Welcome to the 31st IUBS General Assembly and Conference on ...

survival. In addition, we found that those birds infected by
more than one parasite genus were paler in colour than
those parasitized just by one indicating that
carotenoid‐based colours are indica<strong>to</strong>rs of health status in
blue tits.
On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, although game<strong>to</strong>cyte sex ratios in
haemospororin parasites are usually female skewed, in
some cases less female‐biased <strong>and</strong> even male‐biased sex
ratios are encountered. The ‘fertility insurance
hypo<strong>the</strong>sis’ tries <strong>to</strong> explain <strong>the</strong>se biases as an
evolutionary strategy <strong>to</strong> facilitate gamete encounter.
Haemoproteus sex ratios became male skewed following
<strong>the</strong> experimental medication treatment in agreement
with <strong>the</strong> predictions of that hypo<strong>the</strong>sis. Multiple
infections (MIs), those by more than one parasite in <strong>the</strong>
same erythrocyte, may also be a way <strong>to</strong> ensure fertility.
However, our results do not support this possibility <strong>and</strong>
MIs may be promoted by host immune system.
Finally, several Haemoproteus <strong>and</strong> Plasmodium
haplotypes were isolated <strong>and</strong> sequenced from biting
midges Culicoides <strong>and</strong> wild birds from seven species <strong>to</strong>
underst<strong>and</strong> interactions between parasites <strong>and</strong> vec<strong>to</strong>rs.
Biting midge haplotypes showed both specific <strong>and</strong>
generalist relationships with Haemoproteus haplotypes
but only generalist relationships with Plasmodium
haplotypes. Several biting midge haplotypes established
significant coevolutionary links with Haemoproteus
haplotypes.
Internationalizing <strong>the</strong> biodiversity
informatics agenda
David PATTERSON
MBL, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. Email:dpatterson@mbl.edu
Biodiversity Informatics addresses <strong>the</strong> management of
biodiversity information. The discipline is faced with
two considerable responsibilities. First, <strong>to</strong> scale <strong>to</strong> manage
<strong>the</strong> massive increase of data coming from digitization
initiatives, research policy changes, <strong>and</strong> high throughput
environmental moni<strong>to</strong>ring <strong>and</strong> molecular technologies.
Secondly, it must deliver effective services <strong>to</strong> address
major questions about <strong>the</strong> biosphere. The discipline is
maturing. Many initiatives compile data such as
nomenclatural information, taxonomic underst<strong>and</strong>ing,
checklists, distributional data, data in <strong>the</strong> literature, <strong>and</strong>
molecular identifiers. O<strong>the</strong>rs explore st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong>
address technological challenges. Initiatives may apply
<strong>to</strong> clades of various sizes, address taxa that emerge
within particular contexts (such as <strong>the</strong>ir vulnerability or
location), have local, regional, national or international
scope. They deal with research, innovation,
implementation, data aggregation, data delivery,
education <strong>and</strong> capacity development. Biodiversity
Informatics is a rich discipline in growth. Yet, <strong>the</strong> full
scope has not been mapped out, nor have overlap <strong>and</strong>
gaps been identified. The stability of many players is
uncertain. <strong>IUBS</strong> has brought some elements in<strong>to</strong>
existence (Taxonomic Databases Working Group <strong>and</strong>
<strong>the</strong> International Committee on Bionomenclature). It is
timely <strong>to</strong> review <strong>the</strong> discipline of biodiversity
informatics at an international level <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> make
recommendations for its purposeful evolution.
Let him play as well…
Klara LOKOS TOTH
University of Szent István, (formerly University of Godollo),
Godollo, Hungary. Email: Tothne.klara@gtk.szie.hu.This work
is supported by TAMOP‐4.2.1./B‐11/2/KMR‐2011‐0003
project.
Statistics are part of our daily life. They are on <strong>the</strong>
television, on <strong>the</strong> radio <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> newspapers. You do
not even recognize you deal with statistics when you
talk about a 12% rise in <strong>the</strong> price of petrol. In spite of
this, a vast majority of students resist learning statistics.
When statistics come up, <strong>the</strong>ir first reaction is refuse.
Saying: we do not want <strong>to</strong> learn statistics since we do
not like it, also we do not underst<strong>and</strong> it. It is quite a hard
job <strong>to</strong> crush <strong>the</strong>ir resistance <strong>and</strong> arouse <strong>the</strong>ir curiosity
<strong>to</strong>wards <strong>the</strong> subject. In my presentation, I would like <strong>to</strong>
give you a picture how this task is addressed at our
University. However, <strong>the</strong> circumstances are different
from year <strong>to</strong> year <strong>and</strong> we make every effort <strong>to</strong> use <strong>the</strong>
best practices, adopting ourselves <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> everchanging
environment. I will briefly cover my experiences with
o<strong>the</strong>r teaching methods I met during my study travels
around <strong>the</strong> globe <strong>and</strong> I compare <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> our own. I give
a summary of <strong>the</strong> successes <strong>and</strong> failures of <strong>the</strong> way I
follow <strong>and</strong> of what fur<strong>the</strong>r issues I have <strong>to</strong> settle. Similar
<strong>to</strong> housework, developing educational approaches is a
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