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Aran K, Giri P, Roy H, Uniyal PL. Taxonomic significance of megaspores in some species of Selaginella from Arunachal Pradesh in India. Microsc Res Tech 2024; 87:1413-1428. [PMID: 38385770 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24513] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The present study was carried out to record the color, size, and ornamentation of megaspores in 18 species of the family Selaginellaceae from Arunachal Pradesh using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and light microscope (LM). Electron microscopic study of the spore features revealed the type of ornamentation and microsculptural detail. SEM study on megaspore of Selaginella pentagona (S. pentagona), Selaginella tenuifolia, Selaginella semicordata, and Selaginella chrysorrhizos is presented for the first time. Variation in the megaspore ornamentation is noted at the interspecific level and intraspecific level in some cases. Examination of the megaspores under study found all the megaspores as trilete, with a size ranging from 116 to 560 μm in diameter. Taxonomic key is prepared to differentiate the species. Short descriptions of megaspores are provided and supported by photo plates. New features are recorded for seven species. The study contributes to the separation of species within the genus Selaginella based on the spore feature and brings forward the use of spore as a diagnostic tool in the taxonomy of the genus. These works contribute to the systematic of the family Selaginellaceae and provide useful information in the field of palynology. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Study on megaspore features of Selaginella species collected from Arunachal Pradesh, using SEM and LM. Taxonomic key is provided for each species based on megaspores features. New megaspore features are recorded for the seven species. The study brings forward the use of spore as a diagnostic tool in the taxonomy of the genus. These works provide useful information in the field of systematic and palynology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khencha Aran
- Department of Botany, Cotton University, Guwahati, India
| | - Priti Giri
- Department of Botany, Delhi University, New Delhi, India
| | - Himu Roy
- Department of Botany, Cotton University, Guwahati, India
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2
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Mancuso M, Zaman S, Maddock ST, Kamei RG, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Wilkinson M, Roelants K, Fry BG. Resistance Is Not Futile: Widespread Convergent Evolution of Resistance to Alpha-Neurotoxic Snake Venoms in Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11353. [PMID: 37511112 PMCID: PMC10379402 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Predatory innovations impose reciprocal selection pressures upon prey. The evolution of snake venom alpha-neurotoxins has triggered the corresponding evolution of resistance in the post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of prey in a complex chemical arms race. All other things being equal, animals like caecilians (an Order of legless amphibians) are quite vulnerable to predation by fossorial elapid snakes and their powerful alpha-neurotoxic venoms; thus, they are under strong selective pressure. Here, we sequenced the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha-1 subunit of 37 caecilian species, representing all currently known families of caecilians from across the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including species endemic to the Seychelles. Three types of resistance were identified: (1) steric hindrance from N-glycosylated asparagines; (2) secondary structural changes due to the replacement of proline by another amino acid; and (3) electrostatic charge repulsion of the positively charged neurotoxins, through the introduction of a positively charged amino acid into the toxin-binding site. We demonstrated that resistance to alpha-neurotoxins convergently evolved at least fifteen times across the caecilian tree (three times in Africa, seven times in the Americas, and five times in Asia). Additionally, as several species were shown to possess multiple resistance modifications acting synergistically, caecilians must have undergone at least 20 separate events involving the origin of toxin resistance. On the other hand, resistance in non-caecilian amphibians was found to be limited to five origins. Together, the mutations underlying resistance in caecilians constitute a robust signature of positive selection which strongly correlates with elapid presence through both space (sympatry with caecilian-eating elapids) and time (Cenozoic radiation of elapids). Our study demonstrates the extent of convergent evolution that can be expected when a single widespread predatory adaptation triggers parallel evolutionary arms races at a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mancuso
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Shabnam Zaman
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon T Maddock
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
- Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Mahé P.O. Box 1348, Seychelles
| | - Rachunliu G Kamei
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Amphibians and Reptiles Division, The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito EC170301, Ecuador
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Kim Roelants
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolutionary Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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3
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Womack MC, Steigerwald E, Blackburn DC, Cannatella DC, Catenazzi A, Che J, Koo MS, McGuire JA, Ron SR, Spencer CL, Vredenburg VT, Tarvin RD. State of the Amphibia 2020: A Review of Five Years of Amphibian Research and Existing Resources. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1643/h2022005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Womack
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322; . ORCID: 0000-0002-3346-021X
| | - Emma Steigerwald
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - David C. Blackburn
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; . ORCID: 0000-0002-1810-9886
| | - David C. Cannatella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; . ORCID: 0000-0001-8675-0520
| | | | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; . ORCID: 0000-0003-4246-6
| | - Michelle S. Koo
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Jimmy A. McGuire
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Santiago R. Ron
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; . ORCID: 0000-0001-6300-9350
| | - Carol L. Spencer
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Vance T. Vredenburg
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Rebecca D. Tarvin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
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4
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Venu G, Venkatachalaiah G, Seetharama HG, Balakrishna GN, Lalremsanga HT, Browne RK, Nijagunaiah R, Raju NG, Varadh K, Ramakrishna S, Henle K. Chromatic and morphological anomalies in gymnophionans from India. HERPETOZOA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e76397] [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
Caecilians (Gymnophiona) are commonly known as limbless amphibians and are the least understood vertebrate order. In this paper, we documented skin color, eye, jaw, snout, tentacular aperture and cloacal anomalies in 12 individuals of four species belonging to the three caecilian genera Ichthyophis, Uraeotyphlus and Gegeneophis collected from hotspots of caecilian diversity in India, the Western Ghats and Northeast India. As we found the majority of these individuals in coffee and tea plantations, we discuss the possibility that anomalies are the result of exposure to agrochemicals that are frequently used in plantations.
