Genetic diversity and population structure of Heteropogon contortus L. germplasm collected from diverse agro-climatic regions in India and development of a core germplasm set

Heteropogon contortus, an important constituent of major grasslands of India, Australia and many countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, is important for pasture and grassland productivity. Hence genetic improvement of the grass needs attention. A genetic variability study, including development of a core subset, was carried out by evaluating 235 accessions collected from different agro-ecological zones of India. The study, based on 16 metric and 14 non-metric traits along with 8 nutritional parameters, indicated that considerable genetic variability existed among the germplasm and selection could result in identification of suitable types for target environments. Clustering and subclustering was performed to select 35 accessions to form a core subset. The statistical analysis indicated that the core subset captured almost all the variability present in the entire germplasm. The study will help researchers to focus future studies on this core subset in developing genetic improvement programs.

Intragroup variation in the Pre-Columbian Cuba population: A perspective from cranial morphology

The paper aims to study intragroup variation inside the two pre-Columbian Cuban populations: the aceramic Archaic and the ceramic Taino groups, based on their cranial morphology. The latter applied artificial cranial deformation to all its members, so the groups are referred to as “non-deformed” and “deformed” samples here. Studies across different disciplines suggest evidence of cultural and biological diversity inside the non-deformed group, while local variations of applying the deforming device can be responsible for shape variation across the deformed group. Cranial metrics and non-metric cranial traits of the 92 crania of Cuban origin were analyzed, although the sample size varied between the analyses due to the incompleteness of the crania. Geometric morphometrics was applied to the deformed crania to study the shape variation across the sample. Three deformed crania from the Dominican Republic were analyzed together with the deformed Cuban sample to test the variability of the practice between the islands. Principal component analysis and the Mantel test did not reveal any geographic differences in the cranial metric traits. No morphological differences associated with the antiquity of materials could be seen either based on the available data. The principal component analysis of the Procrustes coordinates of the cranial vault outline in the lateral norm revealed continuous variability of cranial shapes from the ones with more flattened frontal and occipital bones to the more curved outlines, which is probably explained by individual variation. Non-metric traits variation revealed bilateral asymmetry in the expression of the occipito-mastoidal ossicles among the deformed crania. In conclusion, the study did not support assumptions about morphological diversity inside the studied samples or proved the impossibility of available craniological data to reflect possible intragroup differentiation at the moment.

Exploring the potential of cranial non-metric traits as a tool for personal identification: the never-ending dilemma

Forensic anthropologists tasked with identification of skeletal remains often have to set up new strategies to overcome the limitations of conventional individualizing markers. A sound acquaintance with non-metric traits is essential for a reliable distinction between normal variations and pathological or traumatic conditions, yet the role of cranial variants in the identification process is still somehow ill-defined. One hundred crania (50 males and 50 females) of known sex and age were selected from the Collezione Antropologica LABANOF (a documented contemporary skeletal collection) and non-metric traits were scored as present or absent and by side. The frequencies of 13 traits were used to calculate the compound probabilities to find an individual with an exact combination of cranial features in the worldwide population. The probabilities of the majority of the individuals (53%) are within the 1 out of 10 million–1 out of 1 million interval. However, a fair number of subjects (25%) of the sample have the probabilities falling into the 1 out of 1 billion–1 out of 100 million interval, while the probabilities of a small portion of the sample (10%) are less than 1 out of 1 billion. This pilot study illustrates that some combinations of cranial variants are quite rare and may represent potential evidence to discern presumptive identifications, when an appropriate set of traits is selected and antemortem data are available for comparison. However, further research on larger and various samples is needed to confirm or discard the use of combinations of cranial non-metric traits as individualizing markers.

КРАНИОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ДИФФЕРЕНЦИАЦИЯ БОЛЬШОЙ МОНГОЛОИДНОЙ РАСЫ. ЧАСТЬ 1. ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА КРАНИОСЕРИЙ СЕВЕРНЫХ МОНГОЛОИДОВ

