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Srigyan M, Samad A, Singh A, Karan J, Chandra A, Sinha PG, Kumar V, Das S, Thomas A, Suyesh R. Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16903. [PMID: 38562993 PMCID: PMC10984171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Advertisement calls in frogs have evolved to be species-specific signals of recognition and are therefore considered an essential component of integrative taxonomic approaches to identify species and delineate their distribution range. The species rich genus Microhyla is a particularly challenging group for species identification, discovery and conservation management due to the small size, conserved morphology and wide distribution of its members, necessitating the need for a thorough description of their vocalization. In this study, we provide quantitative description of the vocal behaviour of Microhyla nilphamariensis, a widely distributed south Asian species, from Delhi, India, based on call recordings of 18 individuals and assessment of 21 call properties. Based on the properties measured acrossed 360 calls, we find that a typical advertisement call of M. nilphamariensis lasts for 393.5 ± 57.5 ms, has 17 pulses on average and produce pulses at rate of 39 pulses/s. The overall call dominant frequency was found to be 2.8 KHz and the call spectrum consisted of two dominant frequency peaks centered at 1.6 KHz and 3.6 KHz, ranging between 1.5-4.1 KHz. Apart from its typical advertisement call, our study also reveals the presence of three 'rare' call types, previously unreported in this species. We describe variability in call properties and discuss their relation to body size and temperature. We found that overall dominant frequency 1 (spectral property) was found to be correlated with body size, while first pulse period (temporal property) was found to be correlated with temperature. Further, we compare the vocal repertoire of M. nilphamariensis with that of the congener Microhyla ornata from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka and also compare the call properties of these two populations of M. ornata to investigate intra-specific call variation. We find statistically significant differentiation in their acoustic repertoire in both cases. Based on 18 call properties (out of 20), individuals of each locality clearly segregate on PCA factor plane forming separate groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) using PCA factors shows 100% classification success with individuals of each locality getting classified to a discrete group. This confirms significant acoustic differentiation between these species as well as between geographically distant conspecifics. The data generated in this study will be useful for comparative bioacoustic analysis of Microhyla species and can be utilized to monitor populations and devise conservation management plan for threatened species in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Srigyan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Abdus Samad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Singh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jyotsna Karan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Chandra
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Gokhale Sinha
- Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vineeth Kumar
- Department of Biology, Center for Advanced Learning, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep Das
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India
- Department of Zoology, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| | - Ashish Thomas
- Department of Environmental Studies, SGND Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
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Lu Y, Zhao Y, Hu L, Zhang W, Xie Y, Cheng S, Zheng B, Xia Q. Exploration of Multi-Gene DNA Barcode Markers to Reveal the Broad Genetic Diversity of Field Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Tropical Environment of Hainan Island, China. Cytogenet Genome Res 2023; 163:59-73. [PMID: 37385223 DOI: 10.1159/000531734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are hematophagous arthropods and obligate ectoparasites of humans and other animals. This study focused on the molecular discrimination of ticks in the tropical environment of Hainan according to multi-gene DNA barcode markers with the expectation of accurately distinguishing species. A total of 420 ticks, including 49 adult ticks, 203 nymphal ticks, and 168 larval ticks, were collected in the field, and the 49 adult ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus turanicus, Dermacentor marginatus, and Haemaphysalis longicornis. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA, ribosomal 28S rRNA D2, and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions were used as DNA barcode markers to discriminate species. According to basic local alignment search tool analysis against the GenBank database, 16S rRNA positively identified ticks in the Rhipicephalus, Dermacentor, and Haemaphysalis genera; the 28S rRNA D2 region identified ticks in the Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor genera; and ITS2 identified ticks as D. marginatus. Pairwise sequence comparisons based on these three regions were visualized with a Sequence Demarcation Tool matrix. Substitution saturation tests using data analysis and molecular biology and evolution revealed little substitution saturation (Iss < Iss.c, p < 0.05) in the 16S rRNA region for the Haemaphysalis genus; 28S rRNA D2 region for the Rhipicephalus, Dermacentor, and Haemaphysalis genera; and ITS2 region for the Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor genera. Distinctive sequences for which it is difficult to obtain good matches with the sequences available in GenBank exist in the ticks of Hainan. Future studies should obtain complementary sequences to refine and update the database for the molecular characterization of ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Lu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Yae Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Li Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wanyu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yunyun Xie
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Shi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission, WHO Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research On Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianfeng Xia
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
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Agashe M, Ghosh A, K. Dilshad, Sil M, Datta-Roy A. New distribution records of two uncommon microhylid frogs, Melanobatrachus indicus Beddome, 1878 and Mysticellus franki Garg & Biju, 2019 from Nelliyampathy, Kerala, India. J Threat Taxa 2023. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.8300.15.3.22900-22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
New distribution points add to our knowledge of species distribution patterns and can have conservation implications for threatened species. In this note, we report an additional distribution point for the rare anuran species—Melanobatrachus indicus and Mysticellus franki—from Nelliyampathy in the southern Western Ghats, the latter of which is recorded from the southern Western Ghats for the first time since its description.
