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Simonov E, Lopatina NV, Titov SV, Ivanova AD, Brandler OV, Surin VL, Matrosova VA, Dvilis AE, Oreshkova NV, Kapustina SY, Golenishchev FN, Ermakov OA. Traditional multilocus phylogeny fails to fully resolve Palearctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus) relationships but reveals a new species endemic to West Siberia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 195:108057. [PMID: 38471598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Previous efforts to reconstruct evolutionary history of Palearctic ground squirrels within the genus Spermophilus have primarily relied on a single mitochondrial marker for phylogenetic data. In this study, we present the first phylogeny with comprehensive taxon sampling of Spermophilus via a conventional multilocus approach utilizing five mitochondrial and five nuclear markers. Through application of the multispecies coalescent model, we constructed a species tree revealing four distinct clades that diverged during the Late Miocene. These clades are 1) S. alaschanicus and S. dauricus from East Asia; 2) S. musicus and S. pygmaeus from East Europe and northwestern Central Asia; 3) the subgenus Colobotis found across Central Asia and its adjacent regions and encompassing S. brevicauda, S. erythrogenys, S. fulvus, S. major, S. pallidicauda, S. ralli, S. relictus, S. selevini, and S. vorontsovi sp. nov.; and 4) a Central/Eastern Europe and Asia Minor clade comprising S. citellus, S. taurensis, S. xanthoprymnus, S. suslicus, and S. odessanus. The latter clade lacked strong support owing to uncertainty of taxonomic placement of S. odessanus and S. suslicus. Resolving relationships within the subgenus Colobotis, which radiated rapidly, remains challenging likely because of incomplete lineage sorting and introgressive hybridization. Most of modern Spermophilus species diversified during the Early-Middle Pleistocene (2.2-1.0 million years ago). We propose a revised taxonomic classification for the genus Spermophilus by recognizing 18 species including a newly identified one (S. vorontsovi sp. nov.), which is found only in a limited area in the southeast of West Siberia. Employing genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, we substantiated the role of the Ob River as a major barrier ensuring robust isolation of this taxon from S. erythrogenys. Despite its inherent limitations, the traditional multilocus approach remains a valuable tool for resolving relationships and can provide important insights into otherwise poorly understood groups. It is imperative to recognize that additional efforts are needed to definitively determine phylogenetic relationships between certain species of Palearctic ground squirrels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy Simonov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia.
| | - Natalia V Lopatina
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia
| | - Sergey V Titov
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Krasnaya Str. 40, Penza 440026, Russia
| | - Anastasiya D Ivanova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Oleg V Brandler
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Vadim L Surin
- National Medical Research Center for Hematology, Novyy Zykovskiy Pr. 4, Moscow 125167, Russia
| | - Vera A Matrosova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alisa E Dvilis
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Str. 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia
| | - Nataliya V Oreshkova
- Federal Research Center Krasnoyarsk Science Center, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok Str. 50, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Laboratory of Forest Genomics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, Svobodnyy Ave. 79, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia; V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok Str. 50/28, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Department of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, Svobodnyy Ave. 79, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia
| | - Svetlana Yu Kapustina
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Fedor N Golenishchev
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Emb. 1, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Oleg A Ermakov
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Krasnaya Str. 40, Penza 440026, Russia.
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Hernandez CM, Florant GL, Stranahan AM. Seasonal fluctuations in BDNF regulate hibernation and torpor in golden-mantled ground squirrels. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2024; 326:R311-R318. [PMID: 38344803 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00186.2023] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Aphagic hibernators such as the golden-mantled ground squirrel (GMGS; Callospermophilus lateralis) can fast for months and exhibit profound seasonal fluctuations in body weight, food intake, and behavior. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates cellular and systemic metabolism via mechanisms that are conserved across mammalian species. In this study, we characterized regional changes in BDNF with hibernation, hypothermia, and seasonal cycle in GMGS. Analysis of BDNF protein concentrations by ELISA revealed overlapping seasonal patterns in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, where BDNF levels were highest in summer and lowest in winter. BDNF is the primary ligand for receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), and BDNF/TrkB signaling in the brain potently regulates energy expenditure. To examine the functional relevance of seasonal variation in BDNF, hibernating animals were injected with the small molecule TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) daily for 2 wk. When compared with vehicle, DHF-treated animals exhibited fewer torpor bouts and shorter bout durations. These results suggest that activating BDNF/TrkB disrupts hibernation and raise intriguing questions related to the role of BDNF as a potential regulatory mechanism or downstream response to seasonal changes in body temperature and environment.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Golden-mantled ground squirrels exhibit dramatic seasonal fluctuations in metabolism and can fast for months while hibernating. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is an essential determinant of cellular and systemic metabolism, and in this study, we characterized seasonal fluctuations in BDNF expression and then administered the small molecule BDNF mimetic 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) in hibernating squirrels. The results indicate that activating BDNF/TrkB signaling disrupts hibernation, with implications for synaptic homeostasis in prolonged hypometabolic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina M Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Oakwood, Virginia, United States
| | - Gregory L Florant
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Alexis M Stranahan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, United States
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Jezkova J, Holubova N, Kvicerova J, Mateju J, Sak B, Kvac M. European ground squirrels Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus) do not share identical Cryptosporidium spp. with North American ground squirrels. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2023; 70:2023.016. [PMID: 37565460 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 is one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. The results of this study provide the first data on Cryptosporidium diversity in the European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus). A total of 128 faecal samples of European ground squirrels from 39 localities in the Czech Republic were analysed for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. by microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU) and the actin gene. While the microscopical examination did not reveal the presence of any Cryptosporidium oocysts, eight samples from six localities were PCR-positive. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of five different Cryptosporidium spp. isolates. Four isolates, designated as Cryptosporidium sp. isolate Sc01-04, detected in wild populations and never recorded before, clustered closely to Cryptosporidium genotypes that have previously been found in North American ground squirrels' species. Cryptosporidium sciurinum Prediger, Ježková, Holubová, Sak, Konečný, Rost, McEvoy, Rajský et Kváč, 2021 was found in an animal sanctuary. Because C. sciurinum had previously been detected in Eurasian red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus at the same facility, it can be concluded that this Cryptosporidium was transmitted from tree squirrels to ground squirrels within the animal sanctuary. The results indicate that populations of European and North American ground squirrels are parasitised by different Cryptosporidium spp. At the same time, this is the first description of the occurrence of C. sciurinum in ground squirrels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jezkova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Holubova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kvicerova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Mateju
- Museum Karlovy Vary, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic *Address for correspondence: Martin Kvac, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, E-mail
| | - Bohumil Sak
