Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
The analysis of two global databases on the spatiotemporal distribution of fossil marine animal genera (Sepkoski’s compendium and The Paleobiology Database) has revealed the presence of the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) in the marine realm throughout the Phanerozoic. Within each time interval, LDG is characterized by two parameters: the lati...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
The concept of neutrality, which presents a new view of the problem associated with the coexistence of species competing for shared resources, has recently stimulated renewed interest in the structure of communities. Unlike the traditional concept, which states that species must occupy different ecological niches, the concept of neutrality assumes ...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
The state of biological communities inhabiting different water bodies is analyzed with the aim of determining the conditions facilitating development of biological invasions. Mass-balance and dynamic models are used to reveal the factors ensuring the invasion of zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, in Naroch lakes (Byelorussia), and smelt, Osmerus e...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
Repeatability of a trait estimated over long time intervals and its heritability make it possible to assess whether it can serve as an individual characteristic and be subject to selection. Heritability and repeatability of energetic traits are still poorly studied in birds. The most important physiological characteristic of the homoiotherms is the...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
In previous experimental studies on laboratory mice, it was shown that the activation of specific immunity by injection with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) lessens the olfactory sexual attractiveness of male mice to intact female mice. However, reduced attractiveness can only decrease the reproductive efficiency of male mice under the conditions of ...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
It is well known that closely related sympatric species are usually different in characteristics important for species recognition, e.g., visual and acoustic signals, whereas allopatric taxa often display no differences in these traits. This phenomenon is a rule of general biology, referred to here as Dobzhansky’s rule, after the scientist who firs...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
In this study we examine nucleotide substitutions in rDNA ITS1 of a number of evolutionarily static angiosperm taxa. It has been demonstrated that, in the majority of cases, cytosine-to-thymine substitutions in CpG dinucleotides prevail. The rate of cytosine-to-thymine substitutions in other neighboring positions is on the average twice as small. T...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
The results of investigations of chromosome numbers in 48 species of gymnosperms (including 3 subspecies and 14 intraspecific forms) and 6 intraspecific hybrids of 8 genera belonging to 3 families are represented. The investigations were conducted for more than 250 provenances of gymnosperms from 18 countries. Analysis of the study data indicates t...
Published in Biology Bulletin Reviews
Analysis of the influence of diffusion of substrates and the products of photophosphorylation on the rates of ATP generation and consumption in chloroplasts on the basis of literature data and the results of the author’s own studies is shown. The results of studies on diffusion regulation of adenine nucleotides in the processes of ATP generation an...
