Author: Bernard Goffinet

Paper in Science

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Congratulation to Dr. David Wagner who co-authored a paper just published in Science:
Kerr, J. T., A. Pindar, P. Galpern, L. Packer, S. G. Potts, S. M. Roberts, P. Rasmont, O. Schweiger, S.R. Colla, L. L. Richardson, D. L. Wagner, L. F. Gall, D. S. Sikes, A. Pantoja. Climate change impacts on bumblebees converge across continents. Science 349: 177–180. Link
Abstract: For many species, geographical ranges are expanding toward the poles in response to climate change, while remaining stable along range edges nearest the equator. Using long-term observations across Europe and North America over 110 years, we tested for climate change–related range shifts in bumblebee species across the full extents of their latitudinal and thermal limits and movements along elevation gradients. We found cross-continentally consistent trends in failures to track warming through time at species’ northern range limits, range losses from southern range limits, and shifts to higher elevations among southern species. These effects are independent of changing land uses or pesticide applications and underscore the need to test for climate impacts at both leading and trailing latitudinal and thermal limits for species.

Herbarium database complete

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After 10 years of databasing and high resolution imaging by more than 50 students the entire collections of vascular plants is now entered in the database (http://bgbaseserver.eeb.uconn.edu/database.html). Congratulation to Don Les and Bob Capers for leading and overseeing this initiative.

 

New publication

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The specimens used for this study are deposited in CONN:

Haber, W. A. and D. L. Wagner. 2015. A new species of Erythrodiplax breeding in bromeliads in Costa Rica (Odonata: Libellulidae). Zootaxa 6;3947(3):386–396. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3947.3.5

Mitchell, N., T. E. Moore, H. Kilroy Mollmann, J. E. Carlson, K. Mocko, H. Martinez-Cabrera, C. Adams, J. A. Silander Jr., C. S. Jones, C. D. Schlichting, and K. E. Holsinger. 2015. Functional traits in parallel evolutionary radiations and trait-environment associations in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. The American Naturalist 185: 525–537.

New publications based on BRC

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Bernot, J., J. N. Caira, and M. Pickering. 2015. The dismantling of Calliobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) with erection of Symcallio n. gen. and description of two new species. Journal of Parasitology 101: 167–181.

Buck W. R. & B. Goffinet. 2015. Larrainia, a new genus of Amblystegiaceae from the Cape Horn region of Chile. Arctoa 24: 27–31. (doi: 10.15298/arctoa.24.05)

Dellapé, Pablo M., Maria C. Melo and Jane E. O’Donnell. 2015. Biodiversity and distribution of lethaeine seed bugs (Heteroptera, Rhyparochromidae, Lethaeini) from Argentina. Zoological Studies 54: 34. DOI 10.118615/s40555-015-0114-y

Ignatov, M.S., E.A. Ignatova, I.V. Czernyadjeva, B. Goffinet, O.I. Kuznetsova & V.E. Fedosov. 2015. Afoninia, a new moss genus of Funariaceae from Transbaikalia 
(East Siberia, Russia). Arctoa 24: 14–20. (doi: 10.15298/arctoa.24.02)

Medina, R., Y. Liu, L-S Wang, S. Guo, K. Hylander & B. Goffinet. DNA-based geographic circumscription of Physcomitrella s. lat. species (Funariaceae): P. patens new to Asia and P. magdalenae new to Ethiopia. The Bryologist 118: 22–31.

Passenger Pigeon

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A recent article by Paul Fusco tells the story of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, of which some specimens are preserved in our collection.

Fusco, P. 2014. Deafening silence from the incredible roar. The Passenger Pigeon – 100 years later.Connecticut Wildlife September/October: 8–9.

New Publication

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Medina, R., Y. Liu, L-S Wang, S. Guo, K. Hylander & B. Goffinet. DNA-based geographic circumscription of Physcomitrella s. lat. species (Funariaceae): P. patens new to Asia and P. magdalenae new to Ethiopia. The Bryologist 118: 22–31.