摘要:

To assess the role of stimulus speed and order on the predatory behaviors of the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.), tethered adult females were presented with various flat black stimuli (lures) by means of a variable speed mechanical arm. Lure speed had a dramatic effect on mantis behavior: mantises emitted significantly more strikes to a 6 x 6 mm square and to 'worm’ lures (i.e. length > width=6 mm) moving at 34.3 cm/sec than they did to 'antiworm' lures (i.e. width>length=6 mm), or to slower moving lures. These effects were consistent over lure directions (0–75° relative to the mantis' long axis), and background patterns. On the other hand, mantises emitted significantly more approaching behavior to lures moving at 12 cm/sec than to lures moving at 36 cm/sec. This suggests that S. lineola extract distance information from retinal image velocity, as do other insects. Stimulus order also effected mantis predatory behavior: for instance, mantises were more likely to track a lure without striking at it on the first trial than on subsequent trials. However, after the first trial, they were also more likely to freeze (become immobile) when a lure was presented. Mantises were also less likely to strike at a preferred lure if it was preceded by one or two non-preferred lures. In a final experiment, intact, freely moving mantises were placed in an arena, presented with adult crickets, and video taped. The behaviors of the freely moving mantises were congruent with those of the tethered mantises in the previous experiments. This series of experiments demonstrates that the information processing capabilities of S. lineola are more complex than generally depicted, however, they can be explained by assuming a neural organization similar to that of other insects such as flies (Diptera) and dragonflies (Odonata).

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114167

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The vitreal vascularization, optic nerve fiber layer and the retinal ganglion cells are examined in the Florida garfish, one of the two surviving genera of the ginglymode group of actinopterygian fishes. In the absence of a choroidal gland, a well developed system of hyaloid blood vessels overlie the inner retina. The optic nerve fiber and ganglion cell layers are integrated to form a series of alternating columns or fascicles emanating from an elongated optic nerve head. Horseradish peroxidase or cobaltous lysine infusion from the optic nerve reveals seven ganglion cell classes based on soma size and position, dendritic field size, retinal coverage and terminal stratification. Two discrete populations of giant ganglion cells with large somata and large dendritic fields stratify either within the sclerad region (type I cells) and/or within the middle region (type 2 cells) of the inner plexiform layer. Both giant ganglion cell populations (1% of total) form evenly distributed arrays with the dendritic arbor of each type covering the retina completely. Between seven and nine type 2 cells overlap the dendritic field of a single type 1 cell. Type 3 cells are small and located in the inner nuclear layer with a multistratified dendritic field terminating throughout the inner plexiform layer. Topographic analysis of the population of type 3 cells (4% of total) reveals a temporal area centralis (6.25 × 102 cells per mm2) and a ventral horizontal streak (6.25 × 102 cells per mm2). The large population of cells within the ganglion cell layer are classified as types 4, 5 and 6 based on soma size, dendritic field size and dendritic stratification and collectively these cells match the distribution of ganglion cells within the inner nuclear layer with 5.3 × 103 cells per mm2 in the temporal area centralis and 8.6 × 103 cells per mm2 in the horizontal streak. Type 7 cells possess small somata and send branches into both the inner and outer plexiform layers and have been termed biplexiform ganglion cells. Phylogenetic comparisons of several morphological features of the garfish retina reveals the polarity, conservation and the evolution of a number of visual characters.

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114168

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang) are nocturnal prosimian (i.e. strepsirhine) primates, closely related to bushbabies (Galago spp.). We examined the organization of visual cortex in four hemispheres from two slow lorises, using connectional and architectonic techniques. All hemispheres were flattened and sections stained for myelin and cytochrome oxidase (CO). Our results indicate, first, that the primary visual area (VI) in slow lorises has a system of small CO-dense blobs, as has been described in most other anthropoid and prosimian primates examined to date. The second visual area (V2) is characterized by broad, stripelike zones of dense CO staining separated by zones of lighter staining. Loris V2 stripes are less distinct than those of anthropoid primates, and separate classes of thin and thick dark stripes are not apparent. However, V2 stripes are much better developed than in Galago, where they are virtually absent. Injections of wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) in area VI revealed reciprocal connections with area V2, and the middle temporal (MT) and dorsolateral (DL) extrastriate areas. Area MT was also identified by its distinctive, dense myelination. As has been reported in anthropoids, DL can be divided into separate caudal and rostral divisions, which differ in myelin and CO staining, and in the strength of their connections with VI. Taken together, our results suggest that many of the features that characterize visual cortex organization in anthropoid primates are present in prosimians and thus probably evolved early in primate history, prior to the diversification of modern primate groups.

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114169

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

This study documents the development of inter- and intrasexual dimorphisms in the vocal ('sonic') muscles of the swimbladder in the plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus. Midshipman have two male reproductive morphs, Types I and II. Only Type I males build nests and generate mate calls to attract females; Type II males sneak or satellite spawn. Vocal muscles in the mate-calling Type I males were 25-fold larger in absolute size (sixfold larger when scaled to body size) compared with females or non-calling Type II males. Dimorphisms in muscle mass were correlated with dimorphisms in fiber number and diameter. Only nascent Type I males experienced a pre-maturational, fourfold increase of fiber number followed by a rapid, fivefold increase in fiber cross-sectional area at sexual maturity. Also specific to Type I males was a striking change in cell structure: the ratio of sarcoplasm to myofibril area increased fivefold. By contrast, Type II males and females matured without showing any of these changes in sonic muscle – the trajectories which described juvenile growth continued to hold through maturity and adulthood. The results indicate distinct, non-sequential, ontogenetic trajectories for Type I and Type II males. The origin of the Type II male morphotype is described as paedomorphosis by progenesis: size distributions of free-living animals suggest that Type II males can mature precocially as one-year-old fish, whereas Type I males defer reproduction until they are at least two years of age.

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114170

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114171

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114172

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0006-8977    

DOI:10.1159/000114174

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1993

数据来源: Karger