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kvac
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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Tukhbatullin A, Ermakov O, Kapustina S, Starikov V, Tambovtseva V, Titov S, Brandler O. Surrounded by Kindred: Spermophilus major Hybridization with Other Spermophilus Species in Space and Time. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:880. [PMID: 37372163 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Among the numerous described cases of hybridization in mammals, the most intriguing are (a) cases of introgressive hybridization deeply affecting the evolutionary history of species, and (b) models involving not a pair of species but a multi-species complex. Therefore, the hybridization history of the russet ground squirrel Spermophilus major, whose range has repeatedly changed due to climatic fluctuations and now borders the ranges of four related species, is of great interest. The main aims of this study were to determine the direction and intensity of gene introgression, the spatial depth of the infiltration of extraneous genes into the S. major range, and to refine the hypothesis of the hybridogenic replacement of mitochondrial genomes in the studied group. Using phylogenetic analysis of the variability of mitochondrial (CR, cytb) and nuclear (SmcY, BGN, PRKCI, c-myc, i6p53) markers, we determined the contribution of neighboring species to the S. major genome. We showed that 36% of S. major individuals had extraneous alleles. All peripheral species that were in contact with S. major contributed towards its genetic variability. We also proposed a hypothesis for the sequence and localization of serial hybridization events. Our assessment of the S. major genome implications of introgression highlights the importance of implementing conservation measures to protect this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Tukhbatullin
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Oleg Ermakov
- Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Belinsky Institute of Teacher Education, Penza State University, Lermontov Str. 37, Penza 440026, Russia
| | - Svetlana Kapustina
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Vladimir Starikov
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Technical Sciences, Surgut State University, Lenin Avenue 1, Surgut 628412, Russia
| | - Valentina Tambovtseva
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Sergey Titov
- Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Belinsky Institute of Teacher Education, Penza State University, Lermontov Str. 37, Penza 440026, Russia
| | - Oleg Brandler
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow 119334, Russia
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Mills KK, Everson KM, Hildebrandt KPB, Brandler OV, Steppan SJ, Olson LE. Ultraconserved elements improve resolution of marmot phylogeny and offer insights into biogeographic history. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107785. [PMID: 37085130 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Marmots (Marmota spp.) comprise a lineage of large-bodied ground squirrels that diversified rapidly in the Pleistocene, when the planet quickly transitioned to a drier, colder, and highly seasonal climate-particularly at high latitudes. Fossil evidence indicates the genus spread from North America, across Beringia, and into the European Alps over the course of only a few million years, beginning in the late Pliocene. Marmots are highly adapted to survive long and severely cold winters, and this likely favored their expansion and diversification over this time period. Previous phylogenetic studies have identified two major subgenera of marmots, but the timing of important speciation events and some species relationships have been difficult to resolve. Here we use ultraconserved elements and mitogenomes, with samples from all 15 extant species, to more precisely retrace how and when marmots came to inhabit a vast Holarctic range. Our results indicate marmots arose in North America in the mid Miocene (∼16.3 Mya) and dispersed across the Bering Land Bridge in the late Pliocene (∼3-4 Mya); in addition, our fossil-calibrated timeline is suggestive of the rise and spread of open grasslands as being particularly important to marmot diversification. The woodchuck (M. monax) and the Alaska marmot (M. broweri) are found to be more closely related to the Eurasian species than to the other North American species. Paraphyly is evident in the bobak marmot (M. bobak) and the hoary marmot (M. caligata), and in the case of the latter the data are highly suggestive of a second, cryptic species in the Cascade Mountains of Washington.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall K Mills
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 982 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
| | - Kathryn M Everson
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kyndall P B Hildebrandt
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Oleg V Brandler
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 26, Moscow, Russia
| | - Scott J Steppan
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Link E Olson
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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The European Ground Squirrel’s Genetic Diversity in Its Ancestral Land: Landscape Insights and Conservation Implications. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The European ground squirrel is an endangered rodent whose populations are declining throughout its range. Only in Bulgaria, the genetic hotspot of the species, are some abundant populations still present. We employed 12 microsatellite loci in ten Bulgarian populations to look at population structure, gene flow and recent bottlenecks. We found that the populations are in good condition in terms of heterozygosity, where values ranged from 0.55 to 0.78. However, the inbreeding index (FIS) was significant for most populations. A recent bottleneck was detected in only one population. Based on Bayesian clustering methods, the populations in Bulgaria were attributed to two groups, northern and southern, with admixture in the northern one. The AMOVA test between these groups showed no differentiation in genetic diversity. The mean value of FST was 0.184, which shows strong diversification among all populations. Hence, gene flow is probably limited. All these results indicate that Bulgaria is the main area to focus the efforts for conservation of the species by ensuring that the complex and rich genetic structure of Bulgarian populations is preserved.
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Refinetti R, Kenagy GJ. Seasonal patterns of body temperature in response to experimental photoperiod variation in a non-hibernating ground squirrel. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:219-226. [PMID: 36840751 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-023-01477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Unlike numerous other members of the holarctic Tribe Marmotini of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) that typically exhibit spontaneous bouts of torpor that progress into an annual season of hibernation, members of the genus Ammospermophilus (antelope ground squirrels) do not enter torpor, and they remain active throughout the year in nature. We have experimentally evaluated seasonal patterns of variation in the circadian rhythm of body temperature in captive A. leucurus over a two-and-a-half-year period by exposing groups to either a constant daily photoperiod of 12 h light or a seasonally changing photoperiod that cycled between a summer maximum of 16 h per day and a winter minimum of 8 h; ambient air temperature was maintained at 26 °C. All squirrels showed continuous, year-round diurnal locomotor activity, and the group exposed to seasonally changing photoperiod adjusted onset and end of activity to changes in duration of the photoperiod. Animals in both groups showed a marked circadian rhythm of core body temperature with a typical daytime level of about 38 °C and nighttime level of about 35 °C for most of each year, but the group exposed to naturally changing daylength surprisingly reduced the level of its circadian oscillation by about 2 °C at the winter seasonal extreme of shortest daily illumination to a daytime level about 36 °C and a nocturnal level of about 33 °C. Despite this modest experimentally induced reduction in the level of the circadian rhythm of body temperature, we conclude that A. leucurus shows an overall stable annual pattern of circadian rhythmicity of its core body temperature that is consistent with a lack of any other evidence that the species engages in torpor or hibernation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Refinetti
- Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - G J Kenagy
- Department of Biology and Burke Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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Gür H. The future impact of climate and land-use changes on Anatolian ground squirrels under different scenarios. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Withnell CB, Bell CJ, Jass CN. EXTRAORDINARY ACCUMULATION OF ARVICOLINE RODENTS FROM LITTLE DELL DAM (PLEISTOCENE), UTAH. SOUTHWEST NAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-66.2.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Withnell
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, Kansas City University, Joplin, MO 64804 (CBW)
| | - Christopher J. Bell
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (CJB)
