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Goldenberg J, Bisschop K, Lambert JW, Nicolaï MPJ, Etienne RS, D'Alba L, Shawkey MD. Habitat openness and squamate color evolution over deep time. Nat Commun 2025; 16:2625. [PMID: 40097397 PMCID: PMC11914068 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
While the ecological roles of colored integument have been extensively studied, what regulates global patterns of color variation remains poorly understood. Here, using a global dataset of 1249 squamates, we evaluate whether and how six key eco-environmental variables and their interactions shaped the evolutionary history of their coloration. We show that only habitat openness consistently associates with brightness evolution, with brighter integuments favored in open habitats, possibly for enhanced heat reflection. Furthermore, brightness evolution rates likely track δ18O (a temperature proxy) changes and increase during global aridification phases, such as those in the Miocene and Pliocene. This trend may be due to the establishment of an arid climate that promoted habitat openness shifts, ultimately inducing adaption to new niches. Our findings suggest that a single environmental variable is associated with color variation in the largest extant tetrapod order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Goldenberg
- Division of Biodiversity and Evolution, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Karen Bisschop
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biology, KU Leuven Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Joshua W Lambert
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michaël P J Nicolaï
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rampal S Etienne
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Boisseau RP, Bradler S, Emlen DJ. Divergence time and environmental similarity predict the strength of morphological convergence in stick and leaf insects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025; 122:e2319485121. [PMID: 39715436 PMCID: PMC11725862 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319485121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2024] [Indexed: 12/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Independent evolution of similar traits in lineages inhabiting similar environments (convergent or repeated evolution) is often taken as evidence for adaptation by natural selection, and used to illustrate the predictability of evolution. Yet convergence is rarely perfect for two reasons. First, environments may not be as similar as they appear. Second, responses to selection are contingent upon available genetic variation and independent lineages may differ in the alleles, genetic backgrounds, and even the developmental mechanisms responsible for the phenotypes in question. Both impediments to convergence are predicted to increase as the length of time separating two lineages increases, making it difficult to discern their relative importance. We quantified environmental similarity and the extent of convergence to show how habitat and divergence time each contribute to observed patterns of morphological evolution in 212 species of stick and leaf insects (order Phasmatodea). Dozens of phasmid lineages independently colonized similar habitats, repeatedly evolving in parallel directions on a 23-trait morphospace, though the magnitude and direction of these shifts varied. Lineages converging toward more similar environments ended up closer on the morphospace, as did closely related lineages, and closely related lineages followed more parallel evolutionary trajectories to arrive there than more distantly related ones. Remarkably, after accounting for habitat similarity, we show that divergence time reduced the extent of convergence at a constant rate across more than 100 My of separation, suggesting even the magnitude of contingency can be predictable, given sufficient spans of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain P. Boisseau
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT59812
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Sven Bradler
- Department of Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, GöttingenD-37073, Germany
| | - Douglas J. Emlen
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT59812
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3
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Tetrault E, Aaronson B, Gilbert MC, Albertson RC. Foraging-induced craniofacial plasticity is associated with an early, robust and dynamic transcriptional response. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240215. [PMID: 38654651 PMCID: PMC11040245 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a single genotype to vary its phenotype in response to the environment. Plasticity of the skeletal system in response to mechanical input is widely studied, but the timing of its transcriptional regulation is not well understood. Here, we used the cichlid feeding apparatus to examine the transcriptional dynamics of skeletal plasticity over time. Using three closely related species that vary in their ability to remodel bone and a panel of 11 genes, including well-studied skeletal differentiation markers and newly characterized environmentally sensitive genes, we examined plasticity at one, two, four and eight weeks following the onset of alternate foraging challenges. We found that the plastic species exhibited environment-specific bursts in gene expression beginning at one week, followed by a sharp decline in levels, while the species with more limited plasticity exhibited consistently low levels of gene expression. This trend held across nearly all genes, suggesting that it is a hallmark of the larger plasticity regulatory network. We conclude that plasticity of the cichlid feeding apparatus is not the result of slowly accumulating gene expression difference over time, but rather is stimulated by early bursts of environment-specific gene expression followed by a return to homeostatic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Tetrault
- Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Ben Aaronson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Michelle C. Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - R. Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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4
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Premate E, Fišer C. Functional trait dataset of European groundwater Amphipoda: Niphargidae and Typhlogammaridae. Sci Data 2024; 11:188. [PMID: 38341425 PMCID: PMC10858915 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03020-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Groundwater represents a vast, but mostly hidden and inaccessible ecosystem. Although often overlooked in freshwater research, groundwater organisms form a significant part of freshwater biodiversity, whereas their functions are crucial in different ecosystem processes. Knowledge on functional traits is generally lacking for most groundwater species worldwide, yet European groundwater amphipods, particularly the family Niphargidae, are an exception. They are well-researched and used as a model system in ecological and evolutionary studies. We focused on this group to assemble a first functional trait dataset dedicated to groundwater species. We gathered data for eight morphological functional traits quantified through 27 measurements for 1123 individuals which represent 180 species and 314 MOTUs. Besides functional trait data, every entry is accompanied with locality information, including habitat type, and DNA sequences if available. The structure of the dataset and data processing information provided along enable wide applicability and extension to other amphipod taxa. When coupled with phylogeny, the dataset may further enhance different aspects of groundwater research, including biodiversity patterns, community assembly processes, and trait evolution.
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Grants
- PhD grant Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS (Slovenian Research Agency)
- Program P1-0184 Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS (Slovenian Research Agency)
- J1-2464 Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS (Slovenian Research Agency)
- Biodiversa+ (grant number 101052342): co-funded by the European Commission and with the funding organizations Ministry of Universities and Research (Italy), Agencia Estatal de Investigación—Fundación Biodiversidad (Spain), Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal), Suomen Akatemia—Ministry of the Environment (Finland), Belgian Science Policy Office (Belgium), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V. –BMBF-VDI/ VDE INNOVATION + TECHNIK GMBH (Germany), Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Forderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Switzerland), Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Austria), Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (Slovenia) and the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (Romania)
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Premate
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBioLab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Cene Fišer
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBioLab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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5
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Galmarini E, Vaccarelli I, Fiasca B, Di Cicco M, Parise M, Liso IS, Piccini L, Galassi DMP, Cerasoli F. Regional climate contributes more than geographic distance to beta diversity of copepods (Crustacea Copepoda) between caves of Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21243. [PMID: 38040911 PMCID: PMC10692170 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48440-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the study of subterranean biodiversity facing harsh sampling and mapping challenges, the huge diversity of taxa, ecological adaptations and evolutionary trajectories in subterranean environments is gaining increasing attention. Yet, the spatial and environmental factors driving the composition of groundwater communities are still poorly understood. To partially fill this knowledge gap, we collected copepod crustaceans from 12 caves along the Italian peninsula between 2019 and 2022, sampling each cave twice. The resulting presence-absence data were analysed to assess: (i) between-cave taxonomic beta diversity, also partitioning between turnover and nestedness-resultant dissimilarity; (ii) the relative weight of geographic distance and climatic differences in shaping observed beta diversity. Seventy-one species of copepods were collected overall. Pairwise beta diversity was high for most pairs of caves, with turnover being the major component. Geographic distance-decay models partially explained total beta diversity and turnover patterns. However, in Generalized Dissimilarity Models (GDM), including surface climatic conditions as predictors, the contribution of seasonal temperature averages was generally higher than that of geographic distance. Further, the explanatory and predictive performance of the GDMs notably increased, along with temperature contribution, when widening the spatial extent from which climate data were gathered. Our results confirmed a high spatial turnover in groundwater copepods' assemblages and strengthened the link between regional climate and subterranean biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Galmarini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vaccarelli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- University Institute of Higher Studies in Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Fiasca
