Incomplete convergence of gliding mammal skeletons.

Ecology and biomechanics play central roles in the generation of phenotypic diversity. When unrelated taxa invade a similar ecological niche, biomechanical demands can drive convergent morphological transformations. Thus, examining convergence helps to elucidate the key catalysts of phenotypic change. Gliding mammals are often presented as a classic case of convergent evolution because they independently evolved in numerous clades, each possessing patagia ("wing" membranes) that generate lift during gliding. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to test whether the skeletal morphologies of the six clades of extant gliding mammals demonstrate convergence. Our results indicate that glider skeletons are convergent, with glider groups consistently evolving proportionally longer, more gracile limbs than arborealists, likely to increase patagial surface area. Nonetheless, we interpret gliders to represent incomplete convergence because (1) evolutionary model-fitting analyses do not indicate strong selective pressures for glider trait optima, (2) the three marsupial glider groups diverge rather than converge, and (3) the gliding groups remain separated in morphospace (rather than converging on a single morphotype), which is reflected by an unexpectedly high level of morphological disparity. That glider skeletons are morphologically diverse is further demonstrated by fossil gliders from the Mesozoic Era, which possess unique skeletal characteristics that are absent in extant gliders. Glider morphologies may be strongly influenced by factors such as body size and attachment location of patagia on the forelimb, which can vary among clades. Thus, convergence in gliders appears to be driven by a simple lengthening of the limbs, whereas additional skeletal traits reflect nuances of the gliding apparatus that are distinct among different evolutionary lineages. Our unexpected results add to growing evidence that incomplete convergence is prevalent in vertebrate clades, even among classic cases of convergence, and they highlight the importance of examining form-function relationships in light of phylogeny, biomechanics, and the fossil record.

New gliding mammaliaforms from the Jurassic.

Stem mammaliaforms are Mesozoic forerunners to mammals, and they offer critical evidence for the anatomical evolution and ecological diversification during the earliest mammalian history. Two new eleutherodonts from the Late Jurassic period have skin membranes and skeletal features that are adapted for gliding. Characteristics of their digits provide evidence of roosting behaviour, as in dermopterans and bats, and their feet have a calcaneal calcar to support the uropagatium as in bats. The new volant taxa are phylogenetically nested with arboreal eleutherodonts. Together, they show an evolutionary experimentation similar to the iterative evolutions of gliders within arboreal groups of marsupial and placental mammals. However, gliding eleutherodonts possess rigid interclavicle-clavicle structures, convergent to the avian furculum, and they retain shoulder girdle plesiomorphies of mammaliaforms and monotremes. Forelimb mobility required by gliding occurs at the acromion-clavicle and glenohumeral joints, is different from and convergent to the shoulder mobility at the pivotal clavicle-sternal joint in marsupial and placental gliders.

New evidence for mammaliaform ear evolution and feeding adaptation in a Jurassic ecosystem.

Stem mammaliaforms are forerunners to modern mammals, and they achieved considerable ecomorphological diversity in their own right. Recent discoveries suggest that eleutherodontids, a subclade of Haramiyida, were more species-rich during the Jurassic period in Asia than previously recognized. Here we report a new Jurassic eleutherodontid mammaliaform with an unusual mosaic of highly specialized characteristics, and the results of phylogenetic analyses that support the hypothesis that haramiyidans are stem mammaliaforms. The new fossil shows fossilized skin membranes that are interpreted to be for gliding and a mandibular middle ear with a unique character combination previously unknown in mammaliaforms. Incisor replacement is prolonged until well after molars are fully erupted, a timing pattern unique to most other mammaliaforms. In situ molar occlusion and a functional analysis reveal a new mode of dental occlusion: dual mortar-pestle occlusion of opposing upper and lower molars, probably for dual crushing and grinding. This suggests that eleutherodontids are herbivorous, and probably specialized for granivory or feeding on soft plant tissues. The inferred dietary adaptation of eleutherodontid gliders represents a remarkable evolutionary convergence with herbivorous gliders in Theria. These Jurassic fossils represent volant, herbivorous stem mammaliaforms associated with pre-angiosperm plants that appear long before the later, iterative associations between angiosperm plants and volant herbivores in various therian clades.