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Biogeographical and Diversification Analyses of Indian Pseudoscorpions Reveal the Western Ghats as Museums of Ancient Biodiversity. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 175:107495. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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6
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Bolotov IN, Pasupuleti R, Subba Rao NV, Unnikrishnan SK, Chan N, Lunn Z, Win T, Gofarov MY, Kondakov AV, Konopleva ES, Lyubas AA, Tomilova AA, Vikhrev IV, Pfenninger M, Düwel SS, Feldmeyer B, Nesemann HF, Nagel KO. Oriental freshwater mussels arose in East Gondwana and arrived to Asia on the Indian Plate and Burma Terrane. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1518. [PMID: 35087130 PMCID: PMC8795121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05257-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater mussels cannot spread through oceanic barriers and represent a suitable model to test the continental drift patterns. Here, we reconstruct the diversification of Oriental freshwater mussels (Unionidae) and revise their taxonomy. We show that the Indian Subcontinent harbors a rather taxonomically poor fauna, containing 25 freshwater mussel species from one subfamily (Parreysiinae). This subfamily most likely originated in East Gondwana in the Jurassic and its representatives arrived to Asia on two Gondwanan fragments (Indian Plate and Burma Terrane). We propose that the Burma Terrane was connected with the Indian Plate through the Greater India up to the terminal Cretaceous. Later on, during the entire Paleogene epoch, these blocks have served as isolated evolutionary hotspots for freshwater mussels. The Burma Terrane collided with mainland Asia in the Late Eocene, leading to the origin of the Mekong’s Indochinellini radiation. Our findings indicate that the Burma Terrane had played a major role as a Gondwanan “biotic ferry” alongside with the Indian Plate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan N Bolotov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | - Rajeev Pasupuleti
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBT), Technical University of Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Suresh Kumar Unnikrishnan
- Regional Facility for DNA Fingerprinting (RFDF), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Trivandrum, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Nyein Chan
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Zau Lunn
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar.,Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Than Win
- Department of Zoology, Dawei University, 14043, Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar
| | - Mikhail Y Gofarov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V Kondakov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Konopleva
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Artyom A Lyubas
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alena A Tomilova
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ilya V Vikhrev
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sophie S Düwel
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Karl-Otto Nagel
- Malacological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M., Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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7
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Adriaens D, Herrel A. The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). J Exp Biol 2021; 225:273674. [PMID: 34897477 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature, and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, SPS-334C, Cleveland, OH 45701, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T8-082, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, CNRS-Guyane, 97334 Cayenne, France
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
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8
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Baker CM, Buckman-Young RS, Costa CS, Giribet G. Phylogenomic Analysis of Velvet Worms (Onychophora) Uncovers an Evolutionary Radiation in the Neotropics. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5391-5404. [PMID: 34427671 PMCID: PMC8662635 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Onychophora ("velvet worms") are charismatic soil invertebrates known for their status as a "living fossil," their phylogenetic affiliation to arthropods, and their distinctive biogeographic patterns. However, several aspects of their internal phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved, limiting our understanding of the group's evolutionary history, particularly with regard to changes in reproductive mode and dispersal ability. To address these gaps, we used RNA sequencing and phylogenomic analysis of transcriptomes to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships and infer divergence times within the phylum. We recovered a fully resolved and well-supported phylogeny for the circum-Antarctic family Peripatopsidae, which retains signals of Gondwanan vicariance and showcases the evolutionary lability of reproductive mode in the family. Within the Neotropical clade of Peripatidae, though, we found that amino acid-translated sequence data masked nearly all phylogenetic signal, resulting in highly unstable and poorly supported relationships. Analyses using nucleotide sequence data were able to resolve many more relationships, though we still saw discordant phylogenetic signal between genes, probably indicative of a rapid, mid-Cretaceous radiation in the group. Finally, we hypothesize that the unique reproductive mode of placentotrophic viviparity found in all Neotropical peripatids may have facilitated the multiple inferred instances of over-water dispersal and establishment on oceanic islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Baker
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca S Buckman-Young
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cristiano S Costa
- Laboratório de Sistemática e Taxonomia de Artrópodes Terrestres, Departamento de Biologia e Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Deepak V, Lalronunga S, Lalhmingliani E, Das A, Narayanan S, Das I, Gower DJ. Phylogenetic relationships of xenodermid snakes (Squamata: Serpentes: Xenodermidae), with the description of a new genus. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.71.e75967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Xenodermidae is a generally poorly known lineage of caenophidian snakes found in South, East and Southeast Asia. We report molecular phylogenetic analyses for a multilocus data set comprising all five currently recognised genera and including new mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data for the recently described Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai. Our phylogenetic results provide very strong support for the non-monophyly of Stoliczkia, as presently constituted, with S. borneensis being more closely related to Xenodermus than to the Northeast Indian S. vanhnuailianai. Based on phylogenetic relationships and morphological distinctiveness, we transfer Stoliczkia borneensis to a new monotypic genus endemic to Borneo, Paraxenodermusgen. nov. We also present new morphological data for P. borneensis.
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Van Hoorebeke L, Herrel A, Adriaens D. Under pressure: the relationship between cranial shape and burrowing force in caecilians (Gymnophiona). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272111. [PMID: 34494653 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, with the exception of one aquatic family, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls with fused bones and tight sutures, as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits. However, although their cranial osteology is well described, relationships between form and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cranial shape and in vivo burrowing forces. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) data, we performed 3D geometric morphometrics to explore whether cranial and mandibular shapes reflected patterns that might be associated with maximal push forces. The results highlight important differences in maximal push forces, with the aquatic Typhlonectes producing a lower force for a given size compared with other species. Despite substantial differences in head morphology across species, no relationship between overall skull shape and push force could be detected. Although a strong phylogenetic signal may partly obscure the results, our conclusions confirm previous studies using biomechanical models and suggest that differences in the degree of fossoriality do not appear to be driving the evolution of head shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, SPS-334C, Cleveland, OH 45701, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T8 (082), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, CNRS-Guyane, 97334 Cayenne, France
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT - Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S./M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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11
