Complexity in Polyploid Species Origin and Establishment: Arctostaphylos mewukka (Ericaceae)

Lineage recombination is an important source of genetic and morphological variation in species-rich groups of plants. Tetraploids that are intermediate in morphology and ecology with respect to sympatric diploids are regularly hypothesized to be the products of hybridization. Arctostaphylos mewukka is one such intermediate tetraploid long regarded as the result of hybridization and genome duplication among divergent and geographically overlapping diploids widely distributed across the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Here we set out to test this hypothesis leveraging the notion that allopolyploids arise repetitively and may show signs of reciprocal organellar exchange among species between maternal and paternal progenitors. We compared nuclear ribosomal and plastid sequence data acquired from samples within and outside this target species complex. Molecular sequence data show striking patterns indicative of widespread reticulation and chloroplast captureevents across the genus Arctostaphylos. Results support the notion that outcrossing, long-lived woody plant species such as members of the genus Arctostaphylos can retain a secured morphological identity despite ongoing influence of interspecific gene flow that would otherwise render speciesboundaries vulnerable to dissolution.

Massimo Quaini, la passione per la cartografia storica con uno sguardo rivolto al futuro

The essay traces back the scientific dialogue between the author and Massimo Quaini about the contemporary usefulness of the geographer-cartographer figure, perfected during the period of the great absolute monarchies. In this path, which ranges among memories, literature, poetry, the story of the elaboration of the Charter celebrating the historical-morphological identity of the Levanto territory drawn up during the elaboration of the Levanto PUC finds space. In the text, Quaini’s fundamental contribution emerges in highlighting the historical cartographer as a mediator of knowledge, an aspect that is necessary today to recover in order to create an urban planning account capable of putting at the centre of the project the place, in its various expressive forms, and the settled community.

Reviving the Urban Water-Edge: History and Heritage Morphology in the Envisaging of Chittagong City

Ancient settlements were dependent on the availability of water for sustainable living, ritual values, and economic purposes. Today, many Tropical Asian cities provide examples of urban settlements within water landscapes, yet these cities struggle with water issues, and face challenges in creating a contextual morphological identity. This paper explores urban waterfront heritage through a case study of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The city is experiencing rapid unplanned urbanisation, insensitive land use and the demolition of historical buildings along waterways, which in turn has created a contextual crisis in the built environment and social living. To explore the relationship of built heritage with the water-edge, this paper examines historical architectural styles using urban morphological codes. Results show that the historical orientations, accessibility, and functions of heritage buildings are explicitly and sensitively connected with the water-edge. The paper argues that physical and spatial components of urban structure and water landscape, incorporating the lessons of urban history, could become a tool to preserve urban heritage. However, to enhance the image of the city in a sustainable manner along water-edges, it is crucial to use the potentiality of water landscape with the heritage-based morphologies in current urban design and development practices.

Chromosomal Radiation: a model to explain karyotypic diversity in cryptic species

ABSTRACTWe present a concept that summarizes the pattern of occurrence of widely distributed organisms with large chromosomal diversity, low molecular divergence, and the absence of morphological identity. Our model is based on cytogenetic and molecular data of four populations of the siluriform Hypostomus ancistroides presented in this study in comparison with those of 15 other previously described populations but is applicable to any group of sister species, chronospecies, or cryptic species. Through the evaluation of karyotype macrostructure and physical location of genes, in addition to phylogenetic reconstructions from mitochondrial and nuclear genes, we observed morphologically indistinguishable individuals presenting different locally fixed karyomorphs with phylogeographic discontinuity. The process behind this pattern seen in many groups of cryptic species, in which variation lies mainly in the organization of their genomes but not necessarily in the ecosystems they inhabit or in their external morphology, is similar to the processes behind other events observed in the distribution of lineages. In this work we explain this pattern through the hypothesis of the existence of a process analogous to ecological-evolutionary radiation, the chromosomal radiation, which can be adaptive or non-adaptive, and explore the possibility of applying the concept of chromosomal radiation to different groups of organisms.