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Durden LA, Robinson C, Cook JA, Bell KC, Nyamsuren B, Greiman SE. SUCKING LICE (PHTHIRAPTERA: ANOPLURA) PARASITIZING MONGOLIAN RODENTS WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF HOPLOPLEURA FROM MOUNTAIN VOLES (ALTICOLA SPP.). J Parasitol 2022; 108:353-365. [PMID: 35925594 DOI: 10.1645/22-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The sucking louse fauna associated with Mongolian mammals is inadequately known. We provide a list of 25 species of sucking lice recorded from Mongolian rodents including previously published records, and new records of specimens collected during an expedition to northwestern Mongolia in 2015. Hoplopleura inagakii Ono and Hasegawa and Polyplax cricetulis Chin are newly recorded from Mongolia and 2 new host associations in Mongolia are recorded for Hoplopleura acanthopus (Burmeister). We describe Hoplopleura altaiensis n. sp., from the Gobi Altai mountain vole, Alticola barakshin Bannikov (type host) with an additional specimen from Alticola strelzowi (Kastchenko) (Strelzow's mountain vole). Both sexes of the new species are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. We note small morphological differences in the shape of the female subgenital plate between specimens prepared for scanning electron microscopy versus those prepared for light microscopy following DNA extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
| | - Chase Robinson
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
| | - Kayce C Bell
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California 90007
| | - Batsaikhan Nyamsuren
- Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 11000
| | - Stephen E Greiman
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
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McLean BS, Bell KC, Cook JA. SNP-based Phylogenomic Inference in Holarctic Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 169:107396. [PMID: 35031463 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Resolution of rapid evolutionary radiations requires harvesting maximal signal from phylogenomic datasets. However, studies of non-model clades often target conserved loci that are characterized by reduced information content, which can negatively affect gene tree precision and species tree accuracy. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based methods are an underutilized but potentially valuable tool for estimating phylogeny and divergence times because they do not rely on resolved gene trees, allowing information from many or all variant loci to be leveraged in species tree reconstruction. We evaluated the utility of SNP-based methods in resolving phylogeny of Holarctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus), a radiation that has been difficult to disentangle, even in prior phylogenomic studies. We inferred phylogeny from a dataset of >3,000 ultraconserved element loci (UCEs) using two methods (SNAPP, SVDquartets) and compared our results with a new mitogenome phylogeny. We also systematically evaluated how phasing of UCEs improves per-locus information content, and inference of topology and other parameters within each of these SNP-based methods. Phasing improved topological resolution and branch length estimation at shallow levels (within species complexes), but less so at deeper levels, likely reflecting true uncertainty due to ancestral polymorphisms segregating in these rapidly diverging lineages. We resolved several key clades in Urocitellus and present targeted opportunities for future phylogenomic inquiry. Our results extend the roadmap for use of SNPs to address vertebrate radiations and support comparative analyses at multiple temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan S McLean
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, Department of Biology, Greensboro, NC 27402 USA.
| | - Kayce C Bell
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Department of Mammalogy, Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA.
| | - Joseph A Cook
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA.
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Hofmann R, Lehmann T, Warren DL, Ruf I. The squirrel is in the detail: Anatomy and morphometry of the tail in Sciuromorpha (Rodentia, Mammalia). J Morphol 2021; 282:1659-1682. [PMID: 34549832 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the caudal vertebrae are certainly among the least studied elements of their skeleton. However, the tail plays an important role in locomotion (e.g., balance, prehensility) and behavior (e.g., signaling). Previous studies largely focused on prehensile tails in Primates and Carnivora, in which certain osteological features were selected and used to define tail regions (proximal, transitional, distal). Interestingly, the distribution pattern of these anatomical characters and the relative proportions of the tail regions were similar in both orders. In order to test if such tail regionalization can be applied to Rodentia, we investigated the caudal vertebrae of 20 Sciuridae and six Gliridae species. Furthermore, we examined relationships between tail anatomy/morphometry and locomotion. The position of selected characters along the tail was recorded and their distribution was compared statistically using Spearman rank correlation. Vertebral body length (VBL) was measured to calculate the proportions of each tail region and to perform procrustes analysis on the shape of relative vertebral body length (rVBL) progressions. Our results show that tail regionalization, as defined for Primates and Carnivora, can be applied to almost all investigated squirrels, regardless of their locomotor category. Moreover, major locomotor categories can be distinguished by rVBL progression and tail region proportions. In particular, the small flying squirrels Glaucomys volans and Hylopetes sagitta show an extremely short transitional region. Likewise, several semifossorial taxa can be distinguished by their short distal region. Moreover, among flying squirrels, Petaurista petaurista shows differences with the small flying squirrels, mirroring previous observations on locomotory adaptations based on their inner ear morphometry. Our results show furthermore that the tail region proportions of P. petaurista, phylogenetically more basal than the small flying squirrels, are similar to those of bauplan-conservative arboreal squirrels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hofmann
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Lehmann
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dan L Warren
- Senckenberg Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Irina Ruf
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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13
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Barbosa S, Andrews KR, Goldberg AR, Gour DS, Hohenlohe PA, Conway CJ, Waits LP. The role of neutral and adaptive genomic variation in population diversification and speciation in two ground squirrel species of conservation concern. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4673-4694. [PMID: 34324748 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neutral (demographic) and adaptive processes leading to the differentiation of species and populations is a critical component of evolutionary and conservation biology. In this context, recently diverged taxa represent a unique opportunity to study the process of genetic differentiation. Northern and southern Idaho ground squirrels (Urocitellus brunneus - NIDGS, and U. endemicus - SIDGS, respectively) are a recently diverged pair of sister species that have undergone dramatic declines in the last 50 years and are currently found in metapopulations across restricted spatial areas with distinct environmental pressures. Here we genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from buccal swabs with restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq). With these data we evaluated neutral genetic structure at both theinter- and intraspecific level, and identified putatively adaptive SNPs using population structure outlier detection and genotype-environment association (GEA) analyses. At the interspecific level, we detected a clear separation between NIDGS and SIDGS, and evidence for adaptive differentiation putatively linked to torpor patterns. At the intraspecific level, we found evidence of both neutral and adaptive differentiation. For NIDGS, elevation appears to be the main driver of adaptive differentiation, while neutral variation patterns match and expand information on the low connectivity between some populations identified in previous studies using microsatellite markers. For SIDGS, neutral substructure generally reflected natural geographic barriers, while adaptive variation reflected differences in land cover and temperature, as well as elevation. These results clearly highlight the roles of neutral and adaptive processes for understanding the complexity of the processes leading to species and population differentiation, which can have important conservation implications in susceptible and threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraia Barbosa
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA
| | - Kimberly R Andrews
- University of Idaho, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA
| | - Amanda R Goldberg
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA
| | - Digpal S Gour
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- University of Idaho, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA
| | - Courtney J Conway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-1141, USA