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Kundu S, Lalremsanga HT, Biakzuala L, Decemson H, Muansanga L, Tyagi K, Chandra K, Kumar V. Genetic diversity of the Pegu Rice Frog, Microhyla berdmorei (Anura: Microhylidae) based on mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2021; 6:1586-1591. [PMID: 34212080 PMCID: PMC8218842 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1920504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pegu Rice Frog, Microhyla berdmorei is distributed across ten Asian countries. However, the DNA barcoding information (COI gene) is restricted to only Southeast Asian countries. Here, we sampled a specimen of M. berdmorei in Mizoram state, northeast India to allow the genetic diversity of the species across its range. We generated both COI and 16S ribosomal RNA sequences of the studied species to check the population genetic diversity. The Bayesian analyses clearly discriminate M. berdmorei from its sister species Microhyla pulchra. The present datasets of M. berdmorei also revealed 11 and 19 haplotypes with high uncorrected pairwise genetic distances in COI (3.8-11.8%) and 16S rRNA (0-4.6%) gene, respectively. Owing to the high intra-species genetic distances and different haplotypes with sufficient mutational steps in both mitochondrial genes, this study affirms the existence of M. berdmorei species complex or cryptic diversity within its range distribution in South and Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kundu
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Lal Biakzuala
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Ht. Decemson
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Lal Muansanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Kaomud Tyagi
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
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12
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Deepak V, Maddock ST, Williams R, Nagy ZT, Conradie W, Rocha S, James Harris D, Perera A, Gvoždík V, Doherty-Bone TM, Kamei RG, Menegon M, Labisko J, Morel C, Cooper N, Day JJ, Gower DJ. Molecular phylogenetics of sub-Saharan African natricine snakes, and the biogeographic origins of the Seychelles endemic Lycognathophis seychellensis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 161:107152. [PMID: 33741534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetic relationships of sub-Saharan African natricine snakes are understudied and poorly understood, which in turn has precluded analyses of the historical biogeography of the Seychelles endemic Lycognathophis seychellensis. We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of Seychelles and mainland sub-Saharan natricines by analysing a multilocus DNA sequence dataset for three mitochondrial (mt) and four nuclear (nu) genes. The mainland sub-Saharan natricines and L. seychellensis comprise a well-supported clade. Two maximally supported sets of relationships within this clade are (Limnophis,Natriciteres) and (Afronatrix,(Hydraethiops,Helophis)). The relationships of L. seychellensis with respect to these two lineages are not clearly resolved by analysing concatenated mt and nu data. Analysed separately, nu data best support a sister relationship of L. seychellensis with (Afronatrix,(Hydraethiops,Helophis)) and mt data best support a sister relationship with all mainland sub-Saharan natricines. Methods designed to cope with incomplete lineage sorting strongly favour the former hypothesis. Genetic variation among up to 33 L. seychellensis from five Seychelles islands is low. Fossil calibrated divergence time estimates support an overseas dispersal of the L. seychellensis lineage to the Seychelles from mainland Africa ca. 43-25 million years before present (Ma), rather than this taxon being a Gondwanan relic.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Deepak
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Simon T Maddock
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science, Wolverhampton University, WV1 1LY, UK; Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Rhiannon Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; NRA Environmental Consultants, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | | | - Werner Conradie
- Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), Humewood, Port Elizabeth 6013, South Africa; Department of Nature Conservation Management, Natural Resource Science and Management Cluster, Faculty of Science, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
| | - Sara Rocha
- Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo & Galicia Sur Health Institute, Vigo, Spain
| | - D James Harris
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Perera
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Václav Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; National Museum, Department of Zoology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas M Doherty-Bone
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Conservation Programs, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TL, UK
| | - Rachunliu G Kamei
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Michele Menegon
- Division of Biology & Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK; PAMS Foundation, P.O. Box 16556, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Jim Labisko
- Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles; Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK; Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Natalie Cooper
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Julia J Day
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
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13
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Rana SK, Rawal RS, Dangwal B, Bhatt ID, Price TD. 200 Years of Research on Himalayan Biodiversity: Trends, Gaps, and Policy Implications. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.603422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Global mountains, including the Himalaya, are highly vulnerable ecosystems, especially given climate and land-use changes. Here, we compile the literature on Himalayan biodiversity in order to assess spatial and taxonomic trends in research during the past 200 years. We identified 35,316 research outputs, including 28,120 journal articles, 3,725 doctoral theses, and 3,471 books. Nepal contributes the largest volume of published literature, followed by west Himalayan Indian states, with relatively few studies on the most biodiverse region lying to the east of Nepal. Publications on Himalayan biodiversity research have increased annually, especially after 1970, with an acceleration since 2000. Among the major taxonomic groups, the largest number of publications is on seed plants (angiosperms), followed by invertebrates (especially arthropods) and vertebrates. Some groups of organisms, notably fungi, bacteria, algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, etc., are clearly understudied. Among various research disciplines, ecology is the most dominant field followed by agriculture, ethnobiology, and paleontology. Some newer disciplines, including molecular biology and climate change, have contributed to the growth in the number of papers appearing during the last two decades. Despite an encouraging and rapid increase in research papers during this century, they are largely in low-impact-factor journals, likely to be subject to poor peer review, and many doctoral theses remain unpublished. The Government of India's development initiative emphasizes the importance of research in the Himalaya, which can be enhanced by improved quality of peer review and local journals registering in global indexing services.
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Loria SF, Prendini L. Out of India, thrice: diversification of Asian forest scorpions reveals three colonizations of Southeast Asia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22301. [PMID: 33339838 PMCID: PMC7749168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78183-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The 'Out of India' hypothesis is often invoked to explain patterns of distribution among Southeast Asian taxa. According to this hypothesis, Southeast Asian taxa originated in Gondwana, diverged from their Gondwanan relatives when the Indian subcontinent rifted from Gondwana in the Late Jurassic, and colonized Southeast Asia when it collided with Eurasia in the early Cenozoic. A growing body of evidence suggests these events were far more complex than previously understood, however. The first quantitative reconstruction of the biogeography of Asian forest scorpions (Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802: Heterometrinae Simon, 1879) is presented here. Divergence time estimation, ancestral range estimation, and diversification analyses are used to determine the origins, dispersal and diversification patterns of these scorpions, providing a timeline for their biogeographical history that can be summarized into four major events. (1) Heterometrinae diverged from other Scorpionidae on the African continent after the Indian subcontinent became separated in the Cretaceous. (2) Environmental stresses during the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) mass extinction caused range contraction, restricting one clade of Heterometrinae to refugia in southern India (the Western Ghats) and Sri Lanka (the Central Highlands). (3) Heterometrinae dispersed to Southeast Asia three times during India's collision with Eurasia, the first dispersal event occurring as the Indian subcontinent brushed up against the western side of Sumatra, and the other two events occurring as India moved closer to Eurasia. (4) Indian Heterometrinae, confined to southern India and Sri Lanka during the KT mass extinction, recolonized the Deccan Plateau and northern India, diversifying into new, more arid habitats after environmental conditions stabilized. These hypotheses, which are congruent with the geological literature and biogeographical analyses of other taxa from South and Southeast Asia, contribute to an improved understanding of the dispersal and diversification patterns of taxa in this biodiverse and geologically complex region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie F Loria
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA.