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Mattia Di Cicco
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Mario Parise
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Isabella Serena Liso
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Piccini
- Department of Earth Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Cerasoli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
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6
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Premate E, Kepic T, Fišer C. Is the relationship between body length and body mass consistent across habitats? A case study on Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda). ZOOLOGY 2023; 161:126120. [PMID: 37696118 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2023.126120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Body size is one of the main characteristics of any organism and influences various aspects of individual's biology. In animal ecology, it represents a key functional trait that can be quantified using different measures and is often used as a proxy for different organismal functions. The way we quantify body size is critical in any study using this measure alone or to scale other organismal traits. It is especially important in groups that act as model systems across different fields of biological research. One of such groups are amphipods, which are at focus in many ecological studies where appropriate quantification of body size is needed. Here, we explored the relationship between body length and body mass in the largest freshwater amphipod genus Niphargus, and evaluated whether the two measures lead to different conclusions in a putative ecological study of species coexistence. We selected 16 species inhabiting two different subterranean habitats, cave lakes and cave streams. The relationship between log-transformed body mass and body length was linear in all species, but body mass increased steeper among species from cave lakes than from cave streams, reflecting the stouter body shape of the former. In the simulated ecological study, the comparisons of the two measures showed that they may yield different results: in 10 % of cases, body length detected differences between species when body mass did not and vice versa (13 %). Usage of body length or body mass can thus lead to different conclusions. We recommend avoiding direct transformations between body length and body mass in ecological studies. Whenever needed, such transformations should be done with caution using habitat-specific body mass - body length ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Premate
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBio Lab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tinkara Kepic
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBio Lab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Fišer
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBio Lab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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7
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Marin I, Barjadze S, Maghradze E, Palatov D. Diversity, taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the Niphargus borutzkyi ingroup (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) in Western Georgia, SW Caucasus. Zootaxa 2023; 5352:477-500. [PMID: 38221433 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.4.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Two new Caucasian species of the genus Niphargus Schidte, 1849 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae), N. rachalechkhumensis sp. nov. and N. tvishiensis sp. nov., are described from the stygobiotic habitats of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti karst systems in Western Georgia. Both newly described species belong to the southwestern Caucasian Niphargus borutzkyi ingroup related to the European carphaticus species complex and can be clearly separated from the congeners by morphological features, mostly in uropod III and epimeral plates, and genetically. Identification key for all known species to the Niphargus borutzkyi ingroup is provided, as well as their phylogenetic relationships, the estimated time of the origin and the current distribution of the ingroup in the Colchis lowland of the southwestern Caucasus are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Marin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; RAS; Leninsky prosp.; 33; 119071; Moscow; Russia.
| | - Shalva Barjadze
- Institute of Zoology; Ilia State University; Giorgi Tsereteli 3; 0162; Tbilisi; Georgia.
| | - Eter Maghradze
- Institute of Zoology; Ilia State University; Giorgi Tsereteli 3; 0162; Tbilisi; Georgia.
| | - Dmitry Palatov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; RAS; Leninsky prosp.; 33; 119071; Moscow; Russia.