| | - Lisette P Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID, 83844-1136, USA
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14
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Jackson SM, Li Q, Wan T, Li XY, Yu FH, Gao G, He LK, Helgen KM, Jiang XL. Across the great divide: revision of the genus Eupetaurus (Sciuridae: Pteromyini), the woolly flying squirrels of the Himalayan region, with the description of two new species. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The woolly flying squirrel, Eupetaurus cinereus, is among the rarest and least studied mammals in the world. For much of the 20th century it was thought to be extinct, until it was rediscovered in 1994 in northern Pakistan. This study outlines the first taxonomic and biogeographical review of the genus Eupetaurus, which until now has contained only a single species. Careful review of museum specimens and published records of Eupetaurus demonstrates that the genus occurs in three widely disjunct areas situated on the western (northern Pakistan and north-western India), north-central (south-central Tibet, northern Sikkim and western Bhutan) and south-eastern margins (north-western Yunnan, China) of the Himalayas. Taxonomic differentiation between these apparently allopatric populations of Eupetaurus was assessed with an integrative approach involving both morphological examinations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of three mitochondrial [cytochrome b (Cytb), mitochondrially encoded 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA (12S, 16S)] and one nuclear [interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP)] gene fragment. Morphological assessments involved qualitative examinations of features preserved on museum skins and skulls, supplemented with principal components analysis of craniometric data. Based on genetic and morphological comparisons, we suggest that the three widely disjunct populations of Eupetaurus are each sufficiently differentiated genetically and morphologically to be recognized as distinct species, two of which are described here as new.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Jackson
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, 1447 Forest Road,Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Tao Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Xue-You Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Fa-Hong Yu
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Ge Gao
- Baoshan Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Baoshan, Yunnan 678000, China
| | - Li-Kun He
- Gongshan Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Gongshan, Yunnan 673500, China
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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15
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Goncharov D, Policht R, Hambálková L, Salovarov V, Hart V. Individual-based acoustic variation of the alarm calls in the long-tailed ground squirrel. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:200147. [PMID: 33972833 PMCID: PMC8074579 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Based on their phylogenetic position, Nearctic ground squirrels are closest relatives to the long-tailed ground squirrel Urocitellus undulates even though it has Palaearctic distribution. We aimed to investigate the variability of alarm calls of the long-tailed ground squirrel to test the individual variation in alarm calls. This species is known to produce two types of alarm calls: whistle alarms and wideband calls. Although ground squirrels are a model group for the study of vocal individuality, this phenomenon has not yet been studied in a species producing two such completely different types of alarms. Most of ground squirrel species produce either whistle or wideband alarms and this species represents a unique model for testing the degree of individual variability depending on completely different acoustic structures. We analysed 269 whistle alarms produced by 13 individuals and 591 wideband alarms from 25 individuals at the western part of Lake Baikal. A discriminant function analysis (DFA) assigned 93.5% (88.9%, cross-validated result) of whistle alarms to the correct individual and 91.4% (84%) of wideband alarms. This is the first evidence of individual variation in wideband alarms compared with whistle alarms and occurrence of vocal individuality in two warning signals of a completely different acoustic structure produced by a ground squirrel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Goncharov
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic
- Irkutsk State Agrarian University, 59 Timiryazev St, Irkutsk 664038, Russia
| | - Richard Policht
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Hambálková
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Salovarov
- Irkutsk State Agrarian University, 59 Timiryazev St, Irkutsk 664038, Russia
| | - Vlastimil Hart
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic
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16
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Anpuanandam K, Selvarajah GT, Choy MMK, Ng SW, Kumar K, Ali RM, Rajendran SK, Ho KL, Tan WS. Molecular detection and characterisation of Domestic Cat Hepadnavirus (DCH) from blood and liver tissues of cats in Malaysia. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:9. [PMID: 33407487 PMCID: PMC7788742 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02700-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A new domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH, family Hepadnaviridae) was first reported from whole blood samples of domestic cats in Australia in 2018, and from cat serum samples in Italy in 2019. The pathogenesis of DCH is unknown, but it was reported in cats with viraemia (6.5-10.8%), chronic hepatitis (43%) and hepatocellular carcinoma (28%). Recent reports suggest that DCH resembles the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its related hepatopathies. This study aims to detect and characterize DCH among domestic cats in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was performed on 253 cats, of which 87 had paired blood and liver samples, entailing whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of DCH from a liver tissue sample. RESULTS Among the 253 cats included in this study, 12.3% of the whole blood samples tested positive for DCH. The detection rate was significantly higher in pet cats (16.6%, n = 24/145) compared to shelter cats (6.5%, n = 7/108). Liver tissues showed higher a DCH detection rate (14.9%, n = 13/87) compared to blood; 5 out of these 13 cats tested positive for DCH in their paired liver and blood samples. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) was elevated (> 95 units/L) in 12 out of the 23 DCH-positive cats (52.2%, p = 0.012). Whole-genome sequence analysis revealed that the Malaysian DCH strain, with a genome size of 3184 bp, had 98.3% and 97.5% nucleotide identities to the Australian and Italian strains, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the Malaysian DCH genome was clustered closely to the Australian strain, suggesting that they belong to the same geographically-determined genetic pool (Australasia). CONCLUSIONS This study provided insights into a Malaysian DCH strain that was detected from a liver tissue. Interestingly, pet cats or cats with elevated ALT were significantly more likely to be DCH positive. Cats with positive DCH detection from liver tissues may not necessarily have viraemia. The impact of this virus on inducing liver diseases in felines warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanmani Anpuanandam
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Gayathri Thevi Selvarajah
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia.
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Mandy Mun Kei Choy
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Shing Wei Ng
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kiven Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Razana Mohd Ali
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Sujey Kumar Rajendran
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Kok Lian Ho
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wen Siang Tan
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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17
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Diverse styles of running-wheel behavior in antelope ground squirrels. Behav Processes 2020; 177:104149. [PMID: 32473279 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The running-wheel behavior of white-tailed antelope squirrels was studied in the laboratory by quantitative analysis of wheel revolutions and by visual inspection of video recordings with the assistance of Google Nest's detection algorithm. There was great interindividual diversity of running styles, although no systematic difference was found between male and female squirrels. Some animals ran on the outside of the wheel instead of inside, some ran consistently inside the wheel but alternating directions every few seconds, some ran on a virtual wheel while avoiding the actual wheel and doing back flips in the air instead, and some ran around the cage and occasionally hit the wheel thus generating a stable record of wheel revolutions. On average, the squirrels woke up an hour after lights-on, started activity on the running wheel about 40 minutes later, ran for 10 hours covering a distance of 2 km, and fell asleep about an hour after lights-off. This pattern of running-wheel behavior partially resembles that of laboratory mice, but its extreme diversity is unique to this species.
