The two species of Veratrum in Thailand, V. mengtzeanum and V. chiengdaoense, are supported as conspecific with a detailed morphological study. Two distinct subspecies of V. mengzeanum s.l. are defined based on morphology and distribution, and a new subspecies, Veratrum mengzeanum subsp. phuwae is described. Conservation assessments are provided for both subspecies.

To garner information regarding site of infection and age and sex of persons infected with Salmonella enterica subspecies II-IV, we retrospectively analyzed data on Salmonella spp. infections in California, USA, 1985-2009. These subspecies were found to cause significantly more frequent invasive disease (e.g., bacteremia) than did Salmonella subspecies I strains.

The genus Ononis,embraces more than 85 species worldwide. In the present study, materials of two subspecies of O. spinosa from different localities of Iran alongside some other native species of the genus were included in phylogenetic analyses. In addition, over 50 accessions were obtained from GenBank. In order to clarify the exact number of subspecies of O. spinosa in Iran, datasets were obta...

Both genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity might be expected to affect the location of geographic range limits. Co-gradient variation (CoGV), plasticity that is congruent with genetic differentiation, may enhance performance at range margins, whereas its opposite, counter-gradient variation (CnGV) may hinder performance. Here we report findings of reciprocal transplant experiments i...

Melozone biarcuata (Prevost's Ground-sparrow) has traditionally been divided into two allopatric groups based on differences in vocalizations and plumage characteristics: M. b. cabanisi in Costa Rica and M. b. biarcuata/M. b. hartwegi in northern Central America. However, the relationship between these subspecies has not been studied using a modern taxonomic approach. In this study, our objecti...

The leopard's (Panthera pardus) broad geographic range, remarkable adaptability, and secretive nature have contributed to a misconception that this species might not be severely threatened across its range. We find that not only are several subspecies and regional populations critically endangered but also the overall range loss is greater than the average for terrestrial large carnivores. To a...

The water deer (Hydropotes inermis) has conventionally been classified into two subspecies according to geographic distribution and pelage color pattern: H. i. inermis from China and H. i. argyropus from Korea. However, the results of a recent molecular study have called this into question. To further reappraise this classification, we examined morphological variation in craniodental measuremen...

Sister taxa with distinct phenotypes often occupy contrasting environments in parapatric ranges, yet we generally do not know whether trait divergence reflects spatially varying selection. We conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment to test whether selection favors "native phenotypes" in two subspecies of Clarkia xantiana (Onagraceae), an annual plant in California. For four quantitative tr...

Complex signaling traits such as pheromone profiles can play an important role in the early stages of reproductive isolation between populations. These signals can diverge along multiple trait axes, and signal receivers are often sensitive to subtle differences in signal properties. In the Lepidoptera, prior research has highlighted that natural selection can drive rapid chemical signal diverge...

The spv operon is common to all Salmonella virulence plasmids. DNA hybridization analysis indicates that the spv region is limited in distribution to serovars of Salmonella enterica subspecies I, II, IIIa, IV, and VII and is absent from Salmonella bongori isolates. Among strains of subspecies II, IIIa, and VII, all isolates examined contained sequences that hybridized with the spv region. Howev...