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Grismer LL, Poyarkov NA, Quah ES, Grismer JL, Wood Jr PL. The biogeography of bent-toed geckos, Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae). PeerJ 2022; 10:e13153. [PMID: 35341041 PMCID: PMC8953499 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The gekkonid genus Cyrtodactylus is the third largest vertebrate genus on the planet with well over 300 species that range across at least eight biogeographic regions from South Asia to Melanesia. The ecological and morphological plasticity within the genus, has contributed to its ability to disperse across ephemeral seaways, river systems, basins, land bridges, and mountain ranges-followed by in situ diversification within specific geographic areas. Ancestral ranges were reconstructed on a mitochondrial phylogeny with 346 described and undescribed species from which it was inferred that Cyrtodactylus evolved in a proto-Himalaya region during the early Eocene. From there, it dispersed to what is currently Indoburma and Indochina during the mid-Eocene-the latter becoming the first major center of origin for the remainder of the genus that seeded dispersals to the Indian subcontinent, Papua, and Sundaland. Sundaland became a second major center of radiation during the Oligocene and gave rise to a large number of species that radiated further within Sundaland and dispersed to Wallacea, the Philippines, and back to Indochina. One Papuan lineage dispersed west to recolonize and radiate in Sundaland. Currently, Indochina and Sundaland still harbor the vast majority of species of Cyrtodactylus.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Lee Grismer
- Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia,Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Evan S.H. Quah
- Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, CA, United States of America,Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, SabahMalaysia
| | - Jesse L. Grismer
- Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Perry L. Wood Jr
- Department of Biological Sciences & Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
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Garg S, Sivaperuman C, Gokulakrishnan G, Chandramouli SR, Biju SD. Hiding in Plain Sight: Rain Water Puddles in Nicobar Islands of India Reveal Abundance of a New Frog Species of the Genus Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Anura: Microhylidae). Zool Stud 2022; 60:e2. [PMID: 35774264 PMCID: PMC9168734 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2022.61-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on frogs of the Microhyla heymonsi species complex have demonstrated that high genetic variation exists among its various known populations from regions across Asia. We assessed the taxonomic identity of the Nicobar population of Microhyla cf. heymonsi and compared it to the typical Microhyla heymonsi from Taiwan and the two recently described species in this complex from Vietnam. Our study demonstrates that the Nicobar population is both genetically and morphologically divergent and warrants recognition as a new species, which we formally describe here as Microhyla nakkavaram sp. nov. The new species is closely related to M. daklakensis, M. heymonsi, and M. ninhthuanensis, but diagnosable from all three species by a suite of morphological characters, such as the presence of two small tubercles at mid-dorsum along with ( )-shaped markings, length of finger I longer than half the length of finger II, presence of three distinct metacarpal tubercles on hand, rudimentary foot webbing, as well as its slender body shape, granular dorsal skin texture, and other colour characters and body markings. Statistical analyses based on multiple morphometric characters also clearly separate our new taxon from M. heymonsi, with which it was previously confused. Our phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA locus find Microhyla nakkavaram sp. nov. to be nested in the Microhyla achatina species group, where it is delimited as a distinct species. This lineage shows genetic distances of ≥ 3.5% from all the other known congeners. Currently, the known distribution of the new taxon is restricted to the southernmost group of Nicobar Islands-Great Nicobar, Kondul, and Little Nicobar-where it is found in abundance across a wide range of habitats during the monsoon season. Our study underlines the need to reassess the identity of all the known populations of M. 'heymonsi' from other regions in Southeast and East Asia. To facilitate future taxonomic work in the light of our and other recent findings, we also provide a detailed redescription and revised diagnosis for M. heymonsi based on morphological examination of its century-old type material originating from Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. E-mail: , (Biju); (Garg)
| | - Chandrakasan Sivaperuman
- Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair 744102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. E-mail: (Sivaperuman); (Gokulakrishnan)
| | - G Gokulakrishnan
- Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair 744102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. E-mail: (Sivaperuman); (Gokulakrishnan)
| | - S R Chandramouli
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India. E-mail: (Chandramouli)
| | - S D Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. E-mail: , (Biju); (Garg)
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Bolotov IN, Pasupuleti R, Subba Rao NV, Unnikrishnan SK, Chan N, Lunn Z, Win T, Gofarov MY, Kondakov AV, Konopleva ES, Lyubas AA, Tomilova AA, Vikhrev IV, Pfenninger M, Düwel SS, Feldmeyer B, Nesemann HF, Nagel KO. Oriental freshwater mussels arose in East Gondwana and arrived to Asia on the Indian Plate and Burma Terrane. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1518. [PMID: 35087130 PMCID: PMC8795121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05257-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater mussels cannot spread through oceanic barriers and represent a suitable model to test the continental drift patterns. Here, we reconstruct the diversification of Oriental freshwater mussels (Unionidae) and revise their taxonomy. We show that the Indian Subcontinent harbors a rather taxonomically poor fauna, containing 25 freshwater mussel species from one subfamily (Parreysiinae). This subfamily most likely originated in East Gondwana in the Jurassic and its representatives arrived to Asia on two Gondwanan fragments (Indian Plate and Burma Terrane). We propose that the Burma Terrane was connected with the Indian Plate through the Greater India up to the terminal Cretaceous. Later on, during the entire Paleogene epoch, these blocks have served as isolated evolutionary hotspots for freshwater mussels. The Burma Terrane collided with mainland Asia in the Late Eocene, leading to the origin of the Mekong’s Indochinellini radiation. Our findings indicate that the Burma Terrane had played a major role as a Gondwanan “biotic ferry” alongside with the Indian Plate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan N Bolotov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | - Rajeev Pasupuleti
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBT), Technical University of Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Suresh Kumar Unnikrishnan
- Regional Facility for DNA Fingerprinting (RFDF), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Trivandrum, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Nyein Chan
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Zau Lunn
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar.,Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Than Win
- Department of Zoology, Dawei University, 14043, Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar
| | - Mikhail Y Gofarov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V Kondakov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Konopleva
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Artyom A Lyubas
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alena A Tomilova
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ilya V Vikhrev
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sophie S Düwel
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Karl-Otto Nagel
- Malacological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M., Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Kundu S, Pakrashi A, Kamalakannan M, Singha D, Tyagi K, Banerjee D, Venkatraman C, Kumar V. Complete mitogenome of the endangered and endemic Nicobar treeshrew (Tupaia nicobarica) and comparison with other Scandentians. Sci Rep 2022; 12:877. [PMID: 35042947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04907-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Nicobar treeshrew (Tupaia nicobarica) is an endangered small mammal endemic to the Nicobar Island of the Andaman Sea, India regarded as an alternative experimental animal model in biomedical research. The present study aimed to assemble the first mitochondrial genome of T. nicobarica to elucidate its phylogenetic position with respect to other Scandentians. The structure and variation of the novel mitochondrial genome were analyzed and compared with other Scandentians. The complete mitogenome (17,164 bp) encodes 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNAs), and one control region (CR). Most of the genes were encoded on majority strand, except nad6 and eight tRNAs. The nonsynonymous/synonymous ratio in all PCGs indicates strong negative selection among all Tupaiidae species. The comparative study of CRs revealed the occurrence of tandem repeats (CGTACA) found in T. nicobarica. The phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference) showed distinct clustering of T. nicobarica with high branch supports and depict a substantial divergence time (12–19 MYA) from the ancestor lineage of Tupaiidae. The 16S rRNA dataset corroborates the taxonomic rank of two subspecies of T. nicobarica from the Great and Little Nicobar Islands. In the future, whole nuclear genome sequencing is necessary to further improve our understanding of evolutionary relationships among treeshrews, and will have implications for biomedical research.