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18
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Yensen E, Dyni EJ. Why is the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel Rare? NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.3955/046.094.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Yensen
- Museum of Natural History, The College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho 83605 and Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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19
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Peplinski J, Brown JS. Distribution and diversity of squirrels on university and college campuses of the United States and Canada. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Squirrels on North American college and university campuses have been the subject of much animated conversation in informal venues, but a systematic assessment of their distribution across this habitat type has not been undertaken until now. We collected reports of squirrel species’ presence and absence from faculty experts at 536 campuses in Canada and the continental United States, and found that squirrels are nearly ubiquitous on campuses (95% had at least one species, and 40% had three or more), but that only a select few species are common campus residents. Foremost among these is the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis—on 62% of surveyed campuses), followed by the eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and woodchuck (Marmota monax). Eastern gray and fox squirrels partition campuses with one another, both in their shared native/core range and on the West Coast. While these invasive eastern species are present on campuses on the West Coast, notably, contingency analysis did not provide evidence that they are the primary factor discouraging western gray squirrels (Sciurus griseus) from using these habitats. The inventory and analyses presented here can provide a basis for longitudinal studies both within and across campuses and may be productively combined with initiatives that involve students in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Peplinski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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20
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Asgharzadeh A, Kaboli M, Rajabi-Maham H, Naderi M. Phylogeny and genetic structure of the Yellow ground squirrel, Spermophilus fulvus (Lichtenstein, 1823), in Iran. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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21
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Matrosova VA, Ivanova AD, Volodina EV, Volodin IA, Alexandrov DY, Sibiryakova OV, Ermakov OA. Phylogenetic relationship and variation of alarm call traits of populations of red-cheeked ground squirrels (Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato) suggest taxonomic delineation. Integr Zool 2019; 14:341-353. [PMID: 30688033 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Distribution area and taxonomic borders within the species complex Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato remain questionable. Early evidence suggests that red-cheeked ground squirrels of Southeast Kazakhstan are remarkably different in terms of the acoustic structure of their alarm calls from the red-cheeked ground squirrels of the Kurgan region in Russia. In this study, we analyzed the differences in the acoustic structure of the alarm call and mitochondrial DNA (complete control region, 1005-1006 bp and complete cytochrome b gene, 1140 bp) in 3 populations of red-cheeked ground squirrels (Tara, Altyn-Emel and Balkhash), all located within areas isolated by geographical barriers in Southeast Kazakhstan. We found that the alarm call variables were similar between the 3 study populations and differed by the maximum fundamental frequency (8.46 ± 0.75 kHz) from the values (5.62 ± 0.06 kHz) reported for the red-cheeked ground squirrels from the Kurgan region of Russia. Variation in mtDNA control region was only 3% and variation in cytochrome b gene was only 2.5%. Phylogenetic trees based on cytochrome b gene polymorphism of 44 individuals from the study area and adjacent territories indicated 3 clades with high (98-100%) bootstrap support: "intermedius," "brevicauda" and "iliensis"). We conclude that the 3 study populations in Southeast Kazakhstan belong to the clade intermedius and suggest a taxonomical revision of the species complex Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato, including analyses of nuclear DNA and alarm calls for populations of the brevicauda and iliensis clades.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anastasia D Ivanova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, RAS, Moscow, Russia.,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Ilya A Volodin
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Oleg A Ermakov
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Penza, Russia
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22
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Durden LA, Robinson C, Cook JA, McLean BS, Nyamsuren B, Greiman SE. A New Species of Sucking Louse from the Long-Tailed Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus undulatus, from Mongolia, with a Key to Species, and a Review of Host Associations and Geographical Distributions of Members of the Genus Linognathoides (Psocodea: Anoplura: Polyplacidae). J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/18-198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lance A. Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
| | - Chase Robinson
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
| | - Joseph A. Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
| | - Bryan S. McLean
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Batsaikhan Nyamsuren
- Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 11000
| | - Stephen E. Greiman
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
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23
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Sinitsa MV, Pogodina NV, Кryuchkova LY. The skull of Spermophilus nogaici (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Xerinae) and the affinities of the earliest Old World ground squirrels. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V Sinitsa
- Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Theriology, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia V Pogodina
- Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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24
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Gossmann TI, Shanmugasundram A, Börno S, Duvaux L, Lemaire C, Kuhl H, Klages S, Roberts LD, Schade S, Gostner JM, Hildebrand F, Vowinckel J, Bichet C, Mülleder M, Calvani E, Zelezniak A, Griffin JL, Bork P, Allaine D, Cohas A, Welch JJ, Timmermann B, Ralser M. Ice-Age Climate Adaptations Trap the Alpine Marmot in a State of Low Genetic Diversity. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1712-1720.e7. [PMID: 31080084 PMCID: PMC6538971 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Some species responded successfully to prehistoric changes in climate [1, 2], while others failed to adapt and became extinct [3]. The factors that determine successful climate adaptation remain poorly understood. We constructed a reference genome and studied physiological adaptations in the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), a large ground-dwelling squirrel exquisitely adapted to the "ice-age" climate of the Pleistocene steppe [4, 5]. Since the disappearance of this habitat, the rodent persists in large numbers in the high-altitude Alpine meadow [6, 7]. Genome and metabolome showed evidence of adaptation consistent with cold climate, affecting white adipose tissue. Conversely, however, we found that the Alpine marmot has levels of genetic variation that are among the lowest for mammals, such that deleterious mutations are less effectively purged. Our data rule out typical explanations for low diversity, such as high levels of consanguineous mating, or a very recent bottleneck. Instead, ancient demographic reconstruction revealed that genetic diversity was lost during the climate shifts of the Pleistocene and has not recovered, despite the current high population size. We attribute this slow recovery to the marmot's adaptive life history. The case of the Alpine marmot reveals a complicated relationship between climatic changes, genetic diversity, and conservation status. It shows that species of extremely low genetic diversity can be very successful and persist over thousands of years, but also that climate-adapted life history can trap a species in a persistent state of low genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni I Gossmann
- University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; Bielefeld University, Department of Animal Behaviour, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Achchuthan Shanmugasundram
- Molecular Biology of Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Stefan Börno
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ludovic Duvaux
- IRHS, Université d'Angers, INRA, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France; BIOGECO, INRA, Université de Bordeaux, 69 Route d'Arcachon, 33612 Cestas, France
| | - Christophe Lemaire
- IRHS, Université d'Angers, INRA, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Ecophysiology and Aquaculture, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Klages
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lee D Roberts
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sophia Schade
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna M Gostner
- Division of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Falk Hildebrand
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK; Gut Health and Microbes Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Jakob Vowinckel
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | | | - Michael Mülleder
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Department of Biochemistry, Charitè, Am Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Enrica Calvani
- Molecular Biology of Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Aleksej Zelezniak
- Molecular Biology of Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 171 65, Sweden
| | - Julian L Griffin
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Peer Bork
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Max-Delbrück-Centre for Molecular Medicine, 13092 Berlin, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dominique Allaine
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aurélie Cohas
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - John J Welch
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Ralser
- Molecular Biology of Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Department of Biochemistry, Charitè, Am Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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25