The Morphology of the Traditional Fallujah Market between 1870 and 1958

This study analyses the regional and autonomous components of the emergence and development of the traditional market of the city of Fallujah, initially a simple and modest commercial centre that evolved into a major urban hub by the end of the Ottoman empire. In particular, the article considers the use of traditional Arab architectural styles where, owing to the lack of modern methods of lighting, heating and cooling, architects sought to utilise the sun, moon and air currents. The role of the city as a vital nexus in the region;s transport infrastructure is also considered, as these transport links served as a catalytic external force which drove the expansion of the Fallujah marketplace and profoundly im[acted its urban identity. By studying the morphological reality of the market of the city of Fallujah in terms of origin and internal composition as well as urban fabric, this study hopes to offer new insights into the morphological identity of the city. It was necessary to follow and adopt a methodology for research through the descriptive-analytical method based on the collection of information, both from the sources that addressed the city and field study through direct observation and question the people of the city, especially the centenarians and officials in the municipality and a questionnaire. Keywords: Architectural styles, Khans, Fallujah market, commercial establish- ments, morphology

Locality and Logophoricity

Anaphors such as English herself, French elle-même, and Mandarin ziji are usually claimed to obey locality requirements stated by Condition A of Binding Theory. But we observe that in various languages, the same anaphors can be exempt from these locality requirements under certain conditions. The goal of this book is to describe and explain this widespread dual behavior of anaphors on the basis of French, English, Mandarin, Korean, and Icelandic. First, several strategies are proposed for distinguishing between the two possible behaviors of anaphors. Plain instances of anaphors require local and exhaustive binding, as well as sloppy readings in ellipsis. Exempt instances of anaphors, however, only require a logophorical interpretation, that is, to occur in phrases expressing the first-personal, mental perspective of their antecedent. Second, a new theory of exempt anaphora is proposed, which consists in deriving all properties distinguishing exempt from plain anaphors to one: the presence of a silent, syntactically represented logophoric operator introducing a local, perspectival binder for superficially exempt anaphors. This hypothesis parsimoniously reduces exempt to plain anaphors obeying Condition A, thus directly accounting for the cross-linguistically widespread morphological identity of plain and exempt anaphors. Under this proposal, the reason why exempt anaphors appear to escape locality requirements is that their binder is implicit, and their mandatory logophoric interpretation derives from the nature of this binder. Finally, several diagnostics are provided for testing the hypothesis that so-called long-distance anaphors can be analyzed just like exempt instances of anaphors.

Raphia vinifera (Arecaceae; Calamoideae): Misidentified for far too long

The genus Raphia (Arecaceae/Palmae) is the most economically and culturally important genus of African palms. With over 20 recognized species, it is also the most diversified among tropical African palms. However, significant taxonomic confusion still persists in the genus. Raphia vinifera P.Beauv. is one of the first two names described in the genus, but the species has been misidentified and confused for several decades. We clarify the taxonomic identity of R. vinifera. We retrace the taxonomic history of the name and clarify its morphological identity using the literature and type material. We synonymize the name R. mambillensis with R. vinifera. We provide a new detailed morphological description of R. vinifera based on the study of herbarium material and field data. A distribution map is also provided. Raphia vinifera is still incompletely known, and more research should be undertaken on this species' presence and ecology, especially in West Africa.

GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES OF KAZAKHSTAN AS INDICATORS OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

The article deals with carrying out DNA barcoding of aquatic invertebrates of Kazakhstan to identify their taxonomic status as organic pollution indicators. 33 species of the Balkhash-Alakol basin and the Zhayik river were analyzed. 21 species correlate (95-100%) with previously published sequences of invertebrates with well-known classifications in the GenBank and BOLD databases. The taxonomic discrepancy in morphometric and genetic parameters in certain species has been revealed. The discrepancy may be caused by the morphological identity in chironomids at a larval stage. The phylogenetic trees of the investigated species within the families Chironomidae and Moinidae have been indicated. Chironomids are represented by ten clades of different types of genetic polymorphism of DNA gene. Genetic links of Moinidae are detected in four groups including a cryptic species from Lake Alakol. It has been stated that in distribution of cryptic taxons in Moina family factors of salinity and depth of the lake are important, as well as differences in depth. Molecular DNA-barcoding of invertebrates of Kazakhstan should be continued with covering a greater number of species and several replications, with qualified primary fixation of subjects of research and a sufficient number of samples. Authenticity of composition defining, species abundance, species characteristics of aquatic invertebrates from the water bodies of poorly explored arid regions is necessary for using them as indicators of the ecological status of water bodies.