Mammalian evolution. Evolutionary development in basal mammaliaforms as revealed by a docodontan.

A new Late Jurassic docodontan shows specializations for a subterranean lifestyle. It is similar to extant subterranean golden moles in having reduced digit segments as compared to the ancestral phalangeal pattern of mammaliaforms and extant mammals. The reduction of digit segments can occur in mammals by fusion of the proximal and intermediate phalangeal precursors, a developmental process for which a gene and signaling network have been characterized in mouse and human. Docodontans show a positional shift of thoracolumbar ribs, a developmental variation that is controlled by Hox9 and Myf5 genes in extant mammals. We argue that these morphogenetic mechanisms of modern mammals were operating before the rise of modern mammals, driving the morphological disparity in the earliest mammaliaform diversification.

Mammalian evolution. An arboreal docodont from the Jurassic and mammaliaform ecological diversification.

A new docodontan mammaliaform from the Middle Jurassic of China has skeletal features for climbing and dental characters indicative of an omnivorous diet that included plant sap. This fossil expands the range of known locomotor adaptations in docodontans to include climbing, in addition to digging and swimming. It further shows that some docodontans had a diet with a substantial herbivorous component, distinctive from the faunivorous diets previously reported in other members of this clade. This reveals a greater ecological diversity in an early mammaliaform clade at a more fundamental taxonomic level not only between major clades as previously thought.

Earliest evolution of multituberculate mammals revealed by a new Jurassic fossil.

Multituberculates were successful herbivorous mammals and were more diverse and numerically abundant than any other mammal groups in Mesozoic ecosystems. The clade also developed diverse locomotor adaptations in the Cretaceous and Paleogene. We report a new fossil skeleton from the Late Jurassic of China that belongs to the basalmost multituberculate family. Dental features of this new Jurassic multituberculate show omnivorous adaptation, and its well-preserved skeleton sheds light on ancestral skeletal features of all multituberculates, especially the highly mobile joints of the ankle, crucial for later evolutionary success of multituberculates in the Cretaceous and Paleogene.

Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes based on anthraquinone-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic acid (H4AQTC): canted antiferromagnetism and slow magnetization relaxation in {[Co2(AQTC)(H2O)6]·6H2O}.

Three coordination polymers {[Co2(AQTC)(H2O)6]·6H2O}n (1), {[M2(AQTC)(bpym)(H2O)6]·6H2O}n (M = Co(2), Ni(3)) have been synthesized and structurally characterized, where H4AQTC is anthraquinone-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic acid and bpym is 2,2'-bipyrimidine. Complex 1 features a 3-D structure, where layers of Co2(AQTC) are cross-linked by Co-H2O chains. Complexes 2 and 3 are isostructural and display 1-D chain structures. The chains are connected through hydrogen-bonding interactions to form 3-D supramolecular structures. Magnetic properties of these complexes are investigated. Compound 1 shows canted antiferromagnetism and slow relaxation below 4.0 K. For complexes 2 and 3, dominant antiferromagnetic interactions are observed. The luminescent properties of the three complexes are investigated as well.

A Jurassic eutherian mammal and divergence of marsupials and placentals.

Placentals are the most abundant mammals that have diversified into every niche for vertebrates and dominated the world's terrestrial biotas in the Cenozoic. A critical event in mammalian history is the divergence of eutherians, the clade inclusive of all living placentals, from the metatherian-marsupial clade. Here we report the discovery of a new eutherian of 160 Myr from the Jurassic of China, which extends the first appearance of the eutherian-placental clade by about 35 Myr from the previous record, reducing and resolving a discrepancy between the previous fossil record and the molecular estimate for the placental-marsupial divergence. This mammal has scansorial forelimb features, and provides the ancestral condition for dental and other anatomical features of eutherians.

New europium coordination polymers with efficient energy transfer from conjugated tetracarboxylate ligands to Eu3+ ion: syntheses, structures, luminescence and magnetic properties.