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Szumik C, Pereyra VV, Casagranda MD. Areas of endemism: to overlap or not to overlap, that is the question. Cladistics 2019; 35:198-229. [PMID: 34622975 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of "areas of endemism", and the assumption that these patterns are always a consequence of vicariant events, are reviewed. This assumption is related to the idea that areas of endemism have well-defined limits and never share any surface with other areas of endemism because they must represent sister areas supported by sister taxa. Based on this idea, overlapping areas have been considered rarely, or ignored completely. Using a data set of mammals of North America, we test here whether the overlapping areas are indeed sister areas supported by sister taxa, thus evaluating whether vicariant events are commonly the factor producing areas of endemism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Szumik
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Verónica V Pereyra
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - M Dolores Casagranda
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET - Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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26
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Ermakov OA, Simonov EP, Surin VL, Titov SV. Intraspecific Polymorphism of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region and Phylogeography of Little Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus pygmaeus, Sciuridae, Rodentia). RUSS J GENET+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795418110042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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27
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Smith SM, Angielczyk KD, Schmitz L, Wang SC. Do Bony Orbit Dimensions Predict Diel Activity Pattern in Sciurid Rodents? Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 301:1774-1787. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Smith
- Department of Biology and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture University of Washington Seattle Washington
| | | | - Lars Schmitz
- W.M. Keck Science Department Claremont McKenna, Pfizer, and Scripps Colleges Claremont California
| | - Steve C. Wang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Swarthmore College Swarthmore Pennsylvania
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28
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Mclean BS, Bell KC, Allen JM, Helgen KM, Cook JA. Impacts of Inference Method and Data set Filtering on Phylogenomic Resolution in a Rapid Radiation of Ground Squirrels (Xerinae: Marmotini). Syst Biol 2018; 68:298-316. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syy064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan S Mclean
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kayce C Bell
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 163, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Julie M Allen
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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29
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Kapustina SY, Adiya Y, Brandler OV. Genetic Differentiation of the Daurian Ground Squirrel Spermophilus dauricus Brandt, 1843 according to Variability of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region. BIOL BULL+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359018050060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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30
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Eguchi A, Inohana M, Nakamura M, Nagahara R, Itahashi M, Nakajima K, Yoshida T, Shibutani M. A case of rapid recurrence of apocrine ductal carcinoma originating from the oral scent gland of a Richardson's ground squirrel ( Urocitellus richardsonii). J Toxicol Pathol 2018; 31:189-193. [PMID: 30093788 PMCID: PMC6077161 DOI: 10.1293/tox.2017-0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A 3-year-old female Richardson’s ground squirrel developed a subcutaneous mass at the left oral angle. Seven days after removal of the mass, the mass recurred and metastasized to the cervical lymph node. Histologically, the primary mass was subdivided by fibrous trabeculae into various-sized neoplastic cell lobules showing a solid growth pattern with frequent mitoses and sometimes forming intracytoplasmic lumina. Large to medium-sized lobules formed a central cyst plugged by comedo necrosis. Neoplastic cells showed infiltrative subcutaneous growth. In the recurrent tumor, tubular structures lacking apparent apocrine secretion appeared within the solid growth portion. Neutrophil infiltration was evident within the tubules and intracytoplasmic lumina. Neoplastic cells were diffusely immunopositive for AE1/AE3 pan-cytokeratin (CK) in all lobules and focally positive for CAM5.2 CK in the lobules forming a central cyst and/or tubular structures, but they entirely lacked positivity for the periodic acid Schiff reaction. Ki-67-positive proliferating neoplastic cells were higher in numbers with the recurrent tumor than with the primary tumor. In addition, phosphorylated c-MYC immunoreactivity was observed in neoplastic cell nuclei, distinctly at the portion of invasive growth. Thus, the present case was diagnosed as apocrine ductal carcinoma originating from the oral scent gland, which typically shows highly aggressive biological behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Eguchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Mari Inohana
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Misato Nakamura
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Rei Nagahara
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Megu Itahashi
- Division of Pathology, New Histo Science Laboratory Co., Ltd., 2-979-2 Kurosawa, Ome-shi, Tokyo 198-0005, Japan
| | - Kota Nakajima
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.,Pathogenetic Veterinary Science, United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Toshinori Yoshida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Makoto Shibutani
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Division of Animal Life Science, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.,Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
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31
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Erdal O, Sen S, Erturaç MK, Bıçakçı E. The rodent fauna from the Neolithic human settlement of Tepecik-Çiftlik (Niğde, Turkey). MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2018-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to establish for the very first time the results on the rodent fauna gathered from the ongoing Neolithic excavations at the Tepecik-Çiftlik site in southern Cappadocia (Niğde, Turkey). So far, the fauna being study is represented by species of arvicolines (Microtus cf. arvalis and Arvicola cf. amphibius), murines (Mus cf. musculus), sousliks (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus), hamsters (Mesocricetus brandti) and mole-rats (Spalax xanthodon), and their remains are described in detail. Paleoenvironmental assumption based on common preferences of the fauna elements indicates, at first sight, a rather dry steppe environment with sparse plant cover or perennial short grasses. On the other hand, the presence of Arvicola cf. amphibius points out streams and marsh-like vegetation cover with bodies of water . The predation or burn marks observed on some specimens and the presence of subterraneous rodents raise questions concerning their taphonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozan Erdal
- Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University , 34469, Maslak , Istanbul , Turkey
| | - Sevket Sen
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle , 8, rue Buffon , Paris 75005 , France
| | - M. Korhan Erturaç
- Department of Geography , Sakarya University , Sakarya 54187 , Turkey
| | - Erhan Bıçakçı
- Prehistory Section , Istanbul University , 34459 Laleli , Istanbul , Turkey
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32
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Calede JJM, Orcutt JD, Kehl WA, Richards BD. The first tetrapod from the mid-Miocene Clarkia lagerstätte (Idaho, USA). PeerJ 2018; 6:e4880. [PMID: 29900070 PMCID: PMC5995101 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4880] [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: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Clarkia lagerstätte (Latah Formation) of Idaho is well known for its beautifully preserved plant fossils as well as a fauna of insects and fish. Here we present the first known tetrapod fossil from these deposits. This specimen, recovered from the lower anoxic zone of the beds, is preserved as a carbonaceous film of a partial skeleton associated with a partial lower incisor and some tooth fragments. The morphology of the teeth indicates that the first tetrapod reported from Clarkia is a rodent. Its skeletal morphology as well as its bunodont and brachydont dentition suggests that it is a member of the squirrel family (Sciuridae). It is a large specimen that cannot be assigned to a known genus. Instead, it appears to represent the first occurrence of a new taxon with particularly gracile postcranial morphology likely indicative of an arboreal ecology. This new specimen is a rare glimpse into the poorly known arboreal mammal fossil record of the Neogene. It supports a greater taxonomic and ecological diversity of Miocene Sciuridae than previously recognized and offers new lines of inquiry in the paleoecological research enabled by the unique preservation conditions of the Clarkia biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J M Calede
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Marion, OH, USA
| | - John D Orcutt
- Department of Biology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | | | - Bill D Richards
- Department of Geology & Geography, North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA
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33
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Romero V, Racines-Márquez CE, Brito J. A short review and worldwide list of wild albino rodents with the first report of albinism in Coendou rufescens (Rodentia: Erethizontidae). MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2017-0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Aberrant pelage color patterns such as albinism have been reported in some mammal groups including rodents, but in spite of the group’s richness, the phenomenon is relatively poorly documented in the literature. Albino specimens are reported in <2% of the species of rodents, four records of neotropical species were found (Delomys dorsalis, Heteromys anomalus, Octodon degus, Phyllotis andium). Of New World porcupines (Erethizontidae), albinism was documented only in the North American species Erethizon dorsatum. Here we report the first albino record from the Neotropics for this group, a stump-tailed porcupine (Coendou rufescens) in northern Ecuador.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Romero
- Postgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Estudios Ambientales , Universidad Simón Bolívar, Sartenejas , Caracas 1080 , Venezuela
| | | | - Jorge Brito
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional , Quito , Ecuador
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34
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McLean BS, Helgen KM, Goodwin HT, Cook JA. Trait‐specific processes of convergence and conservatism shape ecomorphological evolution in ground‐dwelling squirrels. Evolution 2018; 72:473-489. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan S. McLean
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico 87131
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611
| | - Kristofer M. Helgen
- School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide SA 5005 Australia