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Poyarkov NA, Nguyen TV, Pawangkhanant P, Yushchenko PV, Brakels P, Nguyen LH, Nguyen HN, Suwannapoom C, Orlov N, Vogel G. An integrative taxonomic revision of slug-eating snakes (Squamata: Pareidae: Pareineae) reveals unprecedented diversity in Indochina. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12713. [PMID: 35047234 PMCID: PMC8757378 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Slug-eating snakes of the subfamily Pareinae are an insufficiently studied group of snakes specialized in feeding on terrestrial mollusks. Currently Pareinae encompass three genera with 34 species distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. Despite the recent significant progress in understanding of Pareinae diversity, the subfamily remains taxonomically challenging. Here we present an updated phylogeny of the subfamily with a comprehensive taxon sampling including 30 currently recognized Pareinae species and several previously unknown candidate species and lineages. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA and nuDNA data supported the monophyly of the three genera Asthenodipsas, Aplopeltura, and Pareas. Within both Asthenodipsas and Pareas our analyses recovered deep differentiation with each genus being represented by two morphologically diagnosable clades, which we treat as subgenera. We further apply an integrative taxonomic approach, including analyses of molecular and morphological data, along with examination of available type materials, to address the longstanding taxonomic questions of the subgenus Pareas, and reveal the high level of hidden diversity of these snakes in Indochina. We restrict the distribution of P. carinatus to southern Southeast Asia, and recognize two subspecies within it, including one new subspecies proposed for the populations from Thailand and Myanmar. We further revalidate P. berdmorei, synonymize P. menglaensis with P. berdmorei, and recognize three subspecies within this taxon, including the new subspecies erected for the populations from Laos and Vietnam. Furthermore, we describe two new species of Pareas from Vietnam: one belonging to the P. carinatus group from southern Vietnam, and a new member of the P. nuchalis group from the central Vietnam. We provide new data on P. temporalis, and report on a significant range extension for P. nuchalis. Our phylogeny, along with molecular clock and ancestral area analyses, reveal a complex diversification pattern of Pareinae involving a high degree of sympatry of widespread and endemic species. Our analyses support the "upstream" colonization hypothesis and, thus, the Pareinae appears to have originated in Sundaland during the middle Eocene and then colonized mainland Asia in early Oligocene. Sundaland and Eastern Indochina appear to have played the key roles as the centers of Pareinae diversification. Our results reveal that both vicariance and dispersal are responsible for current distribution patterns of Pareinae, with tectonic movements, orogeny and paleoclimatic shifts being the probable drivers of diversification. Our study brings the total number of Pareidae species to 41 and further highlights the importance of comprehensive taxonomic revisions not only for the better understanding of biodiversity and its evolution, but also for the elaboration of adequate conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Laboratory of Tropical Ecology, Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam,Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tan Van Nguyen
- Department of Species Conservation, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, Ninh Binh, Vietnam
| | - Parinya Pawangkhanant
- Division of Fishery, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Platon V. Yushchenko
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Linh Hoang Nguyen
- Department of Zoology, Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hung Ngoc Nguyen
- Department of Zoology, Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Chatmongkon Suwannapoom
- Division of Fishery, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Nikolai Orlov
- Department of Herpetology, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Gernot Vogel
- Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Yamahira K, Ansai S, Kakioka R, Yaguchi H, Kon T, Montenegro J, Kobayashi H, Fujimoto S, Kimura R, Takehana Y, Setiamarga DHE, Takami Y, Tanaka R, Maeda K, Tran HD, Koizumi N, Morioka S, Bounsong V, Watanabe K, Musikasinthorn P, Tun S, Yun LKC, Masengi KWA, Anoop VK, Raghavan R, Kitano J. Mesozoic origin and 'out-of-India' radiation of ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae). Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210212. [PMID: 34343438 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Indian subcontinent has an origin geologically different from Eurasia, but many terrestrial animal and plant species on it have congeneric or sister species in other parts of Asia, especially in the Southeast. This faunal and floral similarity between India and Southeast Asia is explained by either of the two biogeographic scenarios, 'into-India' or 'out-of-India'. Phylogenies based on complete mitochondrial genomes and five nuclear genes were undertaken for ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae) to examine which of these two biogeographic scenarios fits better. We found that Oryzias setnai, the only adrianichthyid distributed in and endemic to the Western Ghats, a mountain range running parallel to the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, is sister to all other adrianichthyids from eastern India and Southeast-East Asia. Divergence time estimates and ancestral area reconstructions reveal that this western Indian species diverged in the late Mesozoic during the northward drift of the Indian subcontinent. These findings indicate that adrianichthyids dispersed eastward 'out-of-India' after the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia, and subsequently diversified in Southeast-East Asia. A review of geographic distributions of 'out-of-India' taxa reveals that they may have largely fuelled or modified the biodiversity of Eurasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Yamahira
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ansai
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryo Kakioka
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hajime Yaguchi
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.,School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kon
- Center for Strategic Research Project, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Javier Montenegro
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hirozumi Kobayashi
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Shingo Fujimoto
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kimura
- Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yusuke Takehana
- Faculty of Bio-Science, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan
| | - Davin H E Setiamarga
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Institute of Technology, Wakayama College, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yasuoki Takami
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Rieko Tanaka
- World Medaka Aquarium, Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hau D Tran
- Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Noriyuki Koizumi
- Strategic Planning Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Morioka
- Fisheries Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Katsutoshi Watanabe
- Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Sein Tun
- Inlay Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar
| | - L K C Yun
- Inlay Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar
| | | | - V K Anoop
- School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, India
| | - Rajeev Raghavan
- Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, India
| | - Jun Kitano
- Ecological Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
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10
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Abstract
A new species of the genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 is described from Yunnan Province, China, based on morphological and molecular analyses. The most obvious differences between the new species and other species of this genus are small body size, unique coloration, and relatively longer hind limbs. In 16S rRNA gene sequences, the new species is diverged from all other congeners by 3.1%–8.0%.
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11
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Kamalakannan M, Sivaperuman C, Kundu S, Gokulakrishnan G, Venkatraman C, Chandra K. Discovery of a new mammal species (Soricidae: Eulipotyphla) from Narcondam volcanic island, India. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9416. [PMID: 33941819 PMCID: PMC8093265 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88859-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We discovered a new Crocidura species of shrew (Soricidae: Eulipotyphla) from Narcondam Island, India by using both morphological and molecular approaches. The new species, Crocidura narcondamica sp. nov. is of medium size (head and body lengths) and has a distinct external morphology (darker grey dense fur with a thick, darker tail) and craniodental characters (braincase is rounded and elevated with weak lambdoidal ridges) in comparison to other close congeners. This is the first discovery of a shrew from this volcanic island and increases the total number of Crocidura species catalogued in the Indian checklist of mammals to 12. The newly discovered species shows substantial genetic distances (12.02% to 16.61%) to other Crocidura species known from the Indian mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, Myanmar, and from Sumatra. Both Maximum-Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic inferences, based on mitochondrial (cytochrome b) gene sequences showed distinct clustering of all included soricid species and exhibit congruence with the previous evolutionary hypothesis on this mammalian group. The present phylogenetic analyses also furnished the evolutionary placement of the newly discovered species within the genus Crocidura.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shantanu Kundu
- Molecular Systematics Division, Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 700053, India.
