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- Ericson, Per G P, 1956-, et al.
(author)
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A Gondwanan origin of passerine birds supported by DNA sequences of the endemic New Zealand wrens.
- 2002
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In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 269:1488, s. 235-41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zoogeographic, palaeontological and biochemical data support a Southern Hemisphere origin for passerine birds, while accumulating molecular data suggest that most extant avian orders originated in the mid-Late Cretaceous. We obtained DNA sequence data from the nuclear c-myc and RAG-1 genes of the major passerine groups and here we demonstrate that the endemic New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae) are the sister taxon to all other extant passerines, supporting a Gondwanan origin and early radiation of passerines. We propose that (i) the acanthisittids were isolated when New Zealand separated from Gondwana (ca. 82-85 Myr ago), (ii) suboscines, in turn, were derived from an ancestral lineage that inhabited western Gondwana, and (iii) the ancestors of the oscines (songbirds) were subsequently isolated by the separation of Australia from Antarctica. The later spread of passerines into the Northern Hemisphere reflects the northward migration of these former Gondwanan elements.
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| 3. |
- Nilsson, Carol L, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of the P13 membrane protein of Borrelia burgdorferi by mass spectrometry.
- 2002
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In: Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. - 1044-0305 .- 1879-1123. ; 13:4, s. 295-299
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is a tick-borne pathogen that causes Lyme disease. The characterization of membrane proteins from this and other pathogens may yield a better understanding of the mechanisms of infection and information useful for vaccine design. Characterization of the highly hydrophobic Borrelia outer membrane component P13 from a mutant (OspA- OspB- OspC- and OspD-) strain was undertaken by use of a combination of mass spectrometric methods. In a previous investigation, an electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrum of the intact protein provided an average molecular weight that was 20 Da lower than the predicted molecular weight. The mass deviation could be explained by a modification of the N-terminus of the protein such as pyroglutamylation (-17 Da) in combination with the experimental error of measurement, however more information was required. New structural information for this membrane protein was provided by peptide mapping with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) and sequencing with ESI-quadrupole-TOF tandem MS.
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| 4. |
- Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki, et al.
(author)
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Evolution of the mane and group-living in the lion (Panthera leo): a review
- 2004
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In: Journal of Zoology. - 0952-8369 .- 1469-7998. ; 263, s. 329-342
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The evolutionary history of the lion Panthera leo began in Pliocene east Africa, as open habitats expanded towards the end of the Cenozoic. During the middle–late Pleistocene, lions spread to most parts of Eurasia, North America, and may have eventually reached as far south as Peru. Lions probably evolved group-living behaviour before they expanded out of Africa, and this trait is likely to have prevailed in subsequent populations. The first lions were presumed to have been maneless, and maneless forms seem to have persisted in Europe, and possibly the New World, until around 10 000 years ago. The maned form may have appeared c. 320 000–190 000 years ago, and may have had a selective advantage that enabled it to expand to replace the range of earlier maneless forms throughout Africa and western Eurasia by historic times: ‘latest wave hypothesis’.
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