Исследовалось 52 современные краниологические серии северных монголоидов территории Западной и Восточной Сибири, Дальнего Востока, Центральной Азии и Казахстана, по литературным источникам. По краниологической концепции Н. Н. Чебоксарова их относят к континентальному варианту монголоидов. Анализировались различия среднегрупповых величин 11 метрических признаков этих серий – параметров размера и формы черепной коробки. Изученные краниосерии в целом представляют собой один из трёх выделенных нами ранее панойкуменных краниотипов – голарктидов, характеризующихся по мировым масштабам средней величиной черепной коробки, а по форме среднеудлинённой, широкой и низкосводной. Дендрограмма взаимных расстояний среди изученных краниосерий выявила три кластера, почти равных по численности серий, и достоверно различающихся между собой по трём из одиннадцати сравниваемых признаков. Первый кластер (18 краниосерий) по краниологическим характеристикам наиболее отличен от типичного облика голарктидов и, по нашему мнению, представляет собой хронологически наиболее ранний этап эволюционного развития краниотипа голарктидов. Два других кластера характеризуют более крупноголовый и мелкоголовый варианты типичных восточных голарктидов. 52 modern cranial samples of northern Mongoloids from Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Central Asia and Kazakhstan were studied (based on the data from published sources). These groups are usually referred to as “continental Mongoloids” according to N. N. Cheboksarov classification. The groups were compared using 11 metric traits describing the size and shape of the skull. The studied samples represent one of the three previously identified world craniotypes, Golarktids. Golarktids have medium-long and wide crania of average size. The cluster analysis revealed three clusters of almost equal size; significant differences in three of the eleven traits were found between the clusters. The first cluster (18 samples) is the most different from the typical appearance of the Golarktids and represents the chronologically earliest stage of Golarktids’ evolutionary development. The other two clusters are represented by the larger-headed and smaller-headed variants of typical eastern Golarktids.

Different breeding conditions affect the morphological variability in larvae of Platytrombidium fasciatum (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae)

The impact of temperature and light/dark cycle on morphological traits of Platytrombidium fasciatum was examined in larvae obtained from field-collected females. The eggs laid by 65 females at laboratory conditions were assigned to four experimental groups. Varied thermal conditions affected the values of nine out of 46 (nonparametric MANOVA) and 26 out of 37 (LDA) morphometric traits in larvae. As many as six quantitative traits differed significantly irrespective of the method (MANOVA, LDA) applied. The analysis of the metric traits within the dorsal sclerites revealed that the lower mean temperature over the period of egg incubation, translated into longer duration of development, was associated with an increase in distance between the bases of 3rd pair of non-sensillary setae on scutum at the decrease in distance between the bases of 2nd pair of non-sensillary setae as well as in distance between the level of sensilla and the posterior edge of the sclerite. In the case of 40 measurable traits in larvae of P. fasciatum, the variability going beyond the hitherto knowledge on the species was observed.

Одонтологические особенности итальянцев и итальянско-русских метисов

Статья посвящена публикации одонтологических данных, дающих представление о физическом облике потомков итальянцев, переселившихся в Крым в XIX веке. Данные получены в ходе полевых выездов С. Дзини и Н.В. Хохлова в 2016–2019 годах в г. Керчь. Описание собранных зубных слепков проводилось по принятой в отечественной физической антропологии программе А.А. Зубова. Установлено, что одонтологические особенности итальянских мигрантов могут быть соотнесены с характеристиками западного одонтологического ствола с усилением отдельных «восточных» признаков: коленчатой складки метаконида, признаков одонтоглифики: 2 med III, 2 pa/pr 3, 1prd/1med 3. Особенности материала, его сбора и практическое отсутствие необходимых сравнительных данных не позволяют сделать конкретных выводов об истоках миграций. В то же время детально представленные особенности зубной морфологии «итальянцев Крыма» закладывают основу для дальнейшего изучения потомков переселенцев из Италии в Россию и для обсуждения вопросов биологической интеграции и ассимиляции по данным физической антропологии. The article is devoted to the dental morphology of the so-called “Italians of Crimea”. They represent a group of descendants of Italian migrants, who moved to the Black Sea and Sea of Azov regions, to the Crimean peninsula in particular, in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The data were collected in the city of Kerch, during field works conducted by S. Zini and N.V. Khokhlov in 2016–2019. The dental wax casts were described according to the A.A. Zubov system. The expression of dental non-metric traits falls into the variation of the Caucasoid (Western) dental complex with some traits that are more frequent among Mongoloid populations: deflecting wrinkle, odontogliphic patterns – 2 med III, 2 pa/pr 3, 1prd/1med 3. The specificity of the collected material and the actual absence of comparative data do not allow us to draw any particular conclusions about the exact origins of the migration flows and ancestors of the modern Italians of Crimea. At the same time, the detailed data on the dental morphology of the Italians of Crimea facilitate further studies of the descendants of the Italians who migrated to Russia, provide material to discuss issues related to biological integration and assimilation based on physical anthropology data.