| | - H. Thomas Goodwin
- Department of Biology Andrews University Berrien Springs Michigan 49104
| | - Joseph A. Cook
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico 87131
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35
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36
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Refinetti R, Kenagy G. Circadian rhythms of body temperature and locomotor activity in the antelope ground squirrel, Ammospermophilus leucurus. J Therm Biol 2018; 72:67-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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37
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Fuentes-Moreno H, Trejo-Ortiz A, Cervantes FA. Los mamíferos del Área Reservada para la Recreación y Educación Ecológica San Juan del Monte, Las Vigas de Ramírez, Veracruz, México. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2017.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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38
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Gür H, Perktaş U, Gür MK. Do climate-driven altitudinal range shifts explain the intraspecific diversification of a narrow ranging montane mammal, Taurus ground squirrels? MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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39
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Wu Y, Wang H, Wang H, Hadly EA. Rethinking the Origin of Primates by Reconstructing Their Diel Activity Patterns Using Genetics and Morphology. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11837. [PMID: 28928374 PMCID: PMC5605515 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12090-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic inference typically invokes nocturnality as ancestral in primates; however, some recent studies posit that diurnality is. Here, through adaptive evolutionary analyses of phototransduction genes by using a variety of approaches (restricted branch/branch-site models and unrestricted branch-site-based models (BS-REL, BUSTED and RELAX)), our results consistently showed that ancestral primates were subjected to enhanced positive selection for bright-light vision and relatively weak selection for dim-light vision. These results suggest that ancestral primates were mainly diurnal with some crepuscularity and support diurnality as plesiomorphic from Euarchontoglires. Our analyses show relaxed selection on motion detection in ancestral primates, suggesting that ancestral primates decreased their emphasis on mobile prey (e.g., insects). However, within primates, the results show that ancestral Haplorrhini were likely nocturnal, suggesting that evolution of the retinal fovea occurred within ancestral primates rather than within haplorrhines as was previously hypothesized. Our findings offer a reassessment of the visual adaptation of ancestral primates. The evolution of the retinal fovea, trichromatic vision and orbital convergence in ancestral primates may have helped them to efficiently discriminate, target, and obtain edible fruits and/or leaves from a green foliage background instead of relying on mobile insect prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghua Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024, China. .,Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Haifeng Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Haitao Wang
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Elizabeth A Hadly
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
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40
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Leitner BM, Leitner P. Diet of the Mohave Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) in Relation to Season and Rainfall. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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41
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Faerman M, Bar-Gal GK, Boaretto E, Boeskorov GG, Dokuchaev NE, Ermakov OA, Golenishchev FN, Gubin SV, Mintz E, Simonov E, Surin VL, Titov SV, Zanina OG, Formozov NA. DNA analysis of a 30,000-year-old Urocitellus glacialis from northeastern Siberia reveals phylogenetic relationships between ancient and present-day arctic ground squirrels. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42639. [PMID: 28205612 PMCID: PMC5311991 DOI: 10.1038/srep42639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the abundant fossil record of arctic ground squirrels, Urocitellus parryii, from eastern Beringia, only a limited number of fossils is known from its western part. In 1946, unnamed GULAG prisoners discovered a nest with three mummified carcasses of arctic ground squirrels in the permafrost sediments of the El’ga river, Yakutia, Russia, that were later attributed to a new species, Citellus (Urocitellus) glacialis Vinogr. To verify this assignment and to explore phylogenetic relationships between ancient and present-day arctic ground squirrels, we performed 14C dating and ancient DNA analyses of one of the El’ga mummies and four contemporaneous fossils from Duvanny Yar, northeastern Yakutia. Phylogenetic reconstructions, based on complete cytochrome b gene sequences of five Late Pleistocene arctic ground squirrels and those of modern U. parryii from 21 locations across western Beringia, provided no support for earlier proposals that ancient arctic ground squirrels from Siberia constitute a distinct species. In fact, we observed genetic continuity of the glacialis mitochondrial DNA lineage in modern U. parryii of the Kamchatka peninsula. When viewed in a broader geographic perspective, our findings provide new insights into the genetic history of U. parryii in Late Pleistocene Beringia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Faerman
- Laboratory of Bioanthropology and Ancient DNA, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Gila Kahila Bar-Gal
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food &Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Elisabetta Boaretto
- D-REAMS Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scientific Archaeology Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gennady G Boeskorov
- Diamond and Precious Metals Geology Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk 677007, Russian Federation
| | - Nikolai E Dokuchaev
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far-East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan 685000, Russian Federation
| | - Oleg A Ermakov
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Penza 440026, Russian Federation
| | - Fedor N Golenishchev
- Laboratory of Theriology, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation
| | - Stanislav V Gubin
- Soil Cryology Laboratory, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russian Federation
| | - Eugenia Mintz
- D-REAMS Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scientific Archaeology Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Evgeniy Simonov
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Water, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok 152742, Russian Federation.,Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630091, Russian Federation.,Tomsk State University, Tomsk 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Vadim L Surin
- National Research Center for Hematology, Russian Ministry of Health, Moscow 125167, Russian Federation
| | - Sergei V Titov
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Penza 440026, Russian Federation
| | - Oksana G Zanina
- Soil Cryology Laboratory, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russian Federation
| | - Nikolai A Formozov
- Department of Vertebral Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
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42
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Smith JE, Long DJ, Russell ID, Newcomb KL, Muñoz VD. Otospermophilus beecheyi(Rodentia: Sciuridae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/mspecies/sew010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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43
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Hnida JA, Flocken A. Eimeria vilasi (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus). SOUTHWEST NAT 2016. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-61.4.331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John A. Hnida
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308 (JAH)
| | - Anna Flocken
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308 (AF)
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44
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Hoberg EP, Makarikov AA, Tkach VV, Meagher S, Nims TN, Eckerlin RP, Galbreath KE. Insights on the host associations and geographic distribution of Hymenolepis folkertsi (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) among rodents across temperate latitudes of North America. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4627-4638. [PMID: 27630100 PMCID: PMC5104796 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5255-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Synoptic data and an understanding of helminth parasite diversity among diverse rodent assemblages across temperate latitudes of North America remain remarkably incomplete. Renewed attention to comprehensive survey and inventory to establish the structure of biodiverse faunas is essential in providing indicators and proxies for identifying the outcomes of accelerating change linked to climate warming and anthropogenic forcing. Subsequent to the description of Hymenolepis folkertsi in the oldfield mouse, Peromyscus polionotus, additional specimens of hymenolepidids were collected or discovered in archived museum repositories from multiple species of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, Peromyscus leucopus), the golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli), chipmunks (Tamias striatus, Tamias amoenus), the 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), and tree squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis, Sciurus niger) from disjunct localities in the USA spanning southern Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and central Idaho. Specimens were largely consistent morphologically with the original description of H. folkertsi. Initial DNA sequence data, from a portion of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, demonstrated intraspecific variation among three apparently geographically isolated populations attributed to H. folkertsi (uncorrected genetic distances of 2.7 % (Idaho and Michigan), 2.4 % (Virginia + Pennsylvania and Michigan), and 1.89 % (VA + PA and ID). Geography rather than host association explains the distribution and occurrence of H. folkertsi, and host colonization among deer mice, chipmunks, and other sciurids within regional sites is indicated. Genetic divergence revealed across localities for H. folkertsi suggests historically isolated populations, consistent with extended evolutionary and biogeographic trajectories among hymenolepidids and species of Peromyscus and Tamias in North America. Field inventory, that revealed these parasite populations, substantially alters our understanding of the distribution of diversity and provides insights about the nature of the complex relationships that serve to determine cestode faunas in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Hoberg
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Bldg 1180 BARC East, 10300, Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, USA.
