Nonea Medik. is a genus of the Boraginaceae tribe Boragineae, with approximately 35 species worldwide. Examination of their palynological characters supported the separation of taxa, which is usually based on morphological and micromorphological reproductive features. Pollen grains of 10 taxa representing three groups of taxa in Iran, the N. caspica group, the N. persica group and the N. lutea ...

The hyoid apparati of 25 geoemydid species in 16 genera (including aquatic, semiterrestrial and terrestrial taxa) are compared, and for Cuora galbinifrons bourreti ontogenetic development of the hypoid apparatus is described. Generally, ossification of the hyoid apparatus increases with age. The majority of terrestrial species maintain cartilaginous or partially cartilaginous hyoid bodies and s...

Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) is a threatened pheasant species endemic to China. The habitat use of territorial male birds was surveyed by the help of live decoys in a core area of Dongzhai National Nature Reserve. The breeding habitat selection of this pheasant was examined at two scales (115 m and 250 m scale, i.e. 4.15 hm(2 ) and 19.63 hm(2 ), respectively), including the character...

Almost all extant testudinids are highly associated with terrestrial habitats and the few tortoises with high affinity to aquatic environments are found within the genus Manouria. Manouria belongs to a clade which forms a sister taxon to all remaining tortoises and is suitable as a model for studying evolutionary transitions within modern turtles. We analysed the feeding behaviour of Manouria e...

Macroalgae are considered as primary producers in ecosystem food chain. This study investigated spatial and temporal variation of three species of macroalgae namely, Laurencia caspica (red macroalga) Enteromorpha intestinalis and Cladophora glomerata (green macroalgae) on the hard substrates of the southern Caspian Sea coasts and their relation with environmental factors. Seasonal sampling pref...

Establishing how invasive species impact upon pre-existing species is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology. The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) is an invasive species in Ireland that was first recorded in 2007 and which, according to initial data, may be limiting the abundance/distribution of the pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus), previously Ireland's only shrew ...