A new genus of velvety shore bugs, Pristinochterus gen. n., with one new species, Pristinochterus zhangi sp. n., are described. The specimens were collected from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation and Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in northeastern China. This finding represents the first record of fossil velvety shore bugs from China. Among the specimens, four well-preserved nymphs are reported for the first time. The placement of the new genus within Ochteridae is briefly discussed. A key to the world genera of Ochteridae is provided.
Soil moisture is the main limiting factor for vegetation growth at shell ridges in the Yellow River Delta of China. The objective of this study was to explore the soil moisture response of photosynthetic parameters and transpiration in Tamarix chinensis Lour., a dominant species of shell ridges. Leaf photosynthetic
light-response parameters and sap flow were measured across a gradient of relative soil water content (RWC), from drought (23%) to waterlogging (92%) conditions. Leaf photosynthetic efficiency and stem sap flow of T. chinensis showed a clear threshold response to soil moisture changes. Leaf net photosynthetic rate, water-use efficiency (WUE), light-saturation point, apparent quantum yield, maximum net photosynthetic rate, and dark respiration rate peaked at moderately high RWC, decreasing towards high and low values of RWC. However, peak or bottom RWC values substantially differed for various parameters. Excessively high or low RWC caused a significant reduction in the leaf photosynthetic capacity and WUE, while the high photosynthetic capacity and high WUE was obtained at RWC of 73%. With increasing waterlogging or drought stress, T. chinensis delayed the starting time for stem sap flow in the early morning and ended sap flow activity earlier during the day time in order to shorten a daily transpiration period and reduce the daily water consumption. The leaf photosynthetic capacity and WUE of T. chinensis were higher under drought stress than under waterlogging stress. Nevertheless, drought stress caused a larger reduction of daily water consumption compared to waterlogging, which was consistent with a higher drought tolerance and a poor tolerance to waterlogging in this species. This species was characterized by the low photosynthetic capacity and low WUE in the range of RWC between 44 and 92%. The RWC of 49-63% was the appropriate range of soil moisture for plant growth and efficient physiological water use of T. chinensis seedlings., J. B. Xia, Z. G. Zhao, J. K. Sun, J. T. Liu, Y. Y. Zhao., and Obsahuje bibliografii
There are five species of musk deer of the genus Moschus, in China, occurring in about 17 provinces. We estimate the total numbers in China to be between 220,000 and 320,000. In some areas the populations are in decline, and some are close to extinction due to over-hunting and habitat loss or degradation, the former being the primary threat to musk deer populations. To conserve musk deer, in situ protection should be improved, and the present unsustainable forest exploitation in the range areas should be halted. Poaching of musk deer, and smuggling of musk deer products, should be prevented. Domestic use of musk should be restricted. In some areas where musk deer have become extinct or are critically endangered, ex situ protection should be introduced. Musk deer farming should be revised and developed according to biological requirements.
Seven new species of chewing lice in the genus Resartor Gustafsson et Bush, 2017 are described and illustrated. They are: Resartor albofulvus sp. n. ex Heterophasia desgodinsi desgodinsi (Oustalet); Resartor apimimus sp. n. ex Heterophasia picaoides wrayi (Ogilvie-Grant); Resartor aterrimus sp. n. ex Minla ignotincta mariae La Touche; Resartor extraneus sp. n. ex Lioparus chrysotis swinhoii (Verreaux); Resartor guangxiensis sp. n. ex Trochalopteron milnei sinianum Stresemann; Resartor longisuturalis sp. n. ex Actinodura cyanouroptera wingatei (Ogilvie-Grant); Resartor seminudus sp. n. ex Leiothrix argentauris tahanensis (Yen). All species differ in the shape of the head, shape of the male genitalia and abdominal chaetotaxy. A checklist and a key to the species of Resartor are provided., Daniel Roland Gustafsson, Xingzhi Chu, Sarah Elizabeth Bush, Fasheng Zou., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present paper comprises a systematic survey of nematodes based on helminthological examinations of 176 specimens of freshwater fishes, belonging to 22 species, from central China (mostly lakes in Hubei Province) collected during the autumn of 2001. The following six species were recorded: Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) fulvidraconis Li, 1935, Camallanus cotti Fujita, 1927, Dentiphilometra monopteri Moravec et Wang, 2002, Pingus sinensis Hsü, 1933, Proleptinae gen. sp. larv., and Eustrongylides sp. larv. Data on their morphology, morphological variability, host range, prevalence, intensity and distribution are provided. SEM studies of P. fulvidraconis and larval Physalopterinae, used for the first time in these species, revealed some additional morphological details and made it possible to redescribe the former. In contrast to the existing description of P. fulvidraconis, this species was found to possess two spicules and a V-shaped gubernaculum with unequal arms (originally mistaken for the left spicule), as well as deirids, whose location can be considered an important taxonomic feature. Larvae of the Physalopterinae have not previously been reported from fishes in China. The finding of larval Eustrongylides in Paramisgurnus dabryanus represents a new host record. All but one nematode species from this zoogeographically interesting region are briefly described and illustrated.