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8
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Di Cicco M, Di Lorenzo T, Fiasca B, Galmarini E, Vaccarelli I, Cerasoli F, Tabilio Di Camillo A, Galassi DMP. Some like it hot: Thermal preference of the groundwater amphipod Niphargus longicaudatus (Costa, 1851) and climate change implications. J Therm Biol 2023; 116:103654. [PMID: 37478581 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater is a crucial resource for humans and the environment, but its global human demand currently exceeds available volumes by 3.5 times. Climate change is expected to exacerbate this situation by increasing the frequency of droughts along with human impacts on groundwater ecosystems. Despite prior research on the quantitative effects of climate change on groundwater, the direct impacts on groundwater biodiversity, especially obligate groundwater species, remain largely unexplored. Therefore, investigating the potential impacts of climate change, including groundwater temperature changes, is crucial for the survival of obligate groundwater species. This study aimed to determine the thermal niche breadth of the crustacean amphipod species Niphargus longicaudatus by using the chronic method. We found that N. longicaudatus has a wide thermal niche with a natural performance range of 7-9 °C, which corresponds to the thermal regime this species experiences within its distribution range in Italy. The observed range of preferred temperature (PT) was different from the mean annual temperature of the sites from which the species has been collected, challenging the idea that groundwater species are only adapted to narrow temperature ranges. Considering the significant threats of climate change to groundwater ecosystems, these findings provide crucial information for the conservation of obligate groundwater species, suggesting that some of them may be more resilient to temperature changes than previously thought. Understanding the fundamental thermal niche of these species can inform conservation efforts and management strategies to protect groundwater ecosystems and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Di Cicco
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Tiziana Di Lorenzo
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy; IRET-CNR, Istituto di Ricerca Sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri Del CNR, Florence, Italy; Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 400006 Cluj Napoca, Romania; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Centre for, Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. 4 Natural History Museum of Denmark
| | - Barbara Fiasca
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Emma Galmarini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vaccarelli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy; University Institute of Higher Studies in Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesco Cerasoli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy; IRET-CNR, Istituto di Ricerca Sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri Del CNR, Florence, Italy
| | - Diana Maria Paola Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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9
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Groundwater Amphipods of the Hyporheic Interstitial: A Case Study from Luxembourg and The Greater Region. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Hyporheic interstitials are ecologically dynamic and often neglected aquatic environments. In this study, groundwater amphipods (Niphargidae, Pseudoniphargidae and Crangonyctidae) were sampled in hyporheic interstitials throughout Luxembourg and The Greater Region and specimens were analyzed by DNA barcoding. Sites characterized by gravel or coarse sand and high flow velocities of incoming water were the most species- and specimen-rich. A total of 11 species were detected, of which the Niphargus aquilex lineage EF of the N. aquilex cryptic species complex and juveniles of N. schellenbergi dominated the data set, but an unknown lineage of the N. aquilex-complex was also found. Some regions appeared to be devoid of groundwater amphipods. We hypothesize that underlying sandstone formations resulting in low sediment porosity may prevent physical colonization, but also that historical water pollution may have a long-lasting effect, either through the persistence of contaminants in the sediment or low recolonization rates of affected populations. In summary, our approach expanded regional species inventories, confirmed known occurrences, and validated previously questionable or historical morphology-based detections. In addition, the collection of absence data provided valuable insights into local extinctions. Finally, DNA-based distribution data are needed to gather information on the ecological affinities of groundwater amphipods to understudied hyporheic interstitial environments.
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10
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Not the Last Piece of the Puzzle: Niphargus Phylogeny in Hungary. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The Palaearctic genus Niphargus is a promising model system to understand subterranean fauna genesis in Europe. The Pannonian Plain (mainly covered by Hungary) in Central Europe, once being the area of the Paratethys, is a key area for Niphargus diversification. However, our knowledge on Hungarian species of Niphargus is primarily based on sporadic taxonomical works from the pre-molecular era. Here, we studied 14 localities, covering the eight valid Hungarian species of Niphargus and including nine previously unstudied populations. Based on sequences of three gene fragments, we reconstructed their phylogeny using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches. We found that not all Hungarian species of Niphargus are closely related, and even species sampled at the same localities can belong to different clades. Some Hungarian species form monophyletic clades, while others are nested in various non-Hungarian lineages. The new populations are all genetically distinct from the known species. Our results suggest that the Hungarian Niphargus fauna has originated from seven unrelated clades and its diversity is underestimated due to unknown populations and cryptic species. The detection of genetically distinct species of Niphargus from non-carbonate regions calls for further research efforts. The high diversity and the number of putative new species in the N. tatrensis clade warrants further, high-resolution phylogenetic studies.
