Infrequent Long-Range Dispersal and Evolution of a Top Terrestrial Arthropod Predator in the Sub-Antarctic.

AbstractThe sub-Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems survive on isolated oceanic islands in the path of circumpolar currents and winds that have raged for more than 30 million years and are shaped by climatic cycles that surpass the tolerance limits of many species. Surprisingly little is known about how these ecosystems assembled their native terrestrial fauna and how such processes have changed over time. Here, we demonstrate the patterns and timing of colonization and speciation in the largest and dominant arthropod predators in the eastern sub-Antarctic: spiders of the genus Myro. Our results indicate that this lineage originated from Australia before the Plio-Pleistocenic glacial cycles and underwent an adaptive radiation on the Crozet archipelago, from where one native species colonized multiple remote archipelagos via the Antarctic circumpolar current across thousands of kilometers. The results indicate limited natural connectivity between terrestrial macroinvertebrate faunas in the eastern sub-Antarctic and partial survival of repeated glaciations in the Plio-Pleistocene. Furthermore, our findings highlight that by integrating arthropod taxa from multiple continents, the climatically more stable volcanic Crozet archipelago played a critical role in the evolution and distribution of arthropod life in the sub-Antarctic.

Spontaneous Bleeding in Vestibular Schwannoma in Patients on Oral Anticoagulant Therapy: Report of Two Cases and Review of Literature.

OBJECTIVE: Anticoagulant therapy is a risk factor for repeated intratumoral hemorrhage and acute enlargement of a vestibular schwannoma (VS) with neurological deficits. Therefore, we describe two cases of patients on oral anticoagulant therapy with intratumoral hemorrhage in which anticoagulant therapy prior to surgical resection was discontinued. We also discuss other similar cases from the literature since this is a rare event. CASE REPORTS: We described the two cases of intratumoral hemorrhage in acoustic neurinoma and conducted a literature review of similar cases of patients with intratumoral hemorrhage in acoustic neurinoma who were also on oral anticoagulants. Both patients presented with CN-VII palsy prior to surgery; both also fully re-covered after surgery except for hearing loss on the tumor side. Our literature review found 50 cases of VS (reported as vestibular schwannomas in the literature) with intratumoral hemorrhage. From this total, 11 patients used oral anticoagulant therapy with reported poor outcomes and high mortality; 9 of these 11 cases were reported in the past 20 years. The incidence is expected to rise due to increased use of anticoagulant therapy due to onset of atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis, and thromboembolism from longer human lifespan. CONCLUSION: Anticoagulant therapy represents a risk factor for intratumoral hemorrhage and acute enlargement of VS tumor mass with neurological deficits.

Mediterranean vineyards and olive groves in Croatia harbour some rare and endemic invertebrates.

The Mediterranean is characterised by high biodiversity and numerous endemic species. These species are not only present in natural habitats, but also inhabit areas under human influence, such as agricultural lands. In the biodiversity assessment of Mediterranean vineyards and olive orchards within Zadar County, in Croatia, we identified eight endemic species with Mediterranean distribution, six with a Balkan Peninsula distribution, four with Dinaric Alps distribution and three species rare and endangered in Europe. Alongside these species, we have recorded five new species for Croatian fauna, many of those identified by combining morphological characteristics and the DNA barcoding tool. Araneae and Coleoptera contributed the highest number of endemic species and groups with new record were the following: Coleoptera, Diptera and Araneae. Compared to other sites, an olive orchard with ecological pest management (EPM), surrounded by natural ecosystems, had the highest ratio of endemic and rare species. Our findings emphasise that agricultural lands in the Mediterranean can be habitats for endemic and rare species and that future biodiversity research of these habitats is highly important, to monitor potential biodiversity changes and motivate future species and ecosystem conservation.