Scale insect larvae preserved in vertebrate coprolites (Le Quesnoy, France, Lower Eocene): paleoecological insights.

Coprolites of terrestrial vertebrates from the Sparnacian Le Quesnoy locality (Ypresian, Eocene, MP7, 53 Ma; Oise, France) were examined for possible parasitic helminth eggs. The extraction of the coprolite components was performed by a weak acetolyse and a slide mounting in glycerin. This long examination did not reveal paleoparasite remains, which may be explained through several arguments. However, some pollen grains, some enigmatic components, and two well-preserved first-instar cochineal nymphs (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) were evidenced in coprolites. Identified as Coccidae, these larvae are the earliest stage of the scale insect development ever reported as fossil, revealing the specific environment of preservation that fossilized scats may provide. These observations, combined to the coprolites morphotype, enable to ascribe the fossil scats producer to a small herbivorous mammal present in the deposit (early perissodactyls or Plesiadapidae). Regarding the ecology of extant representatives of Coccidae, this mammal was a likely foliage consumer, and the abundant Juglandaceae and/or Tiliaceae from Le Quesnoy might have lived parasitized by scale insects. These Early Eocene parasites had an already well-established dissemination strategy, with prevalent minute first-instar larvae. The herein performed extraction technique appears well-suited for the study of carbonate coprolites and could certainly be useful for evidencing other kind of microorganisms (including internal parasites).

The evolution of a key character, or how to evolve a slipper lobster.

A new fossil lobster from the Cretaceous of Lebanon, Charbelicaris maronites gen. et sp. nov., is presented here, while the former species 'Cancrinos' libanensis is re-described as Paracancrinos libanensis comb. nov. P. libanensis is shown to be closer related to the contemporary slipper lobsters than to Cancrinos claviger (lithographic limestones, Jurassic, southern Germany). A finely-graded evolutionary scenario for the slipper-lobster morphotype is reconstructed based on these fossil species and extant forms. The evolutionary changes that gave rise to the current plate-like antennae of Scyllaridae, a key apomorphy of this group, are traced back through time. The antenna of what is considered the oldest slipper lobster became petaloid and consisted of about 20 fully articulated elements. For this group the name Scyllarida sensu lato tax. nov. is introduced. In a next evolutionary step, the proximal articles became conjoined and a lateral extension appeared on peduncle element 3. The entire distal petaloid region is conjoined already at the node of Verscyllarida tax. nov. In modern slipper lobsters, Neoscyllarida tax nov., the distal region is no longer petaloid in shape but asymmetrical. The study also emphasizes that exceptionally preserved fossils need to be documented with optimal documentation techniques to obtain all available information.

Paleopathology of a fossil fish from the Solnhofen Lagerstätte (Upper Jurassic, southern Germany).

The collection of fossil fishes from Solnhofen (Upper Jurassic, southern Germany), deposited at the Bavarian State Collection for Paleontology and Geology was examined for the detection of integument or skeletalpathologies. Among 50 studied specimens, only one halecomorph fish exhibited lesions: these are diagnosed as skin tumors. In extant taxa the causes of this disease are varied (toxins, infectious agents, physical or immunological causes, nutritional and metabolic perturbations). The morphology of these skin lesions is identical to those previously observed in fossil fishes from Monte Bolca (Eocene, northern Italy). This case study represents one of the oldest paleopathology in fossil fishes.

Spectrographic analysis of the ultrasonic vocalisations of adult male and female BALB/c mice.

In this study, a spectrographic analysis was designed to improve the description of the shape, the modulations, the rate, length and frequencies of BALB/c mouse calls in different behavioural situations. Male and female calls emitted during investigation of cages with clean bedding, soiled with male or female bedding, and during same-sex encounters, were recorded and described. BALB/c male mice uttered different types of vocalisations both when investigating counterpart odour cues and when interacting with same-sex counterparts. BALB/c female mice vocalised solely during same-sex counterpart encounters and it appeared that calls were uttered mainly by the resident females. Male and female mice present a complex array of calls, which seem to be linked to particular behavioural situations. Further studies using this technology may help to improve our understanding of the role of vocal communication in natural rodent populations.

Reduction in testosterone concentration and its effect on the reproductive output of chronic malaria-infected male mice.

An experimental host-parasite association involving BALB/c male mice infected with Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi was used in order to investigate the influence of the parasite on the sexual physiology and behavior of infected hosts. Infected males displayed complete courtship behavior leading to ejaculation and sired litters on several occasions. A weekly assay of testosterone and corticosterone plasma concentrations revealed a twofold decrease in the testosterone level at 4 and 5 weeks post-injection, during recrudescence. This imbalance was accompanied by a decrease in the overall duration of the social investigation contacts occurring during courtship and by a reduction in the fertilization rate of the infected animals. These physiological perturbations can be regarded as an adaptive response of the host to the recrudescing parasites, which illustrates the rodents' capacity for regulating the testosterone profiles needed to balance the competing demands of immunity and reproduction.

Influence of the female sexual cycle on BALB/c mouse calling behaviour during mating.

Real-time recording technology was used in this study to analyse calling activity during heterosexual encounters in BALB/c mice. The spectrographic analyses revealed distinct types of calls that could be linked to a precise pre-ejaculatory behavioural sequence. In addition, the oestrous cycle of the female was observed to influence the vocalization emission pattern. The recording technology used in this study provides numerous improvements in the characterization description of mice calling behaviour during mating and is expected to be useful in studies of vocal communication in many rodent species.

Oestrus cycle perturbations and hypotrophy of clitoral glands in malaria-infected female BALB/c mice.

An experimental host-parasite association involving BALB/c female mice infected with Plasmodium vinckei petteri was used with the aim of investigating the morphological and physiological alterations induced by the parasite in the genital tract of the host. The vaginal oestrous cycle was monitored as a daily clue to the sexual physiology of the female mice, and a complete histological analysis of the genital tract was performed 36 days following parasite inoculation. The oestrous cycle showed strong transitory alterations during the first 30 days following infection. The occurrence of oestrus days increased during the first 10 days post-infection and then decreased to a subnormal value during the following 20 days. Infected mice also showed a remarkable hypotrophy of their clitoral glands 30 days after the beginning of the malarial infection. A probable cause of such perturbations is a significant hormonal imbalance triggered by the erythrocytic proliferation of the Plasmodium. The relationship between the immune response of the host and these physiological and morphological alterations, as well as the outcomes of these alterations on the sexuality of the rodent host are discussed.

A new filaria of a lizard transmitted by sandflies

A description is given of Madathamugadia wanjii n. sp., a Splendidofilariinae parasite of the gecko Ptyodactylus hasselquistii, on the west bank of the River Jordan and of its life cycle in Phlebotomus duboscqi. The new species is close to M. ivaschkini (Annaev, 1976) n. comb., of Turkmenistan, wich is also transmitted by sandflies (Reznik, 1982). The genus Madathamugadia is now comprised of four species, two from Madagascar and two from the Mediterranean sub-region; it differs from the genus Thamugadia by the presence of a double row of papillae anterior to the cloaca of the male. The larval characters of Splendidofilarinae of lizards confirm the affinity of these parasites to the Splendidofilarinae of birds (Chandlerella and Splendidofilaria); the first group could have arisen from the second by "captures" wich could have occurred in several places