Distribution patterns of vines within the East Asian island chain

Loess-like sediments are widely distributed in the northern subtropics of China, stretching beyond the traditional boundary of typical loess. Compared with well-researched typical loess, loess-like sediments are much less studied and their origin (eolian or fluvial) and movement pathways under evolving environments remain unclear. Micromorphology offers novel insights into explaining sediment-forming mechanisms through reconstructing the sedimentary history. To examine the debates comprehensively, multiple micromorphological metrics were systematically analyzed, and three main results were derived from the analysis: (a) Hanjiang loess-like sediment can be directly diagnosed as eolian loess based on its differences from fluvial sediment with regard to particle composition and quartz roundness; (b) combined analyses of quartz configurations with the distribution patterns of modern winter winds/dust storms indicated that a portion of the small particles were transported by upper flow in the East Asian winter monsoon from the northwestern Gobi Desert, whereas coarse grains were mainly derived from the adjacent floodplain by creep and saltation; and (c) vertical heterogeneity of configurations and compositions among layers was mainly caused by different degrees of chemical/biological/physical weathering since the latest glaciation. All measurements showed the weathering intensity of sediments decreased in the order of S0/Ts, Lt, L0, L1, meaning that the East Asian summer monsoon weakened in this order during different formation periods. In summary, these metrics reconstructed the formation process and evolutionary history of monsoons in subtropical China excellently and would rival traditional indexes, but are easier to observe.

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Phylogeography of the Assassin Bug Sphedanolestes impressicollis in East Asia Inferred From Mitochondrial and Nuclear Gene Sequences

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20051234 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 1234

Author(s):

Zhenyong Du ◽

Tadashi Ishikawa ◽

Hui Liu ◽

Satoshi Kamitani ◽

Osamu Tadauchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

East Asia ◽

Sea Level ◽

East China Sea ◽

East Asian ◽

Nuclear Gene ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

East China ◽

The East China Sea ◽

Land Bridge ◽

Assassin Bug

The assassin bug, Sphedanolestes impressicollis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), is widely distributed in East Asia. It is an ideal model for evaluating the effects of climatic fluctuation and geographical events on the distribution patterns of East Asian reduviids. Here, we used two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene to investigate the phylogeographic pattern of the assassin bug based on comprehensive sampling in China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Laos. High levels of genetic differentiation were detected among the geographic populations classified into the northern and southern groups. A significant correlation was detected between genetic and geographical distances. The East China Sea land bridge served as a “dispersal corridor” during Pleistocene glaciation. The estimated divergence time indicated that the northern group may have separated from the eastern Chinese populations when the sea level rapidly rose during the “Ryukyu Coral Sea Stage” and the East China Sea land bridge was completely submerged. Demographic history and ecological niche modeling suggested that appropriate climatic conditions may have accounted for the rapid spread across the Korean Peninsula and Japan during the late Pleistocene. Our study underscores the pivotal roles of the Pleistocene sea level changes and climatic fluctuations in determining the distribution patterns of East Asian reduviids.

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Melampsoridium hiratsukanum – invasive rust species in Lithuania, and its co-occurrence with eriophylid mite

Acta Mycologica ◽

10.5586/am.2013.021 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 197-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Svetlana Markovskaja

Keyword(s):

Rust Fungus ◽

East Asian ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Alnus Glutinosa ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Alnus Incana ◽

Gall Mite ◽

Obligate Biotroph

An invasive East Asian rust fungus Melampsoridium hiratsukanum, obligate biotroph belonging to Pucciniastraceae, Pucciniales (Basidiomycota) is found widely spread on leaves of Alnus incana in eastern, central and southern parts of Lithuania. On Alnus glutinosa this fungus is rare, sometimes occurring with an alder leaf pest, a microscopic eriophyid gall mite Acalitus brevitarsus. Information on the distribution patterns, ecological and morphological characters of this neomycete is given.

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Phylogenomic insights into biogeographic diversification and character evolution of the Sino-Japanese disjunctive Diabelia (Caprifoliaceae)

10.1101/2021.05.31.446416 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xiurong Ke ◽

Diego F Morales-Briones ◽

Hongxin Wang ◽

Qinghui Sun ◽

Landis B Jacob ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Relationships ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

East Asian ◽

Divergence Time ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Ancestral Area ◽

Divergence Time Estimation ◽

Network Analyses ◽

Ancestral Area Reconstruction

Disjunctive distribution patterns and drivers of the Sino-Japanese flora in East Asia have attracted much attention in the past decades, which is also served as an important glacial sanctuary during the quaternary glacial period. However, few studies have focused on the phylogeography, diversification and evolution of morphological character at the genus level with both nuclear and plastid data. Diabelia (Caprifoliaceae) is an East Asian genus, with a disjunctive distribution across China, Japan and Korea, serving as an ideal group to explore the mechanism of East Asian flora speciation and diversification. However, the phylogenetic relationships among Diabelia remain elusive and species delimitation within the genus (three species or four species) are still controversial. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among Diabelia based on nuclear and cpDNA by using target enrichment and genome skimming approaches, respectively. We found that the main clades within Diabelia were discordant between nuclear and plastid genome trees. Both nuclear and plastid phylogenetic analyses supported five main clades: D. serrata, D. tetrasepala, D. spathulata var. sanguinea, D. spathulata var. stenophylla and D. spathulata var. spathulata. Diabelia tetrasepala was inferred to be the result of a hybridization event from the species network analyses. The result of divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction showed that Diabelia originated in Japan during the early Miocene, with subsequent gene flow between China, Japan and Korea. Overall, our results support the division of Diabelia into five main clades and this research provides new insights for the speciation process and taxonomy within Diabelia.

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Maxims of Foreign Policy

Itinerario ◽

10.1017/s0165115300044508 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 62-79

Author(s):

W.J. Boot

Keyword(s):

Foreign Policy ◽

Sixteenth Century ◽

Foreign Relations ◽

East Asian ◽

Modern Period ◽

Cultural Sphere ◽

Japanese Identity

In the pre-modern period, Japanese identity was articulated in contrast with China. It was, however, articulated in reference to criteria that were commonly accepted in the whole East-Asian cultural sphere; criteria, therefore, that were Chinese in origin.One of the fields in which Japan's conception of a Japanese identity was enacted was that of foreign relations, i.e. of Japan's relations with China, the various kingdoms in Korea, and from the second half of the sixteenth century onwards, with the Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutchmen, and the Kingdom of the Ryūkū.

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