

发源于天格尔峰北坡1号冰川的乌鲁木齐河,在中、高山带汇聚数十条大小山泉、溪流,由南向东北流经乌鲁木齐市,最后注入位于古尔班通古特沙漠南缘的东道海子,全长220余km。经笔者多年的调查和文献查阅,现已初步查明,乌鲁木齐河流域分布的野生维管束植物有92科500属1424种(含亚种、变种),其中蕨类植物10科15属28种,裸子植物3科3属12种,被子植物(双子叶植物64科402属1089种,单子叶植物15科80属295种)79科482属1384种。对该流域分布的种子植物区系进行分布区类型分析表明,首先是北温带分布及地中海区、西亚至中亚分布及变型的比重最大,共有258属,占该地区种子植物总属数的60.01%。其次为旧大陆温带分布及中亚分布及其变型,有116属,占该地区种子植物总属数的26.97%、再次为温带亚洲分布的有20属,占该地区种子植物总属数的4.65%。东亚分布及其变型有7属,占该地区种子植物总属数的1.63%。东亚和北美洲间断分布的仅有2属,占该地区种子植物总属数的0.47%。上述分析表明该地区植物区系与地中海—西亚—中亚及旧大陆温带交流最多,其次与全热带及温带亚洲和东亚有一定的交流,而与东亚和北美洲及旧世界热带和热带亚洲至热带非洲交流最少。     

Fossil evidence for an ancient divergence of lorises and galagos

Morphological, molecular, and biogeographic data bearing on early primate evolution suggest that the clade containing extant (or 'crown') strepsirrhine primates (lemurs, lorises and galagos) arose in Afro-Arabia during the early Palaeogene, but over a century of palaeontological exploration on that landmass has failed to uncover any conclusive support for that hypothesis. Here we describe the first demonstrable crown strepsirrhines from the Afro-Arabian Palaeogene--a galagid and a possible lorisid from the late middle Eocene of Egypt, the latter of which provides the earliest fossil evidence for the distinctive strepsirrhine toothcomb. These discoveries approximately double the previous temporal range of undoubted lorisiforms and lend the first strong palaeontological support to the hypothesis of an ancient Afro-Arabian origin for crown Strepsirrhini and an Eocene divergence of extant lorisiform families.     

A fossil owl monkey from La Venta, Colombia

Knowledge of the evolutionary history of living New World anthropoids is limited by a relatively poor fossil record. The discovery in 1986 of a new fossil monkey from the middle Miocene deposits of La Venta, Colombia, 12-15 million years ago (Myr BP), is the first example of a living New World monkey genus appearing in Tertiary rocks. Including anatomical evidence of the dentition and facial skull, it provides an unambiguous link between a Neogene fossil and the owl monkey, Aotus, the only modern crepuscular-nocturnal anthropoid primate. This new form brings to three the number of La Venta fossil monkeys which preserve excellent dentitions sharing extensive similarities with modern genera. All of these species are potentially ancestral to their extant relatives. The La Ventan Aotus is additional support for the idea that the modern platyrrhine radiation includes long-lived genera or generic lineages, some of which may be traceable to the early Miocene, 20 Myr BP.     

An African primate lentivirus (SIVsm) closely related to HIV-2

The ancestors of the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) may have evolved from a reservoir of African nonhuman primate lentiviruses, termed simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV). None of the SIV strains characterized so far are closely related to HIV-1. HIV-2, however, is closely related to SIV (SIVmac) isolated from captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). SIV infection of feral Asian macaques has not been demonstrated by serological surveys. Thus, macaques may have acquired SIV in captivity by cross-species transmission from an SIV-infected African primate. Sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys), an African primate species indigenous to West Africa, however, are infected with SIV (SIVsm) both in captivity and in the wild (P. Fultz, personal communication). We have molecularly cloned and sequenced SIVsm and report here that it is closely related to SIVmac and HIV-2. These results suggest that SIVsm has infected macaques in captivity and humans in West Africa and evolved as SIVmac and HIV-2, respectively.     