| | | | | | - Kailash Chandra
- Mammal and Osteology Section, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 700053, India
- Molecular Systematics Division, Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 700053, India
- Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair, 744102, India
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12
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Kundu S, Lalremsanga HT, Biakzuala L, Decemson H, Muansanga L, Tyagi K, Chandra K, Kumar V. Genetic diversity of the Pegu Rice Frog, Microhyla berdmorei (Anura: Microhylidae) based on mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2021; 6:1586-1591. [PMID: 34212080 PMCID: PMC8218842 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1920504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pegu Rice Frog, Microhyla berdmorei is distributed across ten Asian countries. However, the DNA barcoding information (COI gene) is restricted to only Southeast Asian countries. Here, we sampled a specimen of M. berdmorei in Mizoram state, northeast India to allow the genetic diversity of the species across its range. We generated both COI and 16S ribosomal RNA sequences of the studied species to check the population genetic diversity. The Bayesian analyses clearly discriminate M. berdmorei from its sister species Microhyla pulchra. The present datasets of M. berdmorei also revealed 11 and 19 haplotypes with high uncorrected pairwise genetic distances in COI (3.8-11.8%) and 16S rRNA (0-4.6%) gene, respectively. Owing to the high intra-species genetic distances and different haplotypes with sufficient mutational steps in both mitochondrial genes, this study affirms the existence of M. berdmorei species complex or cryptic diversity within its range distribution in South and Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kundu
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Lal Biakzuala
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Ht. Decemson
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Lal Muansanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India
| | - Kaomud Tyagi
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
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13
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Foley S, Krehenwinkel H, Cheng DQ, Piel WH. Phylogenomic analyses reveal a Gondwanan origin and repeated out of India colonizations into Asia by tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11162. [PMID: 33868819 PMCID: PMC8034372 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of biogeography seeks taxa that share a key set of characteristics, such as timescale of diversification, dispersal ability, and ecological lability. Tarantulas are ideal organisms for studying evolution over continental-scale biogeography given their time period of diversification, their mostly long-lived sedentary lives, low dispersal rate, and their nevertheless wide circumtropical distribution. In tandem with a time-calibrated transcriptome-based phylogeny generated by PhyloBayes, we estimate the ancestral ranges of ancient tarantulas using two methods, DEC+j and BBM, in the context of their evolution. We recover two ecologically distinct tarantula lineages that evolved on the Indian Plate before it collided with Asia, emphasizing the evolutionary significance of the region, and show that both lineages diversified across Asia at different times. The most ancestral tarantulas emerge on the Americas and Africa 120 Ma-105.5 Ma. We provide support for a dual colonization of Asia by two different tarantula lineages that occur at least 20 million years apart, as well as a Gondwanan origin for the group. We determine that their current distributions are attributable to a combination of Gondwanan vicariance, continental rafting, and geographic radiation. We also discuss emergent patterns in tarantula habitat preferences through time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saoirse Foley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - William H. Piel
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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14
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Gorin VA, Scherz MD, Korost DV, Poyarkov NA. Consequences of parallel miniaturisation in Microhylinae (Anura, Microhylidae), with the description of a new genus of diminutive South East Asian frogs. ZOOSYST EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/zse.97.57968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 includes 52 species and is one of the most diverse genera of the family Microhylidae, being the most species-rich taxon of the Asian subfamily Microhylinae. The recent, rapid description of numerous new species of Microhyla with complex phylogenetic relationships has made the taxonomy of the group especially challenging. Several recent phylogenetic studies suggested paraphyly of Microhyla with respect to Glyphoglossus Günther, 1869, and revealed three major phylogenetic lineages of mid-Eocene origin within this assemblage. However, comprehensive works assessing morphological variation among and within these lineages are absent. In the present study we investigate the generic taxonomy of Microhyla–Glyphoglossus assemblage based on a new phylogeny including 57 species, comparative morphological analysis of skeletons from cleared-and-stained specimens for 23 species, and detailed descriptions of generalized osteology based on volume-rendered micro-CT scans for five species–altogether representing all major lineages within the group. The results confirm three highly divergent and well-supported clades that correspond with external and osteological morphological characteristics, as well as respective geographic distribution. Accordingly, acknowledging ancient divergence between these lineages and their significant morphological differentiation, we propose to consider these three lineages as distinct genera: Microhylasensu stricto, Glyphoglossus, and a newly described genus, Nanohylagen. nov.
