The Cape (CFR) is an exceptional centre plant This diversity is concentrated in a profusion geographically restricted endemic species within a The CFR is a rich and dynamic for the molecular study of speciation, but until recently studies have focused on factors influencing diversification of whole lineages, than on details the speciation process within and between species pairs.

The Cape (CFR) is an exceptional centre plant This diversity is concentrated in a profusion geographically restricted endemic species within a The CFR is a rich and dynamic for the molecular study of speciation, but until recently studies have focused on factors influencing diversification of whole lineages, than on details the speciation process within and between species pairs.

The Response of mobile intertidal invertebrates to subsistence harvesting in Northern KwaZulu Natal was investigated. Spatial scale comparisons were made between as well as within harvested and non-harvested locations. The difference in three population variables was investigated: i) abundance of species groups. ii) size structure of each organism and iii) community structure of mobile organisms. Abundance analysis revealed no significant difference between harvested and no harvested regimes for most species' groups, excepting Snails and Chitons. Snails were more abundant und chitons less abundant at harvested sites. A significant difference.... between locations was however noted, for all species groups, suggesting that variation in abundance within is more prominent than between harvesting regimes. Size stmcturc analysis revealed significantly larger sizes for most spec1cs at non harvested locations, with only Morula gm1111/u111 and Scutellastm exusw showing u significantly larger size structure at non-harvested locations. Community structure analysis revealed no clear distinction between or wi1hin harvested locations. A decrease in size structure with no co1Tespondi11g density effect may be a function of the preference of harvesters for larger individuals, thereby favouringjuveaile populations. The possibility also exists that density effects have been masked due to the use of size instead of biomass data. Converting to size data to biomass, using wet mass versus size regressions, may be a more appropriate analysis method. The observed differences in community structure between as well ru; within loi:-ations indicates that the intertidal communities are inl1erintly hcterogenous in this area. ln order 10 determine the irnpacr of exploitation. spatial scale comparisons between harvesting regimes thus ideall y need to be conducted to each location. [n this study there was also a lack of representative control sites, us unharvested locatio11s are impacted by fisherman and tourists. A possible strategy would be to demarcate "110-go" areas in harvested and non-harvested areas, to serve as both controls and provide broodi11g stocks for adjacent ledges. It is however recommended that more research emphasis be placed on U1e user in evaluating the effects ofhurmtn tmpact on intertidal resource.

Hypodontium is a moss genus currently comprising two species, H. dregei and H. pomiforme, endemic to Southern Africa, occurring in Zimbabwe and the eastern and southern parts of the Flora of Southern Africa areas. lt was originally assigned to the family Calymperaceae but was recently moved to Pottiaceae. The two families do not differ absolutely and Hypodontium possesses combinations of characters that could place it in either. This study used molecular DNA sequence data from two chloroplast gene regions, tmLtmF and rps4, to investigate the family status of the genus. The results obtained showed that it is not a member of either Calymperaceae or Pottiaceae, and supports the erection of a new family to accommodate Hypodontium. Hypodontium pomiforme occurs as two distinct morphological forms, and it has been suggested that these two forms might constitute two separate species. This study used both morphological (cluster analysis and Canonical Discriminant Functions Analysis) and molecular (nuclear ITS sequences) data to test this hypothesis. Results of both methods support the idea of significant difference between the two forms. Three species are therefore proposed for the genus Hypodontium, with H. humilopapillosum Manyanga & Hedderson described as new. A key is provided for the three species along with brief descriptions and a distribution map for each.

Sponges play an important role in many marine habitats and are crucial for maintaining the deep-sea marine ecosystems. However, there is a knowledge gap in the field of sponge biodiversity due to insufficient exploration of the deep-sea, and the probability of finding new species is fairly high. The deep waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans are particularly poorly explored, and their sponge diversity is barely known. During the KANADEEP 2 expedition in the south of New Caledonia a large collection of Demospongiae and Hexactinellida was gathered to assess the sponge biodiversity. In this project 110 Demosponges were investigated morphologically and identified to the order level. Twenty-one of these were selected for further identification and description in terms of shape and geometry of spicules using light microscopy. The DNA was extracted from eight specimens for the confirmation of new species. Amplification of CO1 Folmer fragment was conducted using PCR. The resulting PCR-products were analyzed using gel electrophoresis and DNA-sequencing. The twenty-one specimens were assigned to the genera Tethya, Stupenda and Geodia belonging to the order Tetractinellida, which was found to be the dominant order in the deep waters in the New Caledonia region. There are potentially six new species amongst the studied specimens. However, it has to be confirmed with molecular analysis of specific markers. The morphological analysis of 21 specimens collected during the KANADEEP 2 expedition demonstrated that 17 specimens belonged to Geodia, two specimens to Tethya, and two specimens to Stupenda.

