IDENTIFICATION OF THE HONEYBEE SUBSPECIES FROM SOME ROMANIAN COUNTIES USING A SEMIAUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING WINGS

Morphometric analysis of honeybee wings can be used to discriminate between honeybee subspecies. The classic morphometric methods used to identify honeybee subspecies are time consuming while geometric morphometric analysis are proven to be more efficient and rapid for the identification of honeybee subspecies. Even if the geometric morphometric analysis involves several steps such as: obtaining the image of the honeybee wing, processing the wings image (settlement of the 19 points), classification and validation, in terms of consumed time,it takes less than classic morphometric methodes and it is easier to apply. The aim of this study was to identify honeybee subspecies from the Romanian South-Eastern area, using the geometric morphometric method. To accomplish this, the semiautomated French system ApiClass was used. This system allows us to identify the honeybee subspecies based on the wing's image of the Apis mellifera honeybee worker. The program is using the recent approaches of geometric morphometry and is analyzing the wing considering 19 points corresponding to the intersections of the main veins of the bee forewings. These coordinates are processed by the system before being analyzed after which the system returns the probability of the analyzed honeybee belonging to one of the honeybee subspecies from its reference system. The system has more than 5000 honeybee wing references off the main lines and honeybee subspecies. Using this system we analyzed samples from the counties of Braila, Buzau, Galati and Ilfov. Each sample was composed from wings of 20 honeybees. Most of the analyzed samples were identified as hybrids without being possible to specify the type or the level of the hybridization: only three samples were identified as being Apis mellifera carnica presenting a homology degree over 90%.

Phenotypic variation of south-western Atlantic clam Mactra isabelleana (Bivalvia: Mactridae)

The phenotypic shell shape variation of Mactra isabelleana was tested using the geometric morphometric method. Four localities were sampled along the Río de la Plata estuary and the coast of Buenos Aires province. Principal component analysis and canonical variates analysis of the first principal components were performed to reveal the shell variation and differences among localities, respectively. The specimens from different microhabitats mostly overlapped, although differences in shape were observed in the development of the umbo, the enlargement of the dorsoventral axes and the elongation of the posterior end. The ecological and physical parameters that could influence shell shape variation are discussed.

A new Middle Miocene tarsier from Thailand and the reconstruction of its orbital morphology using a geometric–morphometric method

Tarsius is an extant genus of primates endemic to the islands of Southeast Asia that is characterized by enormously enlarged orbits reflecting its nocturnal activity pattern. Tarsiers play a pivotal role in reconstructing primate phylogeny, because they appear to comprise, along with Anthropoidea, one of only two extant haplorhine clades. Their fossils are extremely rare. Here, we describe a new species of Tarsius from the Middle Miocene of Thailand. We reconstructed aspects of its orbital morphology using a geometric–morphometric method. The result shows that the new species of Tarsius had a very large orbit (falling within the range of variation of modern Tarsius ) with a high degree of frontation and a low degree of convergence. Its relatively divergent lower premolar roots suggest a longer mesial tooth row and therefore a longer muzzle than in extant species. The new species documents a previous unknown Miocene group of Tarsius , indicating greater taxonomic diversity and morphological complexity during tarsier evolution. The current restriction of tarsiers to offshore islands in Southeast Asia appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon.