A carved coping stone found on the site of a spring near the amphitheatre, Silchester, and first reported in 1873, was rediscovered in 2014. It does not compare in its carved detail with coping stones from the amphitheatres at Chester and London, nor with that recovered from the West Gate, Silchester, in 1890; nor does its basal width correspond with that of the arena wall of the Silchester amphitheatre. It is likely to have formed part of a monumental basin, similar to that found at Coventina's Well, Northumberland, and to have commemorated the location of a spring and its associated (unknown) deity. Similarity with the type and decoration of architectural stone used in the construction of the forum-basilica suggests a Hadrianic–Antonine date.

The 1959 discovery of the hominin fossil Zinjanthropus boisei brought the world's attention to the rich records at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Subsequent excavations of archaeological level 22 (FLK Zinj) Bed I uncovered remains of Homo habilis and a high-density collection of fossils and Oldowan stone tools. The occurrence of this unusual collection of bones and tools at this specific location has been controversial for decades. We present paleoecological data that provide new insights into the origin of FLK Zinj. Our recent excavations 200 m north of the site uncovered a 0.5-m-thick tufa mound draped by Tuff IC, in the same stratigraphic horizon as level 22. Stable isotope analyses indicate that the carbonates were deposited by a freshwater spring. Phytolith analysis of the waxy clay under Tuff IC revealed abundant woody dicotyledon and palm phytoliths, indicating that the site was wooded to densely wooded. The time equivalency and close physical proximity of the two environments indicate the two are related. This study has provided the first documented evidence of springs in Bed I and these data have important implications for the interpretation of hominin behavior in meat acquisition and the ongoing debate on scavenging versus hunting.

The records of wind-blown dust (i.e., loess) in China are some of the most important terrestrial records of past climate changes, stretching back over the last 10 Ma. In the paleoclimate literature, intervals of increased dust generation have been almost always interpreted as being associated with more intense or prolonged wintertime conditions. Here it is shown that, in accordance with modern observations, dust outbreaks in Asia are predominantly springtime phenomena. During spring, frequent cyclogenesis in the lee of the Mongolian Altai and the passage of strong cold fronts produce the intense windstorms that loft and entrain dust into the air. The meteorology governing such outbreaks is likely robust in past climates. Contrary to the common paleoclimate presumption, it is actually the breakdown of the Siberian High that permits the dust-producing windstorms to occur. The importance of cold fronts in generating such windstorms suggests that cooling of high-latitude climate during the Miocene, or during glacial intervals, might play a significant role in the signal recorded in the loess deposits. The unique springtime factors that generate dust storms are an example of why the common partitioning of Asian climate into a ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ monsoon is oversimplified and can be misleading.

Mismatch in the phenology of trophically linked species as a result of climate warming has been shown to have far-reaching effects on animal communities, but implications for disease have so far received limited attention. This paper presents evidence suggestive of phenological asynchrony in a host-parasite system arising from climate change, with impacts on transmission. Diagnostic laboratory data on outbreaks of infection with the pathogenic nematode Nematodirus battus in sheep flocks in the UK were used to validate region-specific models of the effect of spring temperature on parasite transmission. The hatching of parasite eggs to produce infective larvae is driven by temperature, while the availability of susceptible hosts depends on lambing date, which is relatively insensitive to inter-annual variation in spring temperature. In southern areas and in warmer years, earlier emergence of infective larvae in spring was predicted, with decline through mortality before peak availability of susceptible lambs. Data confirmed model predictions, with fewer outbreaks recorded in those years and regions. Overlap between larval peaks and lamb availability was not reduced in northern areas, which experienced no decreases in the number of reported outbreaks. Results suggest that phenological asynchrony arising from climate warming may affect parasite transmission, with non-linear but predictable impacts on disease burden. Improved understanding of complex responses of host-parasite systems to climate change can contribute to effective adaptation of parasite control strategies.

The distribution and ecological data base of Vaucheria bursata, V. frigida, V. geminata, V. racemosa, V. erytrospora, V. canalicularis,and V. debaryana occurring in streams of the Kraków-Czestochowa Upland (Poland) are provided.

A new species, Fridericia dissimilis n. sp., found during a study of the aquatic oligochaete fauna in the region of [math]nie[math]nik Massive (Sudety Mts, south-western Poland) is described. The species belongs to the Fridericia group of species characterised by asymmetrical spermathecae with a single diverticulum, but it is easily distinguished from other species by, the enormous size of the gland at the ectal orifice of the spermatheca and the shape of ampulla, andby the shape of the brain and seminal vesicles.

L'imago male de Rhithrogena ayadi n. sp., récoltée dans une source du Moyen Atlas (Maroc) est décrite et figurée.