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Entomology / Gregory Zolnerowich / The subfamily Tillinae is composed of approximately 700 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. In the New World, the group is composed of 164 species classified in 12 genera. Tillinids are generalist predators of other insects but there is some ecological specificity among related species (i.e. predation on bark and wood-boring beetles). The systematics and biogeography of the subfamily have never been studied. Several genera inhabiting the New World have never been revised, a number of species in the group were described more than 50 years ago, and many of those descriptions were inadequate. Consequently, I present here the first systematic and biogeographic study of the Tillinae in the New World. First, a revision of the New World Tillinae, excluding the species-rich Cymatodera Gray is presented. The diagnosis and redescription of 26 species from 11 of the 12 tillinid genera from the New World are given; a new synonym, keys to genera and species, and distribution maps for all the genera treated here are also given. Collection data for all species examined is presented. A new genus was described based on this work in a separate publication. Second, a phylogenetic analysis based on 91 morphological characters and a molecular phylogenetic study based on the analysis of three loci, 16S rDNA, COI and 28S rDNA, for 89 taxa in 37 genera is presented. Results were compared with previous classifications at the subfamily level. Results are generally consistent, recovering Tillinae as a derived and monophyletic group; Old World tillinids were found to be basal groups and sister to New World Tillinae; the New World genus Onychotillus was found to be sister to remaining New World Tillinae; the small genera Barrotillus, Callotillus, Monophylla and Neocallotillus were recovered as basal lineages within the New World Tillinae with intergeneric relations not fully resolved; and the species-rich Cymatodera was found to be a paraphyletic group by the inclusion of the genera Araeodontia, Bogcia, Cymatoderella and Lecontella. A phylogeny was also constructed based on a concatenated molecular + morphology dataset; the topology obtained from this analysis is generally consistent with the molecular- and morphology-based phylogenies, separately. Finally, a hypothesis of the historical biogeography of Cymatodera, the most species-rich genus in the subfamily Tillinae, is presented. The genus is endemic to, but broadly distributed, in the New World. The principal aim of the study was to infer the age of origin of the group. Hypotheses regarding the center of origin, patterns of distribution, and putative processes that led to the widespread distribution of this group are presented. A phylogenetic analysis of 50 New World tillinid species was constructed using the markers 16S rDNA, COI, and 28S rDNA. A relaxed molecular clock calibrated with three secondary dates derived from other time-calibrated phylogenies is presented. Biogeographic processes were studied using a Bayesian Binary Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis in the software Reconstruct Ancestral State in Phylogenies. Results obtained here indicate that Cymatodera emerged approximately 71.5 MYA during the mid-Cretaceous in what is now southwestern USA and northern Mexico. Two major dispersal events occurred during the evolution of the Cymatodera lineage, the first, an eastern migration process, and the second, a southern migration event, the latter route had a greater impact on the diversification of the group. Overall, this research provides a solid foundation for studying the systematics and biogeography of the world Tillinae. Species with recent shared ancestry tend to have similar functional traits for exploiting similar resources. A robust phylogenetic analysis can help elucidate prey preferences or other biological traits for species whose biology is poorly known. This study will also serve as a foundation to investigate broader evolutionary aspects of the subfamily, such as predator-prey associations, mimicry, and the emergence and diversification of pheromone reception, one of the most interesting aspects within the evolutionary history of the group.