- Scorpion Systematics Research Group, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA.
| | - Lorenzo Prendini
- Scorpion Systematics Research Group, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA
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15
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The rise and fall of globins in the amphibia. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2020; 37:100759. [PMID: 33202310 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The globin gene repertoire of gnathostome vertebrates is dictated by differential retention and loss of nine paralogous genes: androglobin, neuroglobin, globin X, cytoglobin, globin Y, myoglobin, globin E, and the α- and β-globins. We report the globin gene repertoire of three orders of modern amphibians: Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona. Combining phylogenetic and conserved synteny analysis, we show that myoglobin and globin E were lost only in the Batrachia clade, but retained in Gymnophiona. The major amphibian groups also retained different paralogous copies of globin X. None of the amphibian presented αD-globin gene. Nevertheless, two clades of β-globins are present in all amphibians, indicating that the amphibian ancestor possessed two paralogous proto β-globins. We also show that orthologs of the gene coding for the monomeric hemoglobin found in the heart of Rana catesbeiana are present in Neobatrachia and Pelobatoidea species we analyzed. We suggest that these genes might perform myoglobin- and globin E-related functions. We conclude that the repertoire of globin genes in amphibians is dictated by both retention and loss of the paralogous genes cited above and the rise of a new globin gene through co-option of an α-globin, possibly facilitated by a prior event of transposition.
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Santos RO, Laurin M, Zaher H. A review of the fossil record of caecilians (Lissamphibia: Gymnophionomorpha) with comments on its use to calibrate molecular timetrees. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Gymnophiona, popularly known as caecilians, the most poorly known major taxon of extant amphibians, are elongate and limbless tetrapods, with compact ossified skulls and reduced eyes, mainly adapted to fossorial life as adults. Caecilians are poorly represented in the fossil record, but despite the scarcity of fossil specimens described (only four named taxa, in addition to indeterminate fragmentary material), their fossils play a key role in our knowledge of the origin and evolution of Lissamphibia, as well as contribute directly to a better understanding of the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of extant gymnophionan taxa. These records are scattered throughout geological time (from the Jurassic to the sub-Recent) and space (North and South America and Africa). Here, we revisit the caecilian fossil record, providing a brief description of all known extinct taxa described so far, along with general remarks about their impact on systematics, time range, and geographical distribution of the clade, as well as prospects for future research. Possible calibration constraints based on the caecilian fossil record are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michel Laurin
- Centre de Recherches sur la Paléobiologie et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P), Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS)/Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN)/Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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He J, Lin S, Li J, Yu J, Jiang H. Evolutionary history of zoogeographical regions surrounding the Tibetan Plateau. Commun Biol 2020; 3:415. [PMID: 32737418 PMCID: PMC7395132 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01154-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding regions have one of the most complex biotas on Earth. However, the evolutionary history of these regions in deep time is poorly understood. Here, we quantify the temporal changes in beta dissimilarities among zoogeographical regions during the Cenozoic using 4,966 extant terrestrial vertebrates and 1,278 extinct mammal genera. We identify ten present-day zoogeographical regions and find that they underwent a striking change over time. Specifically, the fauna on the TP was close to the Oriental realm in deep time but became more similar to the Palearctic realms more recently. The present-day zoogeographical regions generally emerged during the Miocene/Pliocene boundary (ca. 5 Ma). These results indicate that geological events such as the Indo-Asian Collision, the TP uplift, and the aridification of the Asian interior underpinned the evolutionary history of the zoogeographical regions surrounding the TP over different time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiekun He
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siliang Lin
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiatang Li
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiehua Yu
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haisheng Jiang
- Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China.
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18
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Gorin VA, Solovyeva EN, Hasan M, Okamiya H, Karunarathna DS, Pawangkhanant P, de Silva A, Juthong W, Milto KD, Nguyen LT, Suwannapoom C, Haas A, Bickford DP, Das I, Poyarkov NA. A little frog leaps a long way: compounded colonizations of the Indian Subcontinent discovered in the tiny Oriental frog genus Microhyla (Amphibia: Microhylidae). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9411. [PMID: 32685285 PMCID: PMC7337035 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Frogs of the genus Microhyla include some of the world's smallest amphibians and represent the largest radiation of Asian microhylids, currently encompassing 50 species, distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. The genus Microhyla remains one of the taxonomically most challenging groups of Asian frogs and was found to be paraphyletic with respect to large-sized fossorial Glyphoglossus. In this study we present a time-calibrated phylogeny for frogs in the genus Microhyla, and discuss taxonomy, historical biogeography, and morphological evolution of these frogs. Our updated phylogeny of the genus with nearly complete taxon sampling includes 48 nominal Microhyla species and several undescribed candidate species. Phylogenetic analyses of 3,207 bp of combined mtDNA and nuDNA data recovered three well-supported groups: the Glyphoglossus clade, Southeast Asian Microhyla II clade (includes M. annectens species group), and a diverse Microhyla I clade including all other species. Within the largest major clade of Microhyla are seven well-supported subclades that we identify as the M. achatina, M. fissipes, M. berdmorei, M. superciliaris, M. ornata, M. butleri, and M. palmipes species groups. The phylogenetic position of 12 poorly known Microhyla species is clarified for the first time. These phylogenetic results, along with molecular clock and ancestral area analyses, show the Microhyla-Glyphoglossus assemblage to have originated in Southeast Asia in the middle Eocene just after the first hypothesized land connections between the Indian Plate and the Asian mainland. While Glyphoglossus and Microhyla II remained within their ancestral ranges, Microhyla I expanded its distribution generally east to west, colonizing and diversifying through the Cenozoic. The Indian Subcontinent was colonized by members of five Microhyla species groups independently, starting with the end Oligocene-early Miocene that coincides with an onset of seasonally dry climates in South Asia. Body size evolution modeling suggests that four groups of Microhyla have independently achieved extreme miniaturization with adult body size below 15 mm. Three of the five smallest Microhyla species are obligate phytotelm-breeders and we argue that their peculiar reproductive biology may be a factor involved in miniaturization. Body size increases in Microhyla-Glyphoglossus seem to be associated with a burrowing adaptation to seasonally dry habitats. Species delimitation analyses suggest a vast underestimation of species richness and diversity in Microhyla and reveal 15-33 undescribed species. We revalidate M. nepenthicola, synonymize M. pulverata with M. marmorata, and provide insights on taxonomic statuses of a number of poorly known species. Further integrative studies, combining evidence from phylogeny, morphology, advertisement calls, and behavior will result in a better systematic understanding of this morphologically cryptic radiation of Asian frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav A. Gorin
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Fisheries, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science & Technology University, Jamalpur, Bangladesh
| | - Hisanori Okamiya
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Anslem de Silva
- Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka, Gampola, Sri Lanka
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexander Haas
- Center for Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Indraneil Das
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
| | - Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam
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19
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Kundu S, Lalremsanga HT, Purkayastha J, Biakzuala L, Chandra K, Kumar V. DNA barcoding elucidates the new altitude record and range-extension of lesser-known bullfrog ( Hoplobatrachus litoralis) in northeast India. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1787259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kundu
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Mizoram, India
| | | | - Lal Biakzuala
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Mizoram, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
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20
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POSTMORTEM FINDINGS IN EIGHT SPECIES OF CAPTIVE CAECILIAN (AMPHIBIA: GYMNOPHIONA) OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD. J Zoo Wildl Med 2020; 50:879-890. [PMID: 31926519 DOI: 10.1638/2019-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Between July 2007 and June 2017 there were 86 deaths in the populations of eight caecilian species at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) London Zoo. The mortality rate (deaths per animal-year at risk) ranged from 0.03 in the Congo caecilian (Herpele squalostoma) to 0.85 in Kaup's caecilian (Potomotyphlus kaupii). Among the 73 individuals examined post mortem, no cause of death or primary diagnosis could be established in 35 cases, but of the others the most common cause of death was dermatitis (22 cases). When all significant pathological findings were considered, skin lesions of varying types were again the commonest (56 cases), particularly among the aquatic species: Typhlonectes compressicauda (18 out of 21 cases), T. natans (8/10) and P. kaupii (12/14). Other common findings were poor gut-fill (35 cases), kidney and gastrointestinal lesions (10 cases each), generalized congestion (8 cases) and poor body condition (6 cases). This review adds to the growing body of knowledge regarding the presentations and causes of disease in captive caecilians.