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11
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Culver DC, Kowalko JE, Pipan T. Natural selection versus neutral mutation in the evolution of subterranean life: A false dichotomy? Front Ecol Evol 2023; 11:1080503. [PMID: 39606270 PMCID: PMC11601988 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1080503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout the evolutionary tree, there are gains and losses of morphological features, physiological processes, and behavioral patterns. Losses are perhaps nowhere so prominent as for subterranean organisms, which typically show reductions or losses of eyes and pigment. These losses seem easy to explain without recourse to natural selection. Its most modern form is the accumulation of selectively neutral, structurally reducing mutations. Selectionist explanations include direct selection, often involving metabolic efficiency in resource poor subterranean environments, and pleiotropy, where genes affecting eyes and pigment have other effects, such as increasing extra-optic sensory structures. This dichotomy echoes the debate in evolutionary biology in general about the sufficiency of natural selection as an explanation of evolution, e.g., Kimura's neutral mutation theory. Tests of the two hypotheses have largely been one-sided, with data supporting that one or the other processes is occurring. While these tests have utilized a variety of subterranean organisms, the Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, which has eyed extant ancestral-like surface fish conspecifics, is easily bred in the lab, and whose whole genome has been sequenced, is the favored experimental organism. However, with few exceptions, tests for selection versus neutral mutations contain limitations or flaws. Notably, these tests are often one sided, testing for the presence of one or the other process. In fact, it is most likely that both processes occur and make a significant contribution to the two most studied traits in cave evolution: eye and pigment reduction. Furthermore, narrow focus on neutral mutation hypothesis versus selection to explain cave-evolved traits often fails, at least in the simplest forms of these hypotheses, to account for aspects that are likely essential for understanding cave evolution: migration or epigenetic effects. Further, epigenetic effects and phenotypic plasticity have been demonstrated to play an important role in cave evolution in recent studies. Phenotypic plasticity does not by itself result in genetic change of course, but plasticity can reveal cryptic genetic variation which then selection can act on. These processes may result in a radical change in our thinking about evolution of subterranean life, especially the speed with which it may occur. Thus, perhaps it is better to ask what role the interaction of genes and environment plays, in addition to natural selection and neutral mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Culver
- Department of Environmental Science, American University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Johanna E. Kowalko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Tanja Pipan
- Karst Research Institute at Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Postojna, Slovenia
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12
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Hlebec D, Podnar M, Kučinić M, Harms D. Molecular analyses of pseudoscorpions in a subterranean biodiversity hotspot reveal cryptic diversity and microendemism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:430. [PMID: 36624298 PMCID: PMC9829860 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26298-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Nested within the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, the Dinaric Karst of the western Balkans is one of the world's most heterogeneous subterranean ecosystems and renowned for its highly diverse and mostly endemic fauna. The evolutionary processes leading to both endemism and diversity remain insufficiently understood, and large-scale analyses on taxa that are abundant in both subterranean and surface habitats remain infrequent. Here, we provide the first comprehensive molecular study on Croatian pseudoscorpions, a lineage of arachnids that is common and diverse in both habitats. Phylogenetic reconstructions using 499 COI sequences derived from 128 morphospecies collected across the Dinaric Karst show that: (i) occurrence in karstic microhabitats boosters speciation and endemism in the most diverse genera Chthonius C.L. Koch, 1843 (37 morphospecies) and Neobisium Chamberlin, 1930 (34 morphospecies), (ii) evidence for ongoing diversification is found in many species and species complexes through low optimal thresholds (OTs) and species delineation analyses, and (iii) landscape features, such as mountain ranges, correlate with patterns of genetic diversity in the diverse genus Neobisium. We present two synonymies: Protoneobisium Ćurčić, 1988 = Neobisium, syn. nov., and Archaeoroncus Ćurčić and Rađa, 2012 = Roncus L. Koch, 1873, syn. nov. Overall, our study suggests that karstic microhabitats promote diversification in soil- and cave-dwelling arthropods at all taxonomic levels, but also provide important refugia for invertebrates in past and present periods of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Hlebec
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. .,Section of Arachnology, Department of Invertebrates, Museum of Nature Hamburg - Zoology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Hamburg, Germany. .,Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Martina Podnar
- grid.452330.30000 0001 2230 9365Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Kučinić
- grid.4808.40000 0001 0657 4636Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Danilo Harms
- grid.517093.90000 0005 0294 9006Section of Arachnology, Department of Invertebrates, Museum of Nature Hamburg - Zoology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Hamburg, Germany
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13