Using Quantitative Linguistics as its theoretical context, this paper recognizes that every language in a speech community is subject to permanent diachronic alteration. Special language changes need to be investigated as if they abide by one of the established linguistic laws. The present paper demonstrates that three different processes in Chinese (substitution of voiced obstruents in the Shuang-feng dialect, increase of Chinese characters, increase of word lengths in the history of the Chinese language) follow the so-called logistic law, also known in linguistics as “Piotrowski’s law,” which once again appears to be universal.
Čínské periferie, často obývané množstvím různorodých nečínských etnik, byly hranicí mezi dvěma odlišnými světy. Čína se povašovala za nositelku civilizace, obyvatele příhraničních regionů vnímala jako součást neprostupné barbarské temnoty. Pohraničí bylo pro Čínu nesmírně důležitou, zároveň však problematickou oblastí. Císařský dvůr vyvíjel na periferie neustálý tlak, jímž se je snažil sevřít do svých kulturních a ideologických vzorců. Vlivní obyvatelé okrajových oblastí byli tímto mocenským centrem zjevně přitahování, sounáležitost s "civilizací" pro ně totiž otevírala mnoho nových ekonomických i politických možností, zároveň však nechtěli opustit své tradice a způsob života. Čína tak musela vyvinout zvláštní a pružný způsob vlády, aby tyto citlivé oblasti nepřímo ovládla a zároveň nemusela na jejich kontrolu vynakládat zbytečně mnoho ekonomických a vojenských prostředků., The present paper outlines the origins, changes and the development of systems of indirect rule in Southwest China. The final stage in the development of this political mechanism was the so-called "native chieftain system" (ch. tusi zhidu), through which the central court managed the peripheral regions of its empire during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The paper focuses on the development of these systems of indirect rule from the Zhou dynasty (11th century BC) to the beginning of the 20th century. The native chieftain system was a turning point in the history of the approach to indirect rule, which was implemented by the Mongolians in the 13th century. They took advantage of the Chinese experience with the "haltered and bridled prefectures system" (Ch. jimi zhidu) adding their own features. During the Ming and Qing dynasties many native chieftains (ch. tusi) were agents of the court, through whom the process of sinicization, and therefore colonization, was practiced. These processes were de facto copleted in the first half of the 18th century, during the role of the emperor Yongzheng. The paper further concludes that many of the features of modern national policy of the PRC were inherited from the political and geographical structure of the native chieftain system. Within the paper, relevant terminology has been translated into Czech in order to support future research initiatives., Jan Karlach., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The altitudinal effects on photosynthesis were measured on progenies of three populations of Rosa platyacantha Schrenk from altitudes of 1,170 (L); 1,580 (M); and 1,920 (H) m a. s. l. During the day, net photosynthetic rate (PN) decreased in all populations due to the high air temperature in the summer. The H population showed a significantly lower PN at noon compared to other populations. The midday depression of PN occurred in L and M populations due to stomatal limitations, while PN inhibition was associated with PSII activity decline in the H population. In order to avoid photodamage, the plants of H population triggered active antioxidant defenses with a higher enzyme activity and redox ratio of ascorbate at midday compared to the L and M populations. However, more oxidative injury still occurred in the H plants at noon due to higher lipid peroxidation. Our results indicated that the provenance significantly affected photosynthesis in R. platyacantha from northwestern China., S. H. Yang, J. J. Wei, H. Ge., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Acanthocephalans are a small group of obligate endoparasites. They and rotifers are recently placed in a group called Syndermata. However, phylogenetic relationships within classes of acanthocephalans, and between them and rotifers, have not been well resolved, possibly due to the lack of molecular data suitable for such analysis. In this study, the mitochondrial (mt) genome was sequenced from Pallisentis celatus (Van Cleave, 1928), an acanthocephalan in the class Eoacanthocephala, an intestinal parasite of rice-field eel, Monopterus albus (Zuiew, 1793), in China. The complete mt genome sequence of P. celatus is 13855 bp long, containing 36 genes including 12 protein‑coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) as reported for other acanthocephalan species. All genes are encoded on the same strand and in the same direction. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that acanthocephalans are closely related with a clade containing bdelloids, which then correlates with the clade containing monogononts. The class Eoacanthocephala, containing P. celatus and Paratenuisentis ambiguus (Van Cleave, 1921) was closely related to the Palaeacanthocephala. It is thus indicated that acanthocephalans may be just clustered among groups of rotifers. However, the resolving of phylogenetic relationship among all classes of acanthocephalans and between them and rotifers may require further sampling and more molecular data.