| | - A A Makarikov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Str. 11, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia
| | - V V Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, 58202, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - S Meagher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, 61455, Macomb, IL, USA
| | - T N Nims
- Science Department, Perimeter College at Georgia State University, 239 Cedar Lane, 30014, Covington, GA, USA
| | - R P Eckerlin
- Mathematics, Science and Engineering Division, Northern Virginia Community College, 22003, Annandale, VA, USA
| | - K E Galbreath
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Ave., 49855, Marquette, MI, USA
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McLean BS, Jackson DJ, Cook JA. Rapid divergence and gene flow at high latitudes shape the history of Holarctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 102:174-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.05.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Matrosova VA, Rusin MY, Volodina EV, Proyavka SV, Savinetskaya LE, Shekarova ON, Rashevska HV, Volodin IA. Genetic and alarm call diversity across scattered populations of speckled ground squirrels (Spermophilus suslicus). Mamm Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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47
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Hope AG, Malaney JL, Bell KC, Salazar-Miralles F, Chavez AS, Barber BR, Cook JA. Revision of widespread red squirrels (genus: Tamiasciurus) highlights the complexity of speciation within North American forests. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 100:170-182. [PMID: 27083861 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Integration of molecular methods, ecological modeling, and statistical hypothesis testing are increasing our understanding of differentiation within species and phylogenetic relationships among species by revealing environmental connections to evolutionary processes. Within mammals, novel diversity is being discovered and characterized as more complete geographic sampling is coupled with newer multi-disciplinary approaches. North American red squirrels exemplify a forest obligate genus whose species are monitored as indicators of forest ecosystem condition, yet phylogenetic relationships reflecting evolutionary history within this genus remain tentative. Through testing of competing systematic and niche-based divergence hypotheses, we recognize three species, Tamiasciurus douglasii, T. hudsonicus, and T. fremonti. Our data provide evidence of regional differences in evolutionary dynamics and continental gradients of complexity that are important both for future management and for investigating multiple pathways that can lead to the formation of new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Hope
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
| | - Jason L Malaney
- Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN 37044, USA.
| | - Kayce C Bell
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| | - Fernando Salazar-Miralles
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| | - Andreas S Chavez
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Brian R Barber
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Hoogland JL, Brown CR. Prairie dogs increase fitness by killing interspecific competitors. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160144. [PMID: 27009223 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition commonly selects for divergence in ecology, morphology or physiology, but direct observation of interspecific competition under natural conditions is difficult. Herbivorous white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus) employ an unusual strategy to reduce interspecific competition: they kill, but do not consume, herbivorous Wyoming ground squirrels (Urocitellus elegans) encountered in the prairie dog territories. Results from a 6-year study in Colorado, USA, revealed that interspecific killing of ground squirrels by prairie dogs was common, involving 47 different killers; 19 prairie dogs were serial killers in the same or consecutive years, and 30% of female prairie dogs killed at least one ground squirrel over their lifetimes. Females that killed ground squirrels had significantly higher annual and lifetime fitness than non-killers, probably because of decreased interspecific competition for vegetation. Our results document the first case of interspecific killing of competing individuals unrelated to predation (IK) among herbivorous mammals in the wild, and show that IK enhances fitness for animals living under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Hoogland
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 301 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 21532, USA
| | - Charles R Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
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Schwanz LE, Sherwin WB, Ognenovska K, Lacey EA. Paternity and male mating strategies of a ground squirrel (
Ictidomys parvidens
) with an extended mating season. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal mating systems are driven by the temporal and spatial distribution of sexually receptive females. In mammals, ground-dwelling squirrels represent an ideal clade for testing predictions regarding the effects of these parameters on male reproductive strategies. While the majority of ground squirrel species have a short, highly synchronous annual breeding season that occurs immediately after females emerge from hibernation, the Mexican or Rio Grande ground squirrel ( Ictidomys parvidens ) differs markedly in having an extended mating season (2 months) and a long delay between emergence from hibernation and female receptivity (1–2 months). Both traits are expected to favor polygyny by increasing the chances that a male can secure matings with multiple females (e.g., females that come into estrus on different days). To test this prediction, we used microsatellite markers to characterize the mating system of a population of Rio Grande ground squirrels from Carlsbad, New Mexico. Our analyses indicated a high frequency of multiple paternity of litters in this population. Paternity was not related to spatial overlap between known mothers and assigned fathers, suggesting that territory defense is unlikely to be an effective male reproductive strategy in the study population. Dominance interactions among males were frequent, with heavier males typically winning dyadic interactions. Surprisingly, however, males with lower dominance scores appeared to have higher reproductive success, as did males that were active over a greater extent of the study site. Collectively, these results suggest that the mating system of the Rio Grande ground squirrel is best described as scramble competition polygyny, with the primary male reproductive strategy consisting of searching for estrous females. Similar patterns of male–male competition have been reported for a few other ground squirrel species, providing potentially important opportunities for comparative studies of the factors favoring this form of male reproductive strategy.
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50
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Patterson BD, Norris RW. Towards a uniform nomenclature for ground squirrels: the status of the Holarctic chipmunks. MAMMALIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2015-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe chipmunks are a Holarctic group of ground squirrels currently allocated to the genus
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