赣南师范学院黄金校区木本植物多样性特点分析

赣南师范学院黄金校区木本植物种类丰富,有70科150属237种。根据各科所含种数统计,划分为4个等级:大型科(≥20种)、小型科(10～19种)、寡种科(2～9种)、单种科(1种),校园木本植物中寡种科所占比例最高,单种科次之,分别占总科数的57.1%和35.7%。各属所含种数进行统计,将其分为3个等级:多种属(≥6种)、寡种属(2～5种)、单种属(1种),单种属所占比例最高,寡种属次之,分别占总属数的64.3%和33.3%。从长势看,以蔷薇科Rosaceae、棕榈科Palmae、桑科Moraceae、榕属Ficus、含笑属Michelia等类群所含种类多且生长较好,是校园栽培最成功的类群。另外,本校区木本植物区系地理成分复杂,热带性质显著,热带成分共79属,占总属数的52.8%;间断成分有32属,占总属数的22.1%。中国特有分布植物有8属,比例较低,仅占该类型中国特有属数的3.1%。热带、亚热带成分在校园生长较好,少部分东亚成分和温带成分在校园表现出较适应的生长势。     

Ancient co-speciation of simian foamy viruses and primates

Although parasite-host co-speciation is a long-held hypothesis, convincing evidence for long-term co-speciation remains elusive, largely because of small numbers of hosts and parasites studied and uncertainty over rates of evolutionary change. Co-speciation is especially rare in RNA viruses, in which cross-species transfer is the dominant mode of evolution. Simian foamy viruses (SFVs) are ubiquitous, non-pathogenic retroviruses that infect all primates. Here we test the co-speciation hypothesis in SFVs and their primate hosts by comparing the phylogenies of SFV polymerase and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II from African and Asian monkeys and apes. The phylogenetic trees were remarkably congruent in both branching order and divergence times, strongly supporting co-speciation. Molecular clock calibrations revealed an extremely low rate of SFV evolution, 1.7 x 10(-8) substitutions per site per year, making it the slowest-evolving RNA virus documented so far. These results indicate that SFVs might have co-speciated with Old World primates for at least 30 million years, making them the oldest known vertebrate RNA viruses.     

神农架珍稀濒危植物区系的研究

在神农架种子植物中，被列入国家重点保护的珍稀濒危植物３９种，属一级重点保护的１种，二级１６种，三级２２种。从种的地理分布和属的分布区类型的分析可以看出，该区系与西南联系密切，具有显著的温带性质，并含有众多的古老成分。     

陕西菊科观赏植物种质资源和区系的研究

陕西省菊科观赏植物种质资源丰富,共有３２属４６种．区系成分多样,其中温带成分有７属,占２１．９％;热带成分有６属,占１８．７％;世界分布有３属,占９．３％;地中海—西亚—中亚分布有３属,占９．３％;东亚分布有３属,占９．３％;外来栽培属有１０个,占３１．６％．可见,陕西菊科观赏植物区系成分中温带性质明显,热带分布占相当的比例．     

Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and environmental changes

Major progress, problems, and challenges of recent investigation of the Tibetan Plateau uplift processes and resulting environmental changes are reviewed and summarized briefly, which especially covers the National Tibetan Research Projects of the Chinese Eighth (1992-1996) and Ninth (1997-2001) "Five-Year Projects". The Tibetan Plateau uplift is a complicated multiple cyclic process. The Gangdise and Himalayas began to uplift in the Middle Eocene and Early Miocene respectively, while the main part of the Plateau merely underwent corresponding passive deformation and secular denudation, resulting in two planation surfaces. The third and also the strongest uplift involved the whole Plateau and its marginal mountains commenced at 3.6 Ma. Successive Kunlun-Huanghe movement at 1.1-0.6 Ma and Gonghe movement at 0.15 Ma raised the Plateau to its present height. The Asian monsoonal system and Asian natural environment formed in response to these tectonic uplifts.     

Human immunodeficiency viruses: SIV infection in wild gorillas

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) from west central Africa are recognized as the reservoir of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVcpzPtt) that have crossed at least twice to humans: this resulted in the AIDS pandemic (from human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 group M) in one instance and infection of just a few individuals in Cameroon (by HIV-1 group N) in another. A third HIV-1 lineage (group O) from west central Africa also falls within the SIVcpzPtt radiation, but the primate reservoir of this virus has not been identified. Here we report the discovery of HIV-1 group O-like viruses in wild gorillas.     