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15
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Abstract
Abstract
Anurans show a wide variety of anti-predator mechanisms, and the species of the Neotropical clade Leiuperinae display several of them. Most species of Edalorhina, Physalaemus and Pleurodema show eyespots, hidden bright colours, macroglands in a inguinal/lumbar position, defensive behaviours and/or chemical defence. We conducted a histological analysis of dorsal and lumbar skin and revised the colour patterns, defensive behaviours and glandular secretions to study the diversity and evolution of anti-predator mechanisms associated with macroglands. We describe 17 characters and optimize these in a phylogenetic hypothesis of Leiuperinae. In the most recent common ancestor of Edalorhina + Engystomops + Physalaemus + Pleurodema, a particular type of serous gland (the main component of macroglands) evolved in the lumbar skin, along with the absence of the Eberth–Katschenko layer. A defensive behaviour observed in leiuperines with macroglands includes four displays (‘crouching down’ behaviour, rear elevation, body inflation and eye protection), all present in the same ancestor. The two elements associated with aposematism (hidden bright colours and eyespots) evolved independently in several species. Our results provide phylogenetic evidence for the startle-first hypothesis, which suggests that behavioural displays arise as sudden movements in camouflaged individuals to avoid predatory attacks, before the origin of bright coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiana Paola Ferraro
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Oscar Pereyra
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva ‘Claudio J. Bidau’, Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS, CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNaM), Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Pascual Emilio Topa
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CONICET), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julián Faivovich
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Blotto BL, Pereyra MO, Grant T, Faivovich J. Hand and Foot Musculature of Anura: Structure, Homology, Terminology, and Synapomorphies for Major Clades. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2020. [DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.443.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boris L. Blotto
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”–CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín O. Pereyra
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”–CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva “Claudio J. Bidau,” Instituto de Biología Subtropical–CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químic
| | - Taran Grant
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Coleção de Anfíbios, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Research Associate, Herpetology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, A
| | - Julián Faivovich
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”–CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos
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17
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Othman SN, Chen YH, Chuang MF, Andersen D, Jang Y, Borzée A. Impact of the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution and Anthropogenic Factors on the Dispersion of Asian Black-Spined Toads ( Duttaphrynus melanostictus). Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1157. [PMID: 32650538 PMCID: PMC7401666 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergence-time estimation critically improves the understanding of biogeography processes underlying the distribution of species, especially when fossil data is not available. We hypothesise that the Asian black-spined toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus, expanded into the Eastern Indomalaya following the Quaternary glaciations with the subsequent colonisation of new landscapes during the Last Glacial Maximum. Divergence dating inferred from 364 sequences of mitochondrial tRNAGly ND3 supported the emergence of a common ancestor to the three D. melanostictus clades around 1.85 (±0.77) Ma, matching with the Lower to Mid-Pleistocene transition. Duttaphrynus melanostictus then dispersed into Southeast Asia from the central Indo-Pacific and became isolated in the Southern Sundaic and Wallacea regions 1.43 (±0.10) Ma through vicariance as a result of sea level oscillations. The clade on the Southeast Asian mainland then colonised the peninsula from Myanmar to Vietnam and expanded towards Southeastern China at the end of the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution 0.84 (±0.32) Ma. Population dynamics further highlight an expansion of the Southeast Asian mainland population towards Taiwan, the Northeastern edge of the species' range after the last interglacial, and during the emergence of the Holocene human settlements around 7000 BP. Thus, the current divergence of D. melanostictus into three segregated clades was mostly shaped by Quaternary glaciations, followed by natural dispersion events over land bridges and accelerated by anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti N. Othman
- Department of Life Sciences and Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea; (S.N.O.); (M.-F.C.); (D.A.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yi-Huey Chen
- Department of Life Science, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 11114, Taiwan;
| | - Ming-Feng Chuang
- Department of Life Sciences and Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea; (S.N.O.); (M.-F.C.); (D.A.); (Y.J.)
