Evolutionary biology: evidence for sympatric speciation?

Sympatric speciation is difficult to demonstrate in nature and remains a hotly debated issue. Barluenga et al. present a case of putative sympatric speciation for two cichlid species in the Nicaraguan crater lake Apoyo, but they overlook or reinterpret some key published information on the system. Although sympatric speciation is possible in theory, we show here that, when this information is taken into account, the results of Barluenga et al. do not provide conclusive evidence for sympatric speciation: this is because the null hypothesis of multiple invasion with introgression cannot be rejected.     

Geophysics: hot fluids or rock in eclogite metamorphism?

The mechanisms by which mafic rocks become converted to denser eclogite in the lower crust and mantle are fundamental to our understanding of subduction, mountain building and the long-term geochemical evolution of Earth. Based on larger-than-expected gradients in argon isotopes, Camacho et al. propose a new explanation--co-seismic injection of hot (700 degrees C) aqueous fluids into much colder (400 degrees C) crust--for the localized nature of eclogite metamorphism during Caledonian crustal thickening, as recorded in the rocks of Holsn?y in the Bergen arcs, western Norway. We have studied these unusual rocks, which were thoroughly dehydrated under granulite facies conditions during a Neoproterozoic event (about 945 million years (945 Myr) ago); we also concluded that fracture-hosted fluids were essential as catalysts and components in the conversion to eclogite about 425 Myr ago. However, we are sceptical of the assertion by Camacho et al. that eclogite temperatures were reached only in the vicinity of fluid-filled fractures. Determining whether these rocks were strong enough to fracture at depths of 50 km because they were cold or because they were very dry is crucial to understanding the mechanics of the lower crust in mountain belts, including, for example, the causes of seismicity in the Indian plate beneath the modern Himalayas.     

Mineralogical evidence for continental deep subduction

Diamond is an index mineral to prove ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphic conditions because it is only stable at the pressures above 3.3 GPa. Its occurrence in eclogite-facies metamorphic rocks suggests plate subduction to depths over 120 km assuming the normal gradient of lithostatic pressure. Because UHP eclogites are the metamorphic products of basaltic rocks, the occurrence of diamond in the eclogites demonstrates a complete geodynamic cycle in that mafic crustal rocks were subducted t…     

Pollen evidence of early human activities in Erhai basin, Yunnan Province

The evidence of human activities around Erhai Lake catchment was revealed by pollen records from a sediment core in the lake, northwest Yunnan Province. The chronologic sequence based on AMS ^14C data made it possible for pollen results to compare with archaeological records and historical documents. The preliminary deforestation started from the selective clearance at about 5500 ^14C a BP, marked by the loss of vertically distributed montane forest and the expansion of second pine woodland across the catchment. The deforestation resulted in the increase of surface runoff and the enhanced erosion in the catchment. The increased herbs of pasture and crop suggested the primitive agriculture and stockbreeding in study region. With the limited human activity, as well as the suitable climatic condition, second pine forest expanded quickly, resulting in the weakened soil erosion around the basin. The strong forest clearance inferred from pollen occurred since 2160 ^14C a BP, paralleling to the first dense immigration of population, when Yeyu County was first set up around west coast of Erhai Lake, documented in historic record. The development of agriculture led to the steady enhancement of soil erosion from farming land, increasing the input of fine materials and nutrients to the lake. Moreover, the serious deforestation by human activity stressed the vulnerability in ecosystem of the landscape. The time of primary anthropologic impact recorded from pollen is earlier than that of the oldest archaeological record by 1500 a (^14C year).     

Atomic-scale computer simulation for ternary alloy Ni-Cr-Al during early precipitation process

The aging behaviors of Ni-Cr-Al ternary alloy are studied at temperature 873 K based on the mean-field theory, and the early precipitation process is simulated at atomic-scale with microscopic phase-field model. The precipitation mechanism of the low supersaturated alloy Ni-12.2at.%Cr-7.8at.%Al is non-classical nucleation and growth, the L12 structure (Ni3Al) and D022 structure (Ni3Cr) phases precipitate simultaneously, a part of D022 phase transmits to L12 structure phase, and other part retains its previous structure. For high supersaturated alloy, congruent ordering appears first, then followed by spinodal decomposition, the nonstoicheometric ordered phases are produced in this process, which occurs before clustering. The precipitation mechanism of Ni-8at.%Cr-18at.%Al alloy is similar to Ni-10at.%Cr-12at.%Al alloy, but the ordering process of the former is ahead of the latter.