Two novel lanthanide coordination polymers, [Eu(2)(EBTC)(DMF)(5)(NO(3))(2)]·DMF (1) and [Eu(2)(BBTC)(1.5)(CH(3)OH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)]·7DMF·HNO(3) (2) (EBTC(4-) = 1,1'-ethynebenzene-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylate; BBTC(4-) = 1,1'-butadiynebenzene-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylate), were successfully synthesized from conjugated ligands of EBTC(4-) and BBTC(4-). Although the two tetracarboxylate ligands have similar structures, their different rigidity/flexibility results in quite different networks upon complexation. Complex 1 has a two-dimensional (2-D) layered structure with two crystallographically independent Eu(3+) ions, one in a distorted monocapped square-antiprism and the other in a distorted square-antiprism coordination geometry. Complex 2 exhibits a three-dimensional (3-D) porous framework, with one type of Eu(3+) in a distorted square-antiprism and the other in a trigondodecahedron environment. Both 1 and 2 emit the intensely red characteristic luminescence of Eu(3+) ion at room temperature, with a long lifetime of up to 1.3 and 0.7 ms, respectively, during which the ligand emission of EBTC(4-)/BBTC(4-) was quenched by the Eu(3+) ion, indicating the existence of efficient energy transfer between the conjugated ligand of EBTC(4-)/BBTC(4-) and the Eu(3+) ion. Thus, both EBTC(4-) and BBTC(4-) are ideal ligands with an "antenna" effect for the Eu(3+) ion. The two complexes show the single-ion magnetic behaviors of Eu(3+) with strong spin-orbit coupling interactions even if there are shorter distances (5.714 Å for 1 versus 4.275 and 5.360 Å for 2) between the neighboring Eu(3+) ions connected by oxygen atoms of the tetracarboxylates.

A low-dimensional molecular spin system with two steps of magnetic transitions and liquid crystal property.

A low-dimensional compound [C(6)-Apy][Ni(mnt)(2)] (1, where mnt(2-) = maleonitriledithiolate, C(6)-Apy(+) = 4-amino-1-hexylpyridinium) has been designed and synthesized, which has layer arrangement of anions and cations and shows two steps of magnetic transitions. The low temperature magnetic transition has an uncommon hysteresis loop, while the crystal structure investigations disclosed no structural transition with the magnetic transition. The high temperature magnetic transition exhibits two remarkable features: (1) it synchronously occurs with a crystalline-to-mesophase transition in the first heating process and (2) the structural changes that accompany the solid-mesophase transition are irreversible. A diamagnetic and isostructural compound, [C(6)-Apy][Cu(mnt)(2)], is further characterized by structure, DSC and POM techniques, which revealed also the existence of an irreversible crystalline-to-mesophase transition in the same temperature interval of [C(6)-Apy][Ni(mnt)(2)]. Therefore, the high-temperature magnetic transition in 1 is driven by release of the structural strains, but not magnetoelastic interactions. The mesophase exhibits the characteristic of smectic A phase, and the alkyl chain melting in the cation layers probably lead to the formation of mesophase. It is noticeable that the finding of a mesophase occurring in a hexyl hydrocarbon chain molecular system is in contrast to a suggested rule that at least a dodecyl chain is required. Our results will shed a light on the design and preparation of a new low-dimensional molecular system combining magnetic transition and liquid crystal properties.

A tetra-nuclear cobalt(III) cluster with 2-(hydroxy-meth-yl)pyridine ligands.

In the title compound, tetra-kis[µ(3)-(2-pyrid-yl)methano-lato]tetra-kis[bromido(methanol)cobalt(III)] tetra-bromide 2-(hydroxy-meth-yl)pyridine tetra-solvate dihydrate, [Co(4)Br(4)(C(6)H(6)NO)(4)(CH(3)OH)(4)]Br(4)·4C(6)H(7)NO(4)·2H(2)O, the cation comprises a [Co(4)O(4)] cubane-type core ( symmetry). The four Co(III) ions and bridging O atoms from four (2-pyrid-yl)methano-late anions are located at alternating vertices of the cube, with bromide ions and methanol ligands on the exterior of the core, completing a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The structure is stablized by inter-molecular O-H⋯Br and O-H⋯O inter-actions.

Phenothiazine-anthraquinone donor-acceptor molecules: synthesis, electronic properties and DFT-TDDFT computational study.