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Desiree Andersen
- Department of Life Sciences and Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea; (S.N.O.); (M.-F.C.); (D.A.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yikweon Jang
- Department of Life Sciences and Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea; (S.N.O.); (M.-F.C.); (D.A.); (Y.J.)
| | - Amaël Borzée
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
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18
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Gorin VA, Solovyeva EN, Hasan M, Okamiya H, Karunarathna DS, Pawangkhanant P, de Silva A, Juthong W, Milto KD, Nguyen LT, Suwannapoom C, Haas A, Bickford DP, Das I, Poyarkov NA. A little frog leaps a long way: compounded colonizations of the Indian Subcontinent discovered in the tiny Oriental frog genus Microhyla (Amphibia: Microhylidae). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9411. [PMID: 32685285 PMCID: PMC7337035 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Frogs of the genus Microhyla include some of the world's smallest amphibians and represent the largest radiation of Asian microhylids, currently encompassing 50 species, distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. The genus Microhyla remains one of the taxonomically most challenging groups of Asian frogs and was found to be paraphyletic with respect to large-sized fossorial Glyphoglossus. In this study we present a time-calibrated phylogeny for frogs in the genus Microhyla, and discuss taxonomy, historical biogeography, and morphological evolution of these frogs. Our updated phylogeny of the genus with nearly complete taxon sampling includes 48 nominal Microhyla species and several undescribed candidate species. Phylogenetic analyses of 3,207 bp of combined mtDNA and nuDNA data recovered three well-supported groups: the Glyphoglossus clade, Southeast Asian Microhyla II clade (includes M. annectens species group), and a diverse Microhyla I clade including all other species. Within the largest major clade of Microhyla are seven well-supported subclades that we identify as the M. achatina, M. fissipes, M. berdmorei, M. superciliaris, M. ornata, M. butleri, and M. palmipes species groups. The phylogenetic position of 12 poorly known Microhyla species is clarified for the first time. These phylogenetic results, along with molecular clock and ancestral area analyses, show the Microhyla-Glyphoglossus assemblage to have originated in Southeast Asia in the middle Eocene just after the first hypothesized land connections between the Indian Plate and the Asian mainland. While Glyphoglossus and Microhyla II remained within their ancestral ranges, Microhyla I expanded its distribution generally east to west, colonizing and diversifying through the Cenozoic. The Indian Subcontinent was colonized by members of five Microhyla species groups independently, starting with the end Oligocene-early Miocene that coincides with an onset of seasonally dry climates in South Asia. Body size evolution modeling suggests that four groups of Microhyla have independently achieved extreme miniaturization with adult body size below 15 mm. Three of the five smallest Microhyla species are obligate phytotelm-breeders and we argue that their peculiar reproductive biology may be a factor involved in miniaturization. Body size increases in Microhyla-Glyphoglossus seem to be associated with a burrowing adaptation to seasonally dry habitats. Species delimitation analyses suggest a vast underestimation of species richness and diversity in Microhyla and reveal 15-33 undescribed species. We revalidate M. nepenthicola, synonymize M. pulverata with M. marmorata, and provide insights on taxonomic statuses of a number of poorly known species. Further integrative studies, combining evidence from phylogeny, morphology, advertisement calls, and behavior will result in a better systematic understanding of this morphologically cryptic radiation of Asian frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav A. Gorin
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Fisheries, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science & Technology University, Jamalpur, Bangladesh
| | - Hisanori Okamiya
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Anslem de Silva
- Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka, Gampola, Sri Lanka
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexander Haas
- Center for Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Indraneil Das
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
| | - Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam
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19
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Kundu S, Lalremsanga HT, Purkayastha J, Biakzuala L, Chandra K, Kumar V. DNA barcoding elucidates the new altitude record and range-extension of lesser-known bullfrog ( Hoplobatrachus litoralis) in northeast India. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1787259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kundu
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Mizoram, India
| | | | - Lal Biakzuala
- Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