|
|
Assessing the threat of hybridization between Prunus fruticosa and cultivated Prunus species
Musilová, Lenka ; Vít, Petr (advisor) ; Chrtek, Jindřich (referee)
Presented thesis evaluates the risk of ongoing hybridization (antropohybridization) in highly endangered Prunus fruticosa in the Czech Republic and selected adjacent countries. Absolute genome size analysis (estimated by flow cytometry) combined with both numeric and geometric morphometrics were used for evaluation of hybridization. Prunus fruticosa frequently hybridize with naturalized Prunus cerasus (emerging tetraploid hybrid Prunus ×eminens) and native Prunus avium (forming triploid hybrid Prunus ×mohacsyana). Discrimination between P. ×eminens and P. ×mohacsyana is difficult, when using leaf morphology characters only, so the occurrence of triploid hybrids was strongly underestimated in the Czech Republic (only tetraploid hybrids were reported). Both hybrids are surely differentiated using flow cytometry analysis (based on different ploidy level). The majority of analyzed populations is formed by either individuals of pure P. fruticosa or one of the mentioned hybrids. Only four populations were mixed. Continuous variability in absolute genome size was found in two of them, which may indicate hybrid swarm forming (incl. primary hybrids and backcrosses). Our findings can be considered only as indirect evidence for introgression, which needs to be confirmed by molecular markers (for example...
|
|
|
Unveiling hidden species diversity in desmids (Desmidiales, Viridiplantae)
Šťastný, Jan ; Neustupa, Jiří (advisor) ; F.M. Coesel, Peter (referee) ; Kaštovský, Jan (referee)
The delineation of desmid species was traditionally based on purely morphological features. However, a frequent misinterpretation of morphological variability in desmids has led in the past to extensive taxonomical confusion within this important group of green algae which complicates the interpretation of their biodiversity in freshwater ecology, biogeography and biomonitoring. Consequently, I focused in this thesis predominantly on a previously neglected issue, the application of polyphasic approaches in the species-level taxonomy of desmids. In the most studies, a combination of both traditional morphological and modern molecular phylogenetic and geometric morphometric methods has been used to evaluate the taxonomy of selected desmid species, particularly representatives of the morphologically complex genera Micrasterias and Xanthidium. In two papers, I used the combination of traditional morphological and autecological data to clear up the taxonomy of several morphologically less prominent desmid taxa. Generally, the results of the thesis demonstrated that the way we recently see the diversity and distribution of desmids should be thoroughly changed. The real species diversity is mostly distinctly finer than that estimated by classical morphological taxonomy, often corresponds to varieties of...
|
|
|
An ecological perspective on diatom morphology.
Fialová, Markéta ; Kulichová, Jana (advisor) ; Hodač, Ladislav (referee)
A traditional species concept of diatoms is based on morphological characters of their siliceous boxes. A multidisciplinary approach to defining species of diatoms has revealed the hidden diversity within the traditionally defined species. But the newly recognized species are morphological variable and indistinguishable by the naked eye. Recent studies showed that different morphotypes show different ecological preferences. This master thesis focuses on the morphology of natural populations of the diatom species complex Frustulia rhomboides which contains both the traditional and the cryptic species, and it engages how the morphology reflects the effects of environmental conditions. Landmark methods of geometric morphometrics were used in order to analyze the morphological variability of diatom frustules of this species complex within various peat bog habitats in the Czech Republic. Selected environmental parameters were measured and the species composition of diatom communities present in the samples was investigated. These data were used to analyze the relationship between the environmental conditions and the cell shape variability within the complex. The analysis revealed the main trends of morphological variability related to different environmental conditions. Two morphotypes characteristic...
|
|
|
Assessed psychological characteristics of human face in depedence on socio-economical status
Linke, Lenka ; Kleisner, Karel (advisor) ; Pivoňková, Věra (referee)
Human face is a complex semantic organ, which among others reflects also human individuality due to the high variance of facial morphologies. This study examines the relationship between psychological characteristics and social status. Moreover, we have analyzed variability in facial form and its relation to a particular social rank. The study was performed on a set of photographs containing 55 pictures of men in a management position. These photographs were evaluated by 47 male (average age - 22 years) and 77 female (average age 21,6 years) respondents. The data were analyzed by means of classical methods of statistical testing as well as geometric morphometrics methods. This study tests whether there is a relation between three psychological characteristics - dominance, attractiveness, trustworthiness - and social status. The effect of perceived dominance and attractiveness on social status were not significant. Nevertheless, we found statistically significant relationship between perceived trustworthiness and social rank. We were not able to detect morphological facial structures, which would distinguish the heads of department from the chief executive directors. However the parametric tests discovered statistically significant differences between the facial morphology of a trustworthy and...
