Myrmornis torquata has often been considered an intermediate form between the ground antbirds and the typical antbirds. Although molecular phylogenies have consistently placed M. torquata in the Thamnophilidae (typical antbirds), this species has not been the subject of a thorough anatomical study, and no phylogeny based on morphological characters has been published. We undertook a cladistic m...

Previous genetic studies suggest Cape Cod, MA, as a phylogenetic break for benthic marine invertebrates; however, diffuse sampling in this area has hindered fine-scale determination of the break's location and underlying causes. Furthermore, some species exhibit breaks in different places, and others exhibit no breaks in this region. We analyze the phylogeographic patterns of 2 mitochondrial ge...

Turban snails (family Turbinidae) are gastropod molluscs that are harvested for human consumption yet little is known about the nutritional properties of these snails, particularly from Australian waters. This study compares the proximate composition (ash, moisture, protein, and lipid content), fatty acid profiles, mineral, and trace element content of three species of turbinid snails; Turbo mi...

Belted kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) are predators in many North American aquatic ecosystems; as such, they are prone to bioaccumulation of certain environmental contaminants. In 2002 and 2004, kingfisher eggs collected near the upper Hudson River in New York had elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the kingfisher population in this area was reported to be at risk ...

The Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata) is a secretive snake that is rarely encountered. Subsequently, little is known about the ecology of this species. Since it was first collected in 1943 in Washington State, few ( 40) specimens have been found. From May to October 2004 and 2005, I collected 121 specimens from 8 counties in eastern Washington State by road-cruising appropriate habitat. Snakes ...

Patchiness of habitat has important influences on distributions and abundances of organisms. Given the increasing threat of loss and alteration of habitats due to pressures associated with humans, there is a need for ecologists to understand species' requirements for habitat and to predict changes to taxa under various future environmental conditions. This study tested hypotheses about the gene...

Various viewpoints were proposed to explain the causes of recent years’ severe drought occurred in Yunnan and Guizhou, China. In general there are two parties of viewpoints, the Eucalyptus cause and climate change cause. I think Yunnan-Guizhou drought has been mainly caused by abnormal climate change. Eucalyptus was not significant in the formation of Yunnan-Guizhou drought. However, the forest...