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21
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Acosta-Galvis AR, Torres M, Pulido-Santacruz P. A new species of Caecilia (Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae) from the Magdalena valley region of Colombia. Zookeys 2019; 884:135-157. [PMID: 31723330 PMCID: PMC6834723 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.884.35776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of the genus Caecilia (Caeciliidae) from the western foothills of the Serranía de los Yariguíes in Colombia is described. Caeciliapulchraserranasp. nov. is similar to C.degenerata and C.corpulenta but differs from these species in having fewer primary annular grooves and a shorter body length. With this new species, the currently recognized species in the genus are increased to 35. Mitochondrial DNA sequences, including newly sequenced terminals representing two additional, previously unanalyzed species, corroborate the phylogenetic position of the new species within Caecilia and the monophyly of the genus. This analysis also included newly sequenced terminals of Epicrionopsaff.parkeri (Rhinatrematidae) and trans-Andean Microcaecilianicefori (Siphonopidae). Evidence was found for the non-monophyly of the family Siphonopidae and the siphonopid genera Microcaecilia and Siphonops. The implications of these results for caecilian systematics are discussed and the status of the trans-Andean populations of Caeciliadegenerata is commented upon.
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22
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23
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Das A, Garg S, Hamidy A, Smith EN, Biju SD. A new species of Micryletta frog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7012. [PMID: 31223526 PMCID: PMC6568283 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described as Micryletta aishani sp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognised Micryletta species by 3.5-5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30-800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genus Micryletta in Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, Microhyla inornata (= Micryletta inornata) and Microhyla steinegeri (= Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Das
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amir Hamidy
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Eric N. Smith
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center and Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - S. D. Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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24
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Torres-Sánchez M, Gower DJ, Alvarez-Ponce D, Creevey CJ, Wilkinson M, San Mauro D. What lies beneath? Molecular evolution during the radiation of caecilian amphibians. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:354. [PMID: 31072350 PMCID: PMC6507065 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5694-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evolution leaves an imprint in species through genetic change. At the molecular level, evolutionary changes can be explored by studying ratios of nucleotide substitutions. The interplay among molecular evolution, derived phenotypes, and ecological ranges can provide insights into adaptive radiations. Caecilians (order Gymnophiona), probably the least known of the major lineages of vertebrates, are limbless tropical amphibians, with adults of most species burrowing in soils (fossoriality). This enigmatic order of amphibians are very distinct phenotypically from other extant amphibians and likely from the ancestor of Lissamphibia, but little to nothing is known about the molecular changes underpinning their radiation. We hypothesised that colonization of various depths of tropical soils and of freshwater habitats presented new ecological opportunities to caecilians. Results A total of 8540 candidate groups of orthologous genes from transcriptomic data of five species of caecilian amphibians and the genome of the frog Xenopus tropicalis were analysed in order to investigate the genetic machinery behind caecilian diversification. We found a total of 168 protein-coding genes with signatures of positive selection at different evolutionary times during the radiation of caecilians. The majority of these genes were related to functional elements of the cell membrane and extracellular matrix with expression in several different tissues. The first colonization of the tropical soils was connected to the largest number of protein-coding genes under positive selection in our analysis. From the results of our study, we highlighted molecular changes in genes involved in perception, reduction-oxidation processes, and aging that likely were involved in the adaptation to different soil strata. Conclusions The genes inferred to have been under positive selection provide valuable insights into caecilian evolution, potentially underpin adaptations of caecilians to their extreme environments, and contribute to a better understanding of fossorial adaptations and molecular evolution in vertebrates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5694-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Torres-Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Present address: Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center & Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | | | - Christopher J Creevey
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Diego San Mauro
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Torres-Sánchez M, Creevey CJ, Kornobis E, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M, San Mauro D. Multi-tissue transcriptomes of caecilian amphibians highlight incomplete knowledge of vertebrate gene families. DNA Res 2019; 26:13-20. [PMID: 30351380 PMCID: PMC6379020 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsy034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become one of the most powerful tools to unravel the genomic basis of biological adaptation and diversity. Although challenging, RNA-seq is particularly promising for research on non-model, secretive species that cannot be observed in nature easily and therefore remain comparatively understudied. Among such animals, the caecilians (order Gymnophiona) likely constitute the least known group of vertebrates, despite being an old and remarkably distinct lineage of amphibians. Here, we characterize multi-tissue transcriptomes for five species of caecilians that represent a broad level of diversity across the order. We identified vertebrate homologous elements of caecilian functional genes of varying tissue specificity that reveal a great number of unclassified gene families, especially for the skin. We annotated several protein domains for those unknown candidate gene families to investigate their function. We also conducted supertree analyses of a phylogenomic dataset of 1,955 candidate orthologous genes among five caecilian species and other major lineages of vertebrates, with the inferred tree being in agreement with current views of vertebrate evolution and systematics. Our study provides insights into the evolution of vertebrate protein-coding genes, and a basis for future research on the molecular elements underlying the particular biology and adaptations of caecilian amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Torres-Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christopher J Creevey
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Etienne Kornobis
- Institut Pasteur, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, C3BI, USR 3756 IP CNRS, Paris, France
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Diego San Mauro
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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26
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Marshall AF, Bardua C, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M, Sherratt E, Goswami A. High-density three-dimensional morphometric analyses support conserved static (intraspecific) modularity in caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) crania. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh F Marshall
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Carla Bardua
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Emma Sherratt
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK
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27