Thesis advisor: Frederick G. Lawrence / Contemporary religious believers tend to conceive of the sacraments as objective expressions of grace distinct from their ritual enactment and often exclusive of ethical obligations. Ecclesial structures have reinforced these understandings by associating the sacraments with Christological interpretations that diminish the active participation of Christians in worship by emphasizing Christ's eminence and power. By highlighting Christ's self-emptying love in the act of kenosis, I argue for new Christological understandings to support ongoing liturgical and ecclesial renewal. My research explores two major areas: the resurgence of sacramental theology after Vatican II, especially within the work of Chauvet, and the rise of a critical theology of the cross in the writings of Jürgen Moltmann and its kenotic implications for the church. By bringing together these two areas, I argue for an alternative sacramental framework that combines internal conceptions of grace with outward expressions of meaning that bear fruit in liturgical inculturation and acts of solidarity. This dissertation begins with a study of the liturgical renewal following Vatican II and its world-wide implementation. I pay special attention to the development of postconciliar liturgical renewal in light of the principle of active participation (actuosa participatio) in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, and examine the relationship of structuralist approaches to liturgy to Christology. In chapter two, I explore sources for Christology that point to fresh understandings about the nature and person of Christ and the work of salvation. In chapters three and four, I present a thorough study of the work of Louis-Marie Chauvet on the sacraments, and Jürgen Moltmann on the cross. In doing so, I construct a relationship between sacraments and Christology centered on Christ's kenosis as a means of supporting ongoing liturgical and ecclesial renewal. In the final chapter, I explore how kenotic Christology can shape our understanding of the liturgy and contribute to greater inculturation in worship and acts of solidarity in the world. I conclude by proposing new ways to think about the liturgy that may become the ground for future ecclesial transformation. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Borealosuchus is a significant genus as it is considered either a basal crocodylian or close outgroup. A new species identified from the early Campanian Mooreville Chalk of Alabama is one of the oldest known crocodylians and extends the stratigraphic range of Borealosuchus from the Maastrichtian minimally into the early Campanian. It co-occurs with the giant alligatoroid Deinosuchus in deposits formed in a marginal marine setting with fluvial input. Its age, along with the phylogenetic position of Borealosuchus, renders this material critical for understanding the morphological conditions and relationships at the root of Crocodylia. The most complete specimen consists of partial cranial, mandibular, and postcranial remains preserving a unique combination of characters including a short dentary symphysis, splenial participation in the symphysis, lack of discrete concavity on the angular dorsal margin for an external mandibular fenestra, and bipartite ventral osteoderms. The external mandibular fenestra was either absent or very small, raising questions about the ancestral condition for this structure in Crocodylia. The new species is, surprisingly, closer phylogenetically to more derived species of Borealosuchus, including B. wilsoni, B. threeensis, and B. acutidentatus, than to B. sternbergii and B. formidabilis. This creates many range extensions and ghost lineages in the clade and suggests substantial unsampled diversity within Borealosuchus. Additional mandibular material from the Santonian Eutaw Formation may be referable to this new species, further increasing its stratigraphic range. A specimen consisting of a partial post-cranial skeleton from the Mooreville Chalk is significantly larger than the holotype of the new species, and is referable to Borealosuchus sp., but is too incomplete for more precise referral. These newly described specimens provide additional information about the faunal assemblages of Alabama during the Late Cretaceous and have broader implications because they are some of the earliest crocodylian material known. Indeed, the Eutaw material appears to be the oldest known occurrence of Crocodylia.

This study of the parasite fauna of five Australian rodents (Muridae: Hydromyinae: Conilurini) was undertaken to increase the knowledge of Australian parasite biodiversity. Trapping for Zyzomys argurus (Thomas, 1889), Pseudomys delicatulus (Gould, 1842), P. desertor Troughton, 1932, P. gracilicaudatus (Gould, 1845) and P. hermannsburgensis (Waite, 1896) (Rodentia: Muridae) was carried out at 16 locations in Queensland between 2004 to 2006. A total of 51 rats were captured and examined for parasites. In addition, 119 rats, from collections in the Queensland Museum and the University of Sydney, were examined. Finally, 57 samples of parasites collected from the above hosts and deposited at the Australian National Wildlife Collection (CSIRO) were identified. From these five rodent species, 15 species of ectoparasites and 17 species of endoparasites were recorded. Fifteen new host records and 14 new locality records were found. The ectoparasites comprised four species of Laelaps Koch, 1836 (Parasitiformes: Laelapidae), four species of chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae), two species of fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae, Pygiospyllidae) and two species of ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae). Three new species of lice (Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) were discovered. The 17 endoparasites, all helminths, comprised fourteen species of nematode and three species of cestode. There were 11 species of oxyurids (Nematoda: Oxyuridae, Heteroxynematidae), including 10 new species of Syphacia, two species of Odilia (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae), and one species of Nippostrongylus (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae). Three species of cestodes (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae, Taeniidae, Davaineidae) were collected. There were no trematodes or acanthocephalans found in any of the rodents examined. No protistan parasites were found in tissue and blood samples taken from the rodents. The mean species diversity of parasites for each host rodent species was consistently low, with values of Simpson’s Reciprocal Index ranging from 1.00 – 1.53. Possible factors contributing to this low diversity include habitat preferences, dietary ecology and social structure. There was no significant relationship found between host body weight and abundance of ectoparasites, or host body weight and species richness of helminths. The index of discrepancy (D) was used to evaluate the distribution of parasite species across host populations. Most parasites were found to have aggregated distributions within the host populations. The exception to this was two of the four species of laelapid mite, with values &lt5, indicating that they were common across host populations. The phylogenetic relationships of the Syphacia species occurring in the Australian bioregion were investigated using morphological characters. Relatively low resolution of the trees produced indicated that there may be a high degree of similarity between species. Two main clades were identified- a clade of genera of Syphaciini from Borneo was shown to be basal to the clade of species of Syphacia examined. Within the clade of the genus Syphacia, the new species identified in this study formed a single cluster on trees. There was no evidence, however, for strict coevolution of these worms and their hosts. Overall, the research presented here adds considerable knowledge to the previous paucity of information of the parasites of Australian native rodent species. This was achieved by contributing new host records, locality records and identifying and describing several new species. The relationships between conilurin rodents and their parasites suggests that coevolution plays a large part in the speciation of parasites, and that minimal host switching has occurred in the helminths of the conilurins of northern Australia.