Two donor-acceptor molecules with different pi-electron conjugative units, 1-((10-methyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)ethynyl)anthracene-9,10-dione (AqMp) and 1,1'-(10-methyl-10H-phenothiazine-3,7-diyl)bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl)dianthracene-9,10-dione (Aq2Mp), have been synthesized and investigated for their photochemical and electrochemical properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide insights into their molecular geometry, electronic structures, and properties. These studies satisfactorily explain the electrochemistry of the two compounds and indicate that larger conjugative effect leads to smaller HOMO-LUMO gap (Eg) in Aq2Mp. Both compounds show ICT and pi --> pi* transitions in the UV-visible range in solution, and Aq2Mp has a bathochromic shift and shows higher oscillator strength of the absorption, which has been verified by time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations. The differences between AqMp and Aq2Mp indicate that the structural and conjugative effects have great influence on the electronic properties of the molecules.

Ligand-to-metal ratio controlled assembly of nanoporous metal-organic frameworks.

Two bilayered metal-organic frameworks with nanoporous channels were synthesized at different ligand-to-metal ratios, which demonstrated an interesting crystal-to-crystal transformation property and a special fluorescent response to the different guest molecules included.

Metal complexes formed by metal-assisted solvolysis of di-pyridylketone azine: structures and magnetic properties.

A series of metal complexes were achieved from the metal-assisted solvolysis reaction of di-pyridylketone azine (dpka). The tetranuclear nickel cluster , [Ni(2)[dpk(O)(OH)][dpk(O)(OCH(3))](N(3))(2)](2), is centrosymmetric with a central core described as an edge-shared triangle core. Neighboring Ni(II) ions are alternately bridged by (micro(2)-N(3), micro(3)-O) and (micro(2)-O, micro(3)-O) double bridges. Complex , [Cu(4)[dpk(O)(OCH(3))](4)(N(3))(2)](CuCl(2))(2) contains a tetranuclear cluster and two identical [CuCl(2)]M(-) anions. The tetranuclear structure has two crystallographically imposed twofold axes, in which the four copper ions are arranged to be rhombic shape. The neighboring copper(ii) ions along the lateral are bridged by single micro(2)-O from the ligand dpk(O)(OCH(3)) and the short diagonal copper ions are bridged by two symmetric end-on azides. In dinuclear Cu(ii) complex [Cu(2)[dpka(OCH(2)CH(3))]Cl(2)](ClO(4)) (3), the metal centers are coordinated in a planar configuration and bridged by a -N-N- bridge. It is also observed that the Cl atom coordinated to one Cu(II) center is also weakly coordinated to another inversion related Cu(II) to generate a centrosymmetric dimer. The metal centers in one-dimensional polymeric Cu(ii) complex [Cu(2)[dpka(OCH(3))](N(3))(2)(ClO(4))](n) (4), however, are bridged by a -N-N- bridge and an end-to-end azide bridge, alternately. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that shows ferromagnetic interaction within the tetranuclear cluster, and that displays moderately strong antiferromagnetic interaction (J = -56.7 cm(-1)) for the bis(micro-N(3)) bridge. For compound , it shows strong antiferromagnetic coupling (J = -286 cm(-1)) between the intradinuclear Cu(II) ions mediated by the single N-N bridge and negligible magnetic interactions between the adjacent dinuclear Cu(II) ions mediated by the single end-to-end azide bridge. The mechanism of the metal-assisted solvolysis reaction was also discussed.

Porous material for absorption and luminescent detection of aromatic molecules in water.

A two-dimensional porous framework, which was formed from neutral discrete hexanuclear copper clusters via self-assembly, exhibited highly selective absorption of aromatic molecules in water with special fluorescent response.

Host-guest complexation of a fluorescent and electrochemical chemsensor for fluoride anion.