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Garg S, Biju SD. New microhylid frog genus from Peninsular India with Southeast Asian affinity suggests multiple Cenozoic biotic exchanges between India and Eurasia. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1906. [PMID: 30760773 PMCID: PMC6374391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38133-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Anurans in Peninsular India exhibit close biogeographical links with Gondwana as well as Laurasia, often explainable by the geological history of the Indian subcontinent; its breakup from Gondwanan landmasses followed by long isolation that resulted in diversification of endemic lineages, and subsequent land connections with Asia that enabled dispersal of widespread groups. Although widely distributed, the frog subfamily Microhylinae mostly comprises of geographically restricted genera found either in Southeast and East Asia or Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Here we report a previously unknown microhylid from the Western Ghats in Peninsular India with closest relatives found over 2,000 km away in Southeast Asia. Based on integrated evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, adult and tadpole morphology, hand musculature, male advertisement call, and geographical distance, we recognize this enigmatic frog as a distinct new species and genus endemic to the Western Ghats. The discovery of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. and its close evolutionary relationship with the Southeast Asian genus Micryletta also provide insights on the biogeography of Microhylinae. Genus-level divergences within the subfamily suggest multiple Cenozoic biotic exchange events between India and Eurasia, particularly through postulated Eocene land bridges via Southeast Asia prior to accretion of the two landmasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | - S D Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India.
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Bardua C, Wilkinson M, Gower DJ, Sherratt E, Goswami A. Morphological evolution and modularity of the caecilian skull. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:30. [PMID: 30669965 PMCID: PMC6343317 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1342-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caecilians (Gymnophiona) are the least speciose extant lissamphibian order, yet living forms capture approximately 250 million years of evolution since their earliest divergences. This long history is reflected in the broad range of skull morphologies exhibited by this largely fossorial, but developmentally diverse, clade. However, this diversity of form makes quantification of caecilian cranial morphology challenging, with highly variable presence or absence of many structures. Consequently, few studies have examined morphological evolution across caecilians. This extensive variation also raises the question of degree of conservation of cranial modules (semi-autonomous subsets of highly-integrated traits) within this clade, allowing us to assess the importance of modular organisation in shaping morphological evolution. We used an intensive surface geometric morphometric approach to quantify cranial morphological variation across all 32 extant caecilian genera. We defined 16 cranial regions using 53 landmarks and 687 curve and 729 surface sliding semilandmarks. With these unprecedented high-dimensional data, we analysed cranial shape and modularity across caecilians assessing phylogenetic, allometric and ecological influences on cranial evolution, as well as investigating the relationships among integration, evolutionary rate, and morphological disparity. RESULTS We found highest support for a ten-module model, with greater integration of the posterior skull. Phylogenetic signal was significant (Kmult = 0.87, p < 0.01), but stronger in anterior modules, while allometric influences were also significant (R2 = 0.16, p < 0.01), but stronger posteriorly. Reproductive strategy and degree of fossoriality were small but significant influences on cranial morphology (R2 = 0.03-0.05), after phylogenetic (p < 0.03) and multiple-test (p < 0.05) corrections. The quadrate-squamosal 'cheek' module was the fastest evolving module, perhaps due to its pivotal role in the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism of caecilians. Highly integrated modules exhibited both high and low disparities, and no relationship was evident between integration and evolutionary rate. CONCLUSIONS Our high-dimensional approach robustly characterises caecilian cranial evolution and demonstrates that caecilian crania are highly modular and that cranial modules are shaped by differential phylogenetic, allometric, and ecological effects. More broadly, and in contrast to recent studies, this work suggests that there is no simple relationship between integration and evolutionary rate or disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bardua
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK. .,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL, London, UK.
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Emma Sherratt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL, London, UK
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29
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Deepak V, Ruane S, Gower DJ. A new subfamily of fossorial colubroid snakes from the Western Ghats of peninsular India. J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1557756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Deepak
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sara Ruane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - David J. Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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30
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Maciel AO, Sampaio MI, Hoogmoed MS, Schneider H. Description of Two New Species ofRhinatrema(Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from Brazil and the Return ofEpicrionops nigertoRhinatrema. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-17-00054.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriano O. Maciel
- Programa de Capacitação Institucional, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Coordenação de Zoologia. Av. Perimetral 1901, Terra Firme, CEP 66077-830, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Maria I.C. Sampaio
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, 68600-000, Bragança, Pará, Brazil
| | - Marinus S. Hoogmoed
- Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, CEP 66077-830, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Horacio Schneider
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, 68600-000, Bragança, Pará, Brazil
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31
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Jensen B, Wang T, Moorman AFM. Evolution and Development of the Atrial Septum. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 302:32-48. [PMID: 30338646 PMCID: PMC6588001 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The complete division of the atrial cavity by a septum, resulting in a left and right atrium, is found in many amphibians and all amniotes (reptiles, birds, and mammals). Surprisingly, it is only in eutherian, or placental, mammals that full atrial septation necessitates addition from a second septum. The high incidence of incomplete closure of the atrial septum in human, so-called probe patency, suggests this manner of closure is inefficient. We review the evolution and development of the atrial septum to understand the peculiar means of forming the atrial septum in eutherian mammals. The most primitive atrial septum is found in lungfishes and comprises a myocardial component with a mesenchymal cap on its leading edge, reminiscent to the primary atrial septum of embryonic mammals before closure of the primary foramen. In reptiles, birds, and mammals, the primary foramen is closed by the mesenchymal tissues of the atrioventricular cushions, the dorsal mesenchymal protrusion, and the mesenchymal cap. These tissues are also found in lungfishes. The closure of the primary foramen is preceded by the development of secondary perforations in the septal myocardium. In all amniotes, with the exception of eutherian mammals, the secondary perforations do not coalesce to a secondary foramen. Instead, the secondary perforations persist and are sealed by myocardial and endocardial growth after birth or hatching. We suggest that the error-prone secondary foramen allows large volumes of oxygen-rich blood to reach the cardiac left side, needed to sustain the growth of the extraordinary large offspring that characterizes eutherian mammals. Anat Rec, 302:32-48, 2019. © 2018 The Authors. The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjarke Jensen
- Department of Medical Biology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Wang
- Department of Bioscience, Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Antoon F M Moorman
- Department of Medical Biology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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32