|
|
|
Influence of environmental variables on the shape of ultraviolet pattern in Gonepteryx rhamni
Pecháček, Pavel ; Kleisner, Karel (advisor) ; Hořák, David (referee)
Many species are sensitive to a light in ultraviolet spectrum. Some species have surface patterns that reflect ultraviolet light. These markings have been observed in many animal taxa; butterflies (Lepidoptera) are no exception. UV-reflectance in butterflies has been primarily connected to sexual selection and in this respect it has been a subject of many studies. In my work I propose an alternative view to this phenomenon. The aim of my work is to reveal how a particular environmental factors influence the morphospace of UV- reflectant patterns and wing shape of the Gonepteryx rhamni (Pieridae). The effect of various environmental factors (latitude, longitude, altitude, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI or net primary productivity - NPP) on wing morphospace was tested using the methods of Geometric morphometrics. I have also studied shape variability among the males and females, specimens from different locations and differences in morphospace of several G. rhamni subspecies. The dataset used in this analysis includes 118 males and 67 females from the Palearctic ecozone. The effect of almost all environmental (except to NDVI and NPP) predictors on shape of the UV-pattern and wing margin was significant in the case of males. In the...
|
|
|
Ontogeny of Sao hirsuta (Barrande, 1846) in the Cambrian of Czech Republic: revision
Laibl, Lukáš ; Fatka, Oldřich (advisor) ; Kleisner, Karel (referee)
The Solenopleurid trilobite Sao hirsuta Barrande, 1846 is known from "Middle" Cambrian sedimentary rocks of the Czech Republic, Germany and Spain. It is one of the first trilobites on which ontogenetic development was described in detail (Barrande, 1852). This diploma thesis is the first modern revision of the ontogeny of this species for more than fifty years. Thesis is primarily based on quantitative methods and a detailed study of morphology of the exoskeleton. Changes in the dorsal exoskeleton during ontogenetic development of S. hirsuta, including the discovery of intrainstar morphological and size variability and the transition from isometric growth to the alometric growth, were described in detail by using quantitative methods (biometric measurements and geometric morphometrics). In the protaspid period different instars of S. hirsuta were recognized. Detailed morphological studies revealed several different morphotypes of protaspid stages. Some of which may represent different taxa. The morphology and the condition of the hypostome was described, including changes of hypostome during ontogeny. The study of segmentation in the species S. hirsuta shows hypoprotomeric development with the initial accumulation phase, middle equilibrium phase and terminal depletion phases. Key words: Sao...
|
|
| |
|
|
Geometric morphometrics of diatom frustules.
Hubáčková, Kateřina ; Kulichová, Jana (advisor) ; Pichrtová, Martina (referee)
This bachelor thesis includes a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical part, I focused problematic parts of research of diatoms biology. I will discuss morphology of specific silica scale and its morphogenesis; life cycle, characteristic by the size diminution in vegetative phasis, and conception of taxonomy of these organisms which is rather complicated because of unclear species concept. Another part presents tools of geometric morphometrics which is rapidly developing method for investigation and quantification of biological shape. In the practical part, I present the results from own research. This experiment is preliminary study for diploma thesis and its purpose is to appropriate tools of geometric morphometrics and to present advantages of its methods. I will investigate morphological disparity of three strains of pennate diatoms cultivated in standard conditions studied by landmark methos. The aim of this study is to discover if small cells which have gone trough the long phasis of vegetative multiplication and are close to the sexual reproduction have diferent degree of morphological variability than the bigger ones just undergone by sexual process.
|
|
|
Population and geographic variation in long-winged bats (Miniopterus) in the western Palaearctic
Šrámek, Jan ; Benda, Petr (advisor) ; Hanák, Vladimír (referee)
In this study the sexual and geographical variations in the genus Miniopterus were deeply investigated, using multidisciplinary analysis (morphometric cranial, dental, fenetic and shape analysis; molecular analysis of mt gene ND2). Different populations from western Palearctic and adjacent regions were analysed: Miniopterus schreibersii (Morocco, West Europe, Pannonia, Balkans, Crete, Near East, Middle East), Miniopterus natalensis (Yemen, Ethiopia) a Miniopterus inflatus (Ethiopia). Extensove samples of Miniopterus schreibersii were tested and existence of sexual dimorphism in cranial constitution was showed: males had generally bigger and relatively higher, shorter and narrower skulls than females; female mandibles were generally bigger than the male ones, females showed also more robust and larger teeth than males. On the other hand, males had markedly bigger canines and relatively higher P4 (in relation to other premolares). The sexes also deiffered in shape of P4 and upper molars. According to the interpopulation variation found, Miniopterus schreibersii samples from West Europe, Pannonia, Balkans, Crete, Sicily, Georgia, coastal Turkish and Moroccan areas belong most probably to the subspecies M. s. schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817). The samples from Afganistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and from localities...
|
guest ::