Host-guest complexation of a ferrocenenylphalene dyad 1, 1,1'-diaceylferrocenyl-3-hydroxyl-2-naphthoylhydrazone, as a fluorescent and electrochemical chemosensor for fluoride anion, was investigated. Crystal structure analysis revealed that the two naphthyl arms of compound 1 positioned in the same side about the ferrocene moiety and interacted through pi-pi stacking interactions. The intermolecular pi-pi stacking interactions and the C-H...pi interactions between the ferrocene moieties and the naphthalene rings linked the molecules together featuring a two-dimensional layered structure. Fluorescence titrations of compound 1 indicated that in the presence of F- and H2PO4-, the emission intensities enhanced significantly. Electrochemical titrations revealed that compound 1 sensed the F- anion in high selectivity with a cathodic shift of 120 mV, and had no sense in recognizing H2PO4- anion. 1H NMR titrations demonstrated that while compound 1 hydrogen-bonded to H2PO4- forming simple 1 : 1 host-guest complex, further addition of F- induced the deprotonation of compound 1.

1D helix, 2D brick-wall and herringbone, and 3D interpenetration d10 metal-organic framework structures assembled from pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid N-oxide.

Five novel interesting d(10) metal coordination polymers, [Zn(PDCO)(H2O)2]n (PDCO = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid N-oxide) (1), [Zn2(PDCO)2(4,4'-bpy)2(H2O)2.3H2O]n (bpy = bipyridine) (2), [Zn(PDCO)(bix)]n (bix = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene) (3), [Zn(PDCO)(bbi).0.5H2O]n (bbi = 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole)) (4), and [Cd(PDCO)(bix)(1.5).1.5H2O]n (5), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized. Polymer 1 possesses a one-dimensional (1D) helical chainlike structure with 4(1) helices running along the c-axis with a pitch of 10.090 Angstroms. Polymer 2 has an infinite chiral two-dimensional (2D) brick-wall-like layer structure in the ac plane built from achiral components, while both 3 and 4 exhibit an infinite 2D herringbone architecture, respectively extended in the ac and ab plane. Polymer 5 features a most remarkable and unique three-dimensional (3D) porous framework with 2-fold interpenetration related by symmetry, which contains channels in the b and c directions, both distributed in a rectangular grid fashion. Compounds 1-5, with systematic variation in dimensionality from 1D to 2D to 3D, are the first examples of d(10) metal coordination polymers into which pyridinedicarboxylic acid N-oxide has been introduced. In addition, polymers 1, 4, and 5 display strong blue fluorescent emissions in the solid state. Polymer 3 exhibits a strong SHG response, estimated to be approximately 0.9 times that of urea.

Enantiomeric interpenetrating 3D nets with chiral silver helicates.

A new enantiomeric interpenetrating 3D nets with chiral helical coordination silver(i) polymer was achieved via self-assembly using the new ligand modular approach, in which the special helical conformation of the ligand provided the opportunity to translate chirality from one metal center to others.

Synthesis and structural characterization of a nonplanar neutral [36]metallacrown-12 nickel compound [Ni(C13H9N3O2)(CH3OH)]12.

A nonplanar metallacrown [Ni-N-N]12 was achieved using a pentadente ligand, salicylaldehyde 2-pyridinecarboxylhydrazone (H2L) via a new modular self-assembly approach. The special bridging models of the ligand forced the macrocycle to form in a specific size with the wavelike conformation.

Heterometallic compounds assembled from ferrocene-containing bisthiosemicarbazone clips.

Heteropolynuclear organometallic compounds have been constructed by using the ferrocene-based ligand H(2)L, [NH(2)SCNHN=C(CH(3))(C(5)H(4))](2)Fe. Reaction of the ligand H(2)L with the cobalt(II) salt gave a tetranuclear helicate Co(2)Fe(2) (1) with two ferrocene-based clips wrapped around the two cobalt atoms. The chiral helicates recognized the neighbors with same chirality through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the thiosemicarbazone moieties to form a one-dimensional chiral channel. Reaction of the ligand H(2)L with the cadmium(II) salt afforded a tetranuclear dimeric compound Cd(2)Fe(2) (2), with two symmetric related parts bridged through two sulfur atoms. Reaction of the ligand H(2)L with the copper(I) salt, in the presence of triethylamine, resulted in a hexanuclear compound Cu(4)Fe(2) (3) with a crownlike Cu(4)S(4) octagon similar to that of S(8) sited inside and two ferrocene-containing ligands positioned outside. Electrochemical measurements were displayed to investigate the redox communications between the ferrocene moieties through metal centers.