Distribution and genetic diversity of two earthworms, Helodrilus oculatus and Satchellius mammalis (Clitellata: Lumbricidae) in Scandinavia

We report on the Scandinavian distribution of two earthworm species, Helodrilus oculatus and Satchellius mammalis. Both appear relatively new to the Scandinavian Peninsula, as they were not included in the monographic revisions of the earthworm fauna of Sweden and Norway in the mid-1900s. We provide recent records of both species from Norway and Sweden, H. oculatus also from Denmark, and haplotype networks of four markers (COI, 16S, H3, and ITS2) are used to visualise the genetic diversity within each species. There is moderate genetic variation in COI for both taxa, and for H. oculatus, there is a West-East division between the specimens from Norway, Gothenburg (western Sweden) and Bavaria (Germany), and the ones from eastern Sweden and the Bornholm island (easternmost Denmark). This could potentially be explained by different origin and colonisation routes. In the other markers the variation is limited, and in the nuclear genes no pattern to support this split is seen. We also analyse the phylogenetic positions of H. oculatus and S. mammalis in the family Lumbricidae by combining our data (including also some12S, 18S and 28S sequences) with a published dataset. We conclude that neither Helodrilus nor Satchellius are monophyletic. Helodrilus oculatus (type species of Helodrilus), however, forms a clade with some of its current congeners.

Imaginal Geography of Regional Integration 1990s: the Latvian and the Estonian Experience

After the end of the Cold War many variants of space organization at macro- and microlevel were suggested instead of traditional West–East division. There were in detail worked projects of invented regions building and discoursive projections of regions. Among them the ideas deserve special attention, which were put forward by the states that had been within frontier zone of the European politics poles before. The “Amber gateway” and the “Yule land” are examples of mental projections of the Baltic Sea area which were constructed by Latvia’s and Estonia’s political elites. In the article research of the ideas leans on I. Newmann’s region-building approach. Articles and speeches which were the work of representatives of two republics’ organs of government served sources. They were consecutively collected, systematized and analyzed. Categorical apparatus of the article includes the concepts which are derived from concept “mental map” often mentioned by the author. In general mental map means the map of part of surrounding space which was created in consciousness of a man or any social group. This category is concept of relatively new science – imaginal geography which is interpreted here as one studies forming of system of ideas, concepts describing any territory in people’s consciousness. When the research was made, it became evident that the Latvian mental construction did not presuppose liquidation of the barrier between Europe and Russia / West and East. Russia had to remain on the other side of dividing line, but not in isolation. Latvia assigned the role of “mediator between two worlds” for ensuring communication and transit to itself. Claim that Estonia was among the Northern countries gave the opportunity to the republic’s ruling circle to distance from post-Soviet space as a whole and Latvia and Lithuania in particular. The “Amber gateway” and the “Yule land” reflected specific character of spatial imagination of Baltic republics’ governments. The use of cultural markers in the mental maps was caused by aspiration to make imaginary regions natural and clear for other participants of intended integrations, as the lasts preferred connections at the level of public institutions, but not of state ones. But the Latvian and the Estonian politicians looked at the process of region–building in the light of interstate interaction. Estonia strove to emphasize its belonging to “Europe of regions” by means of “Yule land”, but Latvia accentuated strengthening of its own role in limits of “Amber gateway”.

Wedding Ceremony of Prekmurje Slovenes in the General Slavic Background. 2. Characters and Ritual Attributes

Firstly, the Prekmurje wedding rite shows close cultural and linguistic connections of this Slavic region with the neighbouring Croatian and, to a lesser extent, with other South Slavic ones. And the further east in this area, the lower the degree of the convergence. Secondly, there are even closer and more distinct connections with the traditional culture of Slovakia and partly of Moravia. These parallels are not limited to the south-eastern regions of Slovakia closest to Slovenia, but also extend further in the north and east division by the Slovak Carpathian region and Western Ukraine. Separate, sometimes even more geographically distant correspondences, mostly sporadic, single or point-like, link the marginal Slovenian tradition of Prekmurje with some other archaic marginal or enclavian Slavic traditions – Sorbian, Slovincian-Kashubian, Burgenland Croatian, Southern Bulgarian (Rhodopian, Thracian), Northern Russian.

Comparing mitogenomic timetrees for two African savannah primate genera (Chlorocebus and Papio)

Complete mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes have proved to be useful in reconstructing primate phylogenies with higher resolution and confidence compared to reconstructions based on partial mtDNA sequences. Here, we analyse complete mtDNA genomes of African green monkeys (genus Chlorocebus), a widely distributed primate genus in Africa representing an interesting phylogeographical model for the evolution of savannah species. Previous studies on partial mtDNA sequences revealed nine major clades, suggesting several cases of para- and polyphyly among Chlorocebus species. However, in these studies, phylogenetic relationships among several clades were not resolved, and divergence times were not estimated. We analysed complete mtDNA genomes for ten Chlorocebus samples representing major mtDNA clades to find stronger statistical support in the phylogenetic reconstruction than in the previous studies and to estimate divergence times. Our results confirmed para- and polyphyletic relationships of most Chlorocebus species, while the support for the phylogenetic relationships between the mtDNA clades increased compared to the previous studies. Our results indicate an initial west–east division in the northern part of the Chlorocebus range with subsequent divergence into north-eastern and southern clades. This phylogeographic scenario contrasts with that for another widespread African savannah primate genus, the baboons (Papio), for which a dispersal from southern Africa into East and West Africa was suggested.