The gray wolf (Canis lupus) exhibits both genetic and morphologic clinal variation across North America. Although shape variation in wolf populations has been documented, no study has been made to exhaustively quantify it, or to correlate morphologic variation with environmental variables. This study utilizes a large historical database of wolf skull linear measurements to analyze shape, and attempts to correlate it with wolf ecology. A variety of statistical tests are employed; size and shape are examined through a principal component analysis and a calculation of allometry vectors. Multiple regression analysis (both global and stepwise) are then used to test the resulting principal components against various biotic and abiotic factors. In addition, the effects of sexual dimorphism and taxonomy on morphology are explored through 1-way analysis of variance and canonical variates analysis, respectively. Several patterns are revealed, including size increase with latitude in accord with Bergmann's rule. Static allometry is significant, the fundamental pattern being a decrease in the robusticity of the basicranium relative to the viscerocranium. Sexual dimorphism, allometry, and a correlation with precipitation are other key factors driving morphological variation. Examination of these patterns has allowed us to make conclusions about the direct and indirect ways the environment has affected clinal variation in wolves.

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New molecular and morphological data on the "Euscorpius carpathicus" species complex (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) from Italy, Malta, and Greece justify the elevation of E. c. sicanus (C. L. Koch, 1837) to the species level. -The first mitochondrial DNA phylogeny (based on 17 unique haplotypes) is presented for a number of scorpion populations from Italy, Malta, and Greece, previously classified under the "catch-all" name Euscorpius carpathicus (Linnaeus, 1767). A comparative analysis of the mitochondrial gene for 16S (large subunit) ribosomal RNA suggests that at least two clearly separated lineages are present. However, neither of these belongs to E. carpathicus (L.) in a strict sense, which was limited to Romania in a recent morphological study. The first, "western" lineage, found in northern and central Italy (also present in southern France, Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria) corresponds to E. tergestinus (C. L. Koch, 1837) as recently defined by Fet & Soleglad. Another monophyletic, "southern" lineage is elevated here to the species rank as E. sicanus (C. L. Koch, 1837). Originally described from Sicily, E. sicanus includes as new synonyms E. carpathicus canestrinii (Fanzago, 1872) and six subspecies described by Caporiacco: E.

By discharging excess stormwater at rates that more frequently exceed the critical flow for stream erosion, conventional detention basins often contribute to increased channel instability in urban and suburban systems that can be detrimental to aquatic habitat and water quality, as well as adjacent property and infrastructure. However, these ubiquitous assets, valued at approximately $600,000 per km2 in a representative suburban watershed, are ideal candidates to aid in reversing such cycles of channel degradation because improving their functionality would not necessarily require property acquisition or heavy construction. The objective of this research was to develop a simple, cost‐effective device that could be installed in detention basin outlets to reduce the erosive power of the relatively frequent storm events (~ < two‐year recurrence) and provide a passive bypass to maintain flood control performance during infrequent storms (such as the 100‐year recurrence). Results from a pilot installation show that the Detain H2O device reduced the cumulative sediment transport capacity of the preretrofit condition by greater than 40%, and contributed to reduced flashiness and prolonged baseflows in receiving streams. When scaling the strategy across a watershed, these results suggest that potential gains in water quality and stream channel stability could be achieved at costs that are orders of magnitude less than comparable benefits from newly constructed stormwater control measures.

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