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Morhun H, Son MO, Rewicz T, Kazanavičiūtė E, Copilas-Ciocianu D. The first records of Niphargus hrabei and N. potamophilus in Ukraine and Bulgaria significantly enlarge the ranges of these species. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2126534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H. Morhun
- Department of Water Quality, Institute of Marine Biology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Odesa, Ukraine
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland
| | - M. O. Son
- Department of Water Quality, Institute of Marine Biology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Odesa, Ukraine
| | - T. Rewicz
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland
| | - E. Kazanavičiūtė
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - D. Copilas-Ciocianu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
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14
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Fišer C, Borko Š, Delić T, Kos A, Premate E, Zagmajster M, Zakšek V, Altermatt F. The European Green Deal misses Europe's subterranean biodiversity hotspots. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1403-1404. [PMID: 35995850 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01859-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Špela Borko
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Teo Delić
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Kos
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ester Premate
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Valerija Zakšek
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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15
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Jardim de Queiroz L, Doenz CJ, Altermatt F, Alther R, Borko Š, Brodersen J, Gossner MM, Graham C, Matthews B, McFadden IR, Pellissier L, Schmitt T, Selz OM, Villalba S, Rüber L, Zimmermann NE, Seehausen O. Climate, immigration and speciation shape terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity in the European Alps. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221020. [PMID: 35946161 PMCID: PMC9363983 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Quaternary climate fluctuations can affect speciation in regional biodiversity assembly in two non-mutually exclusive ways: a glacial species pump, where isolation in glacial refugia accelerates allopatric speciation, and adaptive radiation in underused adaptive zones during ice-free periods. We detected biogeographic and genetic signatures associated with both mechanisms in the assembly of the biota of the European Alps. Age distributions of endemic and widespread species within aquatic and terrestrial taxa (amphipods, fishes, amphibians, butterflies and flowering plants) revealed that endemic fish evolved only in lakes, are highly sympatric, and mainly of Holocene age, consistent with adaptive radiation. Endemic amphipods are ancient, suggesting preglacial radiation with limited range expansion and local Pleistocene survival, perhaps facilitated by a groundwater-dwelling lifestyle. Terrestrial endemics are mostly of Pleistocene age and are thus more consistent with the glacial species pump. The lack of evidence for Holocene adaptive radiation in the terrestrial biome is consistent with faster recolonization through range expansion of these taxa after glacial retreats. More stable and less seasonal ecological conditions in lakes during the Holocene may also have contributed to Holocene speciation in lakes. The high proportion of young, endemic species makes the Alpine biota vulnerable to climate change, but the mechanisms and consequences of species loss will likely differ between biomes because of their distinct evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Jardim de Queiroz
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carmela J Doenz
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Roman Alther
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Špela Borko
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jakob Brodersen
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Graham
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ian R McFadden
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Oliver M Selz
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Soraya Villalba
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Rüber
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Niklaus E Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum/8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Hose GC, Chariton A, Daam MA, Di Lorenzo T, Galassi DMP, Halse SA, Reboleira ASPS, Robertson AL, Schmidt SI, Korbel KL. Invertebrate traits, diversity and the vulnerability of groundwater ecosystems. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. C. Hose
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - A. Chariton
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - M. A. Daam
- CENSE ‐ Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research NOVA School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon, 2829‐516 Caparica Portugal
| | - T. Di Lorenzo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino Firenze Italy
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 5, Cluj Napoca 400006 Romania
| | - D. M. P. Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences University of L'Aquila Via Vetoio, Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila Italy
| | - S. A. Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont WA 6014 Australia
| | - A. S. P. S. Reboleira
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon Portugal
- Natural History Museum of Life and Health Sciences Denmark and University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - A. L. Robertson
- School of Life and Health Sciences University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD UK
| | - S. I. Schmidt
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Hydrobiology Na Sádkách 7, 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Present address: Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Magdeburg Germany
| | - K. L. Korbel
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