Характеристика народов Поволжья по данным дискретно-варьирующих признаков посткраниального скелета

Статья посвящена изучению изменчивости дискретно-варьирующих признаков в поволжских популяциях. В качестве теоретической основы были взяты гипотезы о происхождении народов Волго-Уральского региона, сформулированные в результате анализа данных о морфологии зубной системы. Материалом для данной работы послужили 11 остеологических серий близких к современности групп – 7 по народам Поволжья и 4 сравнительных, общей численностью 626 индивидов. Методика исследования включала в себя фиксацию 64 признаков на посткраниальном скелете, 16 из которых были использованы при статистической обработке материала. Эмпирический анализ данных показал значительную вариабельность большинства признаков. При описании их изменчивости удалось обнаружить некоторые тенденции: например, башкирская и бурятская серии часто оказывались в пределах крайних значений частот ряда признаков. Группа мордвы-мокши также обладала особой специфичностью. Две группы удмуртов, как и чувашей, оказались достаточно близки между собой, а русские Старой Ладоги не отличались от поволжских групп. Многомерные статистические анализы позволили уточнить эмпирически сформулированные гипотезы. Полученные результаты по распределению дискретно-варьирующих признаков длинных костей скелета хорошо согласуются с одонтологическими данными. Буряты обладают специфическим комплексом признаков, который крайне далек от комплекса, характерного для поволжских групп. Башкиры оказались отделенными от поволжских популяций не только по одонтологическим данным, но и по частотам неметрических признаков посткраниального скелета. Близость саамов к поволжским сериям также согласуется с данными по морфологии зубной системы. The study of the variability of non-metric traits in Volga region populations is based on the hypotheses about the origin of the peoples of the Volga-Ural region, formulated through the analysis of data on the dental system morphology. The material for this work consists of 11 osteological groups close to modernity – 7 for the Volga region peoples and 4 comparative groups, with a total number of 626 individuals. The research method included recording 64 traits on the postcranial skeleton, 16 of which were used in the statistical analysis. Empirical analysis of the data revealed significant variability of most traits. Some trends could be detected: for example, the Bashkir and Buryat samples often demonstrated extreme values of frequencies of a number of traits. The Mordva-Moksha group was also specific. The Udmurtian samples, as well as the Chuvash groups, were quite close to each other, and the Old Ladoga Russians did not differ from the Volga groups. Multidimensional statistical analyses allowed to refine empirically selected hypotheses. The distribution of non-metric traits of long bones is in good agreement with odontological data. Buryats have a specific complex, which is very far from the one characteristic for the Volga groups. Bashkirs turned out to be an outlying group not only according to odontological data, but also according to the frequency of non-metric traits of the postcranial skeleton. The proximity of the Saam to the Volga samples is also consistent with the data on dental morphology.

Morphometric traits of selected heart veins of standard and mutational colour variants of American mink (Neovison vison)

The aim of the study was to estimate the values of metric traits of selected mink heart veins of standard and mutation colour variants. The study was conducted on 342 hearts of seven-month-old males and 405 hearts of seven-month-old females. Mink colour, resulting from mutation or from crossbreeding mutational colour variants with each other. Metric traits of the coronary sinus, great cardiac vein, middle cardiac vein, posterior vein, and small cardiac vein were determined by photographic recording of the sub-epicardial picture of these vessels after filling them with a water-dilutable dye for acrylic paints together with a 30% food gelatin solution. In addition, the number of the veins forming the great cardiac vein and that of the posterior veins of the left ventricle were determined. Based on the measurement of the width and length of the mink hearts, the heart shape was determined. Differences were found between the traits of the mink heart vessels of standard and mutational colour variants, but they did not allow to formulate clearly the thesis about the effect of mutations on these traits.

The fruit metric trait characterization of scarlet eggplant using the high-throughput tomato analyzer software

Scarlet eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum [L.]) is an indigenous, underutilized fruit vegetable in Africa. Preference for fruit shape and size is high among growers and consumers. Fruit metric traits are important for yield improvement. Fruit metric descriptors are important contributors to variation, phenotypic and genotypic variation, and heritability. However, the measurement of these traits is cumbersome and subjective. Forty-three accessions were evaluated in 2016 and 2017. At maturity, 5 fruits were randomly harvested from each accession, digitalized and processed using the Tomato Analyzer software. Sixteen fruit metric traits were automatically generated and submitted for analysis of variance and multivariate analysis. The accessions differed over fruit size and shape due to genetic make-up. Fruit metric trait variation among S. aethiopicum groups was less influenced by the environment. The cv. Gilo group has oblong fruits, the cv. Shum group fruits are circular and ovoid; the cv. Kumba group fruits are less circular, lobed and flattened. AE/113 (C3), FUO 1 (C1) and FUO 5 (C2) Gilo groups are promising for fruit size. There were phenotypic plasticity and overlapping for fruit metric traits between the Gilo and Shum groups due to a common genome. The Tomato Analyzer software was able to discriminate accessions based on fruit phenomic traits, and the information could be used to establish commonalities between groups.