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Liedtke HC, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M, Gomez-Mestre I. Macroevolutionary shift in the size of amphibian genomes and the role of life history and climate. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1792-1799. [PMID: 30250158 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0674-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The evolution and great diversity of genome size has been of long-standing interest to biologists, but has seldom been investigated on a broad phylogenetic scale. Here we present a comparative quantitative analysis of factors shaping genome size evolution in amphibians, the extant class of vertebrates with the largest variation in genome size. We find that amphibian genomes have undergone saltations in size, although these are rare and the evolutionary history of genome size in amphibians has otherwise been one of gradual, time-dependent variation (that is, Brownian motion). This macroevolutionary homogeneity is remarkable given the evolutionary and ecological diversity of most other aspects of the natural history of amphibians. Contrary to previous claims, we find no evidence for associations between life cycle complexity and genome size despite the high diversity of reproductive modes and the multiple events of independent evolution of divergent life cycles in the group. Climate (temperature and humidity) affects genome size indirectly, at least in frogs, as a consequence of its effect on premetamorphic developmental period, although directionality of the relationship between developmental period and genome size is not unequivocal.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Christoph Liedtke
- Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
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33
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Maciel AO, Sampaio MIC, Hoogmoed MS, Schneider H. Phylogenetic relationships of the largest lungless tetrapod (Gymnophiona,Atretochoana) and the evolution of lunglessness in caecilians. ZOOL SCR 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriano O. Maciel
- Coordenação de Zoologia; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi; Avenida Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme CEP 66077-530 Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Maria I. C. Sampaio
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros; Universidade Federal do Para; 68600-000 Braganca Pará Brazil
| | - Marinus S. Hoogmoed
- Coordenação de Zoologia; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi; Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme CEP 66077-530 Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Horacio Schneider
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros; Universidade Federal do Para; 68600-000 Braganca Pará Brazil
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Muikham I, Srakaew N, Chatchavalvanich K, Chumnanpuen P. Microanatomy of the digestive system of Supachai's caecilian,Ichthyophis supachaiiTaylor, 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Itsares Muikham
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Nopparat Srakaew
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | | | - Pramote Chumnanpuen
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
- Computational Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST); Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
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Adamson EAS, Saha A, Maddock ST, Nussbaum RA, Gower DJ, Streicher JW. Microsatellite discovery in an insular amphibian (Grandisonia alternans) with comments on cross-species utility and the accuracy of locus identification from unassembled Illumina data. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-016-0580-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Maddock ST, Briscoe AG, Wilkinson M, Waeschenbach A, San Mauro D, Day JJ, Littlewood DTJ, Foster PG, Nussbaum RA, Gower DJ. Next-Generation Mitogenomics: A Comparison of Approaches Applied to Caecilian Amphibian Phylogeny. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156757. [PMID: 27280454 PMCID: PMC4900593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences are being generated with increasing speed due to the advances of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and associated analytical tools. However, detailed comparisons to explore the utility of alternative NGS approaches applied to the same taxa have not been undertaken. We compared a ‘traditional’ Sanger sequencing method with two NGS approaches (shotgun sequencing and non-indexed, multiplex amplicon sequencing) on four different sequencing platforms (Illumina’s HiSeq and MiSeq, Roche’s 454 GS FLX, and Life Technologies’ Ion Torrent) to produce seven (near-) complete mitogenomes from six species that form a small radiation of caecilian amphibians from the Seychelles. The fastest, most accurate method of obtaining mitogenome sequences that we tested was direct sequencing of genomic DNA (shotgun sequencing) using the MiSeq platform. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses using seven different partitioning strategies were unable to resolve compellingly all phylogenetic relationships among the Seychelles caecilian species, indicating the need for additional data in this case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon T. Maddock
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Animal Management, Reaseheath College, Nantwich, CW5 6DF, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew G. Briscoe
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Waeschenbach
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Diego San Mauro
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia J. Day
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - D. Tim J. Littlewood
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Peter G. Foster
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Ronald A. Nussbaum
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109–1079, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109–1079, United States of America
| | - David J. Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
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Hartigan A, Wilkinson M, Gower DJ, Streicher JW, Holzer AS, Okamura B. Myxozoan infections of caecilians demonstrate broad host specificity and indicate a link with human activity. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:375-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Kupfer A, Maxwell E, Reinhard S, Kuehnel S. The evolution of parental investment in caecilian amphibians: a comparative approach. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kupfer
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart; Rosenstein 1 Stuttgart 70191 Germany
- Institut für Biochemie und Biologie; Allgemeine Zoologie und Evolutionsgenomik; Universität Potsdam; Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25 Haus 26 Potsdam 14476 Germany
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum; Friedrich Schiller-Universität Jena; Erbertstrasse 1 Jena 07743 Germany
| | - Erin Maxwell
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart; Rosenstein 1 Stuttgart 70191 Germany
| | - Sandy Reinhard
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum; Friedrich Schiller-Universität Jena; Erbertstrasse 1 Jena 07743 Germany
- Naturhistorisches Museum; Thüringer Landesmuseum Heidecksburg; Schlossbezirk 1 Rudolstadt 07407 Germany
| | - Susanne Kuehnel
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum; Friedrich Schiller-Universität Jena; Erbertstrasse 1 Jena 07743 Germany
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Book Reviews. COPEIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-16-405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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40
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Toussaint EFA, Fikáček M, Short AEZ. India-Madagascar vicariance explains cascade beetle biogeography. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel F. A. Toussaint
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology & Division of Entomology; Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Lawrence KS USA
| | - Martin Fikáček
- Department of Entomology; National Museum; Cirkusova 1740, CZ-19800 Praha 9 Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7, CZ-12843 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Andrew E. Z. Short
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology & Division of Entomology; Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Lawrence KS USA