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17
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Saccò M, Guzik MT, van der Heyde M, Nevill P, Cooper SJB, Austin AD, Coates PJ, Allentoft ME, White NE. eDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 820:153223. [PMID: 35063529 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of biota is pivotal for the assessment and conservation of ecosystems. Environments worldwide are being continuously and increasingly exposed to multiple adverse impacts, and the accuracy and reliability of the biomonitoring tools that can be employed shape not only the present, but more importantly, the future of entire habitats. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding data provides a quick, affordable, and reliable molecular approach for biodiversity assessments. However, while extensively employed in aquatic and terrestrial surface environments, eDNA-based studies targeting subterranean ecosystems are still uncommon due to the lack of accessibility and the cryptic nature of these environments and their species. Recent advances in genetic and genomic analyses have established a promising framework for shedding new light on subterranean biodiversity and ecology. To address current knowledge and the future use of eDNA methods in groundwaters and caves, this review explores conceptual and technical aspects of the application and its potential in subterranean systems. We briefly introduce subterranean biota and describe the most used traditional sampling techniques. Next, eDNA characteristics, application, and limitations in the subsurface environment are outlined. Last, we provide suggestions on how to overcome caveats and delineate some of the research avenues that will likely shape this field in the near future. We advocate that eDNA analyses, when carefully conducted and ideally combined with conventional sampling techniques, will substantially increase understanding and enable crucial expansion of subterranean community characterisation. Given the importance of groundwater and cave ecosystems for nature and humans, eDNA can bring to the surface essential insights, such as study of ecosystem assemblages and rare species detection, which are critical for the preservation of life below, as well as above, the ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Saccò
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia.
| | - Michelle T Guzik
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia
| | - Mieke van der Heyde
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia
| | - Paul Nevill
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia; ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia
| | - Steven J B Cooper
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia; Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew D Austin
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia
| | - Peterson J Coates
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia; Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicole E White
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, WA, Australia
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18
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Cannizzaro AG, Berg DJ. Gone with Gondwana: amphipod diversification in freshwaters followed the breakup of the supercontinent. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 171:107464. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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19
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Recknagel H, Trontelj P. From Cave Dragons to Genomics: Advancements in the Study of Subterranean Tetrapods. Bioscience 2022; 72:254-266. [PMID: 35241972 PMCID: PMC8888124 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout most of the kingdom Animalia, evolutionary transitions from surface life to a life permanently bound to caves and other subterranean habitats have occurred innumerous times. Not so in tetrapods, where a mere 14 cave-obligate species-all plethodontid and proteid salamanders-are known. We discuss why cave tetrapods are so exceptional and why only salamanders have made the transition. Their evolution follows predictable and convergent, albeit independent pathways. Among the many known changes associated with transitions to subterranean life, eye degeneration, starvation resistance, and longevity are especially relevant to human biomedical research. Recently, sequences of salamander genomes have become available opening up genomic research for cave tetrapods. We discuss new genomic methods that can spur our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms behind convergent phenotypic change, the relative roles of selective and neutral evolution, cryptic species diversity, and data relevant for conservation such as effective population size and demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Recknagel
- University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, working, Biotechnical Faculty, Dept. of Biology, Subterranean Biology Lab
| | - Peter Trontelj
- University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, working, Biotechnical Faculty, Dept. of Biology, Subterranean Biology Lab
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20
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Borko Š, Altermatt F, Zagmajster M, Fišer C. A hotspot of groundwater amphipod diversity on a crossroad of evolutionary radiations. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Špela Borko
- SubBio Lab Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology EawagSwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
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21
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Taxonomic, ecological and morphological diversity of Ponto-Caspian gammaroidean amphipods: a review. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-021-00536-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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22