越南植物区系与中国热带和西马来西亚植物区系的关系

越南植物区系以热带分布的科和属为其主体成分,是热带性质的植物区系,属于热带亚洲植物区系的一部分,但带有大陆东南亚热带北缘性质和特点,与热带亚洲核心区植物区系有一定差异.在与中国热带北缘和马来西亚地区植物区系的比较上,越南植物区系与海南植物区系科相似性达90.8%,属相似性达85.7%,与马来半岛植物区系科相似性达94%,属相似性达69.4%.无论在优势科还是在代表科的组成上,越南植物区系都与中国热带北缘植物区系最接近,同属于热带亚洲植物区系的热带北缘类型.     

山西历山自然保护区苔藓植物的后续研究

继2003年钟海秀对历山自然保护区苔藓植物作研究之后,本文再次对该区苔藓植物进行了采集鉴定,结果表明历山自然保护区有苔藓植物共计21科35属45种.与钟海秀的研究有10科24属42种不同,其中1科2属2种为山西省新纪录.区系成分以北温带成分为主,占总数的62.16%,温带亚洲成分次之,占16.22%.热带亚洲、旧世界热带等成分的少量存在,又反映了本区苔藓植物区系的热带残遗性和古老性,说明历山自然保护区苔藓植物区系成分具有由亚热带向暖温带过渡的明显特点.     

Primate eta-globin DNA sequences and man's place among the great apes

Molecular studies indicate that chimpanzee and gorilla are the closest relatives of man (refs 1-7 and refs therein). The small molecular distances found point to late ancestral separations, with the most recent being between chimpanzee and man, as judged by DNA hybridization. Kluge and Schwartz contest these conclusions: morphological characters group a chimpanzee-gorilla clade with the Asian ape orang-utan in Kluge's cladistic study and with an orang-utan-human clade in Schwartz's study. Clearly, extensive sequencing of nuclear DNA is needed to resolve by cladistic analysis the branching order within Hominoidea. Towards this goal, we are sequencing orthologues of the primate psi eta-globin locus. Here, we compare the newly completed sequences of orang-utan and rhesus monkey with human, chimpanzee, gorilla, owl monkey, lemur and goat orthologues. Our findings substantially increase the evidence indicative of a human-chimpanzee-gorilla clade with ancestral separations around 8 to 6 Myr ago. We also verify that neutral hominoid DNA evolved at markedly retarded rates.     

广西花坪国家级自然保护区蕨类植物区系研究

在野外调查和室内标本整理的基础上,对花坪国家级自然保护区蕨类植物区系进行调查研究,分析蕨类植物区系的摹本组成、分布类型以及生态类型.调查结果显示,该区有蕨类植物44科、88属、207种(包括种下单位),其中鳞毛蕨科(Dryopteridaceae)、水龙骨科(Polypodiaceae)、金星蕨科(Thelypteri...     

The Cenozoic palaeoenvironment of the Arctic Ocean

The history of the Arctic Ocean during the Cenozoic era (0-65 million years ago) is largely unknown from direct evidence. Here we present a Cenozoic palaeoceanographic record constructed from >400 m of sediment core from a recent drilling expedition to the Lomonosov ridge in the Arctic Ocean. Our record shows a palaeoenvironmental transition from a warm 'greenhouse' world, during the late Palaeocene and early Eocene epochs, to a colder 'icehouse' world influenced by sea ice and icebergs from the middle Eocene epoch to the present. For the most recent approximately 14 Myr, we find sedimentation rates of 1-2 cm per thousand years, in stark contrast to the substantially lower rates proposed in earlier studies; this record of the Neogene reveals cooling of the Arctic that was synchronous with the expansion of Greenland ice (approximately 3.2 Myr ago) and East Antarctic ice (approximately 14 Myr ago). We find evidence for the first occurrence of ice-rafted debris in the middle Eocene epoch (approximately 45 Myr ago), some 35 Myr earlier than previously thought; fresh surface waters were present at approximately 49 Myr ago, before the onset of ice-rafted debris. Also, the temperatures of surface waters during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum (approximately 55 Myr ago) appear to have been substantially warmer than previously estimated. The revised timing of the earliest Arctic cooling events coincides with those from Antarctica, supporting arguments for bipolar symmetry in climate change.