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Biju SD, Senevirathne G, Garg S, Mahony S, Kamei RG, Thomas A, Shouche Y, Raxworthy CJ, Meegaskumbura M, Van Bocxlaer I. Frankixalus, a New Rhacophorid Genus of Tree Hole Breeding Frogs with Oophagous Tadpoles. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145727. [PMID: 26790105 PMCID: PMC4720377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite renewed interest in the biogeography and evolutionary history of Old World tree frogs (Rhacophoridae), this family still includes enigmatic frogs with ambiguous phylogenetic placement. During fieldwork in four northeastern states of India, we discovered several populations of tree hole breeding frogs with oophagous tadpoles. We used molecular data, consisting of two nuclear and three mitochondrial gene fragments for all known rhacophorid genera, to investigate the phylogenetic position of these new frogs. Our analyses identify a previously overlooked, yet distinct evolutionary lineage of frogs that warrants recognition as a new genus and is here described as Frankixalusgen. nov. This genus, which contains the enigmatic ‘Polypedates’ jerdonii described by Günther in 1876, forms the sister group of a clade containing Kurixalus, Pseudophilautus, Raorchestes, Mercurana and Beddomixalus. The distinctiveness of this evolutionary lineage is also corroborated by the external morphology of adults and tadpoles, adult osteology, breeding ecology, and life history features.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | - Gayani Senevirathne
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | - Stephen Mahony
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India.,School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, Ireland
| | - Rachunliu G Kamei
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Ashish Thomas
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India.,Department of Environmental Studies, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | - Yogesh Shouche
- Microbial Culture Collection, National Center for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411 007, India
| | - Christopher J Raxworthy
- Herpetology Department, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024, United States of America
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Ines Van Bocxlaer
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Global hotspots in the present-day distribution of ancient animal and plant lineages. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15457. [PMID: 26498226 PMCID: PMC4620499 DOI: 10.1038/srep15457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The current distribution of biotic lineages that emerged in the deep time has both theoretical and practical implications, in particular for understanding the processes that have forged present-day biodiversity and informing local and regional-scale conservation efforts. To date however, there has been no examination of such patterns globally across taxa and geological time. Here we map the diversity of selected extant seed plant and tetrapod vertebrate lineages that were already in existence either in the latest Triassic or latest Cretaceous. For Triassic-age lineages, we find concentrations in several regions - both tropical and temperate - parts of North America, Europe, East and South-east Asia, northern South America, and New Zealand. With Cretaceous-age lineages, high values are relatively uniformly distributed across the tropics, with peak the values along the Andes, in South-east Asia and Queensland, but also in the temperate Cape Mountains. These patterns result from a combination of factors, including land area, geographic isolation, climate stability and mass extinction survival ability. While the need to protect many of these lineages has been long recognised, a spatially-explicit approach is critical for understanding and maintaining the factors responsible for their persistence, and this will need to be taken forward across finer scales.
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Pewhom A, Chumnanpuen P, Muikham I, Chatchavalvanich K, Srakaew N. Microscopic structures of the ovary and female genital ducts of Supachai's caecilian,Ichthyophis supachaiiTaylor, 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akkanee Pewhom
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Pramote Chumnanpuen
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Itsares Muikham
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | | | - Nopparat Srakaew
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
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Budzik KA, Żuwała K, Kupfer A, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M. Diverse anatomy of the tongue and taste organs in five species of caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). ZOOL ANZ 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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de Bakker DM, Wilkinson M, Jensen B. Extreme variation in the atrial septation of caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). J Anat 2014; 226:1-12. [PMID: 25400089 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Caecilians (order Gymnophiona) are elongate, limbless, snake-like amphibians that are the sister-group (closest relatives) of all other recent amphibians (frogs and salamanders). Little is known of their cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, but one nearly century old study suggests that Hypogeophis (family Indotyphlidae), commonly relied upon as a representative caecilian species, has atrial septation in the frontal plane and more than one septum. In contrast, in other vertebrates there generally is one atrial septum in the sagittal plane. We studied the adult heart of Idiocranium (also Indotyphlidae) using immunohistochemistry and confirm that the interatrial septum is close to the frontal plane. Additionally, a parallel right atrial septum divides three-fourths of the right atrial cavity of this species. Idiocranium embryos in the Hill collection reveal that atrial septation initiates in the sagittal plane as in other tetrapods. Late developmental stages, however, see a left-ward shift of visceral organs and a concordant rotation of the atria that reorients the atrial septa towards the frontal plane. The gross anatomies of species from six other caecilian families reveal that (i) the right atrial septum developed early in caecilian evolution (only absent in Rhinatrematidae) and that (ii) rotation of the atria evolved later and its degree varies between families. In most vertebrates a prominent atrial trabeculation associates with the sinuatrial valve, the so-called septum spurium, and the right atrial septum seems homologous to this trabeculation but much more developed. The right atrial septum does not appear to be a consequence of body elongation because it is absent in some caecilians and in snakes. The interatrial septum of caecilians shares multiple characters with the atrial septum of lungfishes, salamanders and the embryonic septum primum of amniotes. In conclusion, atrial septation in caecilians is based on evolutionarily conserved structures but possibly exhibits greater variation than in any other vertebrate order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiderius M de Bakker
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology & Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Pewhom A, Chumnanpuen P, Muikham I, Chatchavalvanich K, Srakaew N. Histomorphological studies of the testis and male genital ducts of Supachai's caecilian,Ichthyophis supachaiiTaylor, 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akkanee Pewhom
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Pramote Chumnanpuen
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Itsares Muikham
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | | | - Nopparat Srakaew
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900 Thailand
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Agarwal I, Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Karanth KP. Insights into Himalayan biogeography from geckos: A molecular phylogeny of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 80:145-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Seshadri KS, Gururaja KV, Bickford DP. Breeding in bamboo: a novel anuran reproductive strategy discovered in Rhacophorid frogs of the Western Ghats, India. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kadaba Shamanna Seshadri
- Department of Biological Sciences; National University of Singapore; 14 Science Drive 4, Block S3 Singapore 117543
| | - Kotambylu Vasudeva Gururaja
- Centre for Infrastructure; Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP); Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore 560 012 India
| | - David Patrick Bickford
- Department of Biological Sciences; National University of Singapore; 14 Science Drive 4, Block S3 Singapore 117543
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Pyron RA. Biogeographic Analysis Reveals Ancient Continental Vicariance and Recent Oceanic Dispersal in Amphibians. Syst Biol 2014; 63:779-97. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syu042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 2023 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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