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Premate E, Zagmajster M, Fišer C. Inferring predator-prey interaction in the subterranean environment: a case study from Dinaric caves. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21682. [PMID: 34737417 PMCID: PMC8568937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator–prey interactions are among the most important biotic interactions shaping ecological communities and driving the evolution of defensive traits. These interactions and their effects on species received little attention in extreme and remote environments, where possibilities for direct observations and experimental manipulation of the animals are limited. In this paper, we study such type of environment, namely caves of the Dinarides (Europe), combining spatial and phylogenetic methods. We focused on several species of Niphargus amphipods living in phreatic lakes, as some of them use the dorsal spines as putative morphological defensive traits. We predicted that these spines represent a defense strategy against the olm (Proteus anguinus), a top predator species in the subterranean waters. We tested for spatial overlap of the olm and Niphargus species and showed that spined species live in closer proximity to and co-occur more frequently with the olm than non-spined species. Modeling of the evolution of the spines onto Niphargus phylogeny implies coevolution of this trait in the presence of olm. We conclude that these spines likely evolved as defensive traits in a predator–prey arms race. Combining multiple analyses, we provide an example for a methodological framework to assess predator–prey interactions when in-situ or laboratory observations are not possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Premate
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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23
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Weber D, Brad T, Stoch F, Flot JF. Rediscovery and redescription of Niphargus enslini Karaman, 1932 (Amphipoda, Niphargidae) in southern Germany. SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.40.73017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Niphargus enslini Karaman, 1932 was collected only once in 1905 from the Falkensteiner Höhle (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Two years after its description, the species was synonymized with Niphargus virei and not studied any more. During recent surveys on German niphargids, further samples collected in this cave did not yield N. enslini specimens, but this species was collected in the Blätterteighöhle and in the Schwarzer Brunnen, two caves located in Baden-Württemberg and intercepting the same karstic aquifer feeding Falkensteiner Höhle. In an integrative taxonomic approach, we carefully studied the morphology of the newly collected specimens and sequenced two molecular markers (fragments of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene) to test for possible conspecificity of N. enslini with N. virei. Morphological analysis confirmed that N. enslini is distinct from the N. virei species complex. We provide a redescription of newly collected material, together with new drawings of a more than 100 years old topotypic female. We briefly discuss the putative origin of N. enslini and the age of its split from the N. virei species complex.
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24
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Premate E, Borko Š, Kralj-Fišer S, Jennions M, Fišer Ž, Balázs G, Bíró A, Bračko G, Copilaş-Ciocianu D, Hrga N, Herczeg G, Rexhepi B, Zagmajster M, Zakšek V, Fromhage L, Fišer C. No room for males in caves: Female-biased sex ratio in subterranean amphipods of the genus Niphargus. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1653-1661. [PMID: 34424594 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex allocation theory predicts that the proportion of daughters to sons will evolve in response to ecological conditions that determine the costs and benefits of producing each sex. All else being equal, the adult sex ratio (ASR) should also vary with ecological conditions. Many studies of subterranean species reported female-biased ASR, but no systematic study has yet been conducted. We test the hypothesis that the ASR becomes more female-biased with increased isolation from the surface. We compiled a data set of ASRs of 35 species in the subterranean amphipod Niphargus, each living in one of three distinct habitats (surface-subterranean boundary, cave streams, phreatic lakes) representing an environmental gradient of increased isolation underground. The ASR was female-biased in 27 of 35 species; the bias was statistically significant in 12 species. We found a significant difference in the ASR among habitats after correction for phylogeny. It is most weakly female-biased at the surface-subterranean boundary and most strongly female-biased in phreatic lakes. Additional modelling suggests that the ASR has evolved towards a single value for both surface-subterranean boundary and cave stream-dwelling species, and another value for 9 of 11 phreatic lake dwellers. We suggest that a history of inbreeding in subterranean populations might lower inbreeding depression such that kin selection favours mating with siblings. This could select for a female-biased offspring sex ratio due to local mate competition among brothers. The observed patterns in sex ratios in subterranean species make them a group worthy of more attention from those interested in sex allocation theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Premate
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Špela Borko
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Michael Jennions
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Žiga Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gergely Balázs
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Bíró
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gregor Bračko
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Denis Copilaş-Ciocianu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Nuša Hrga
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Behare Rexhepi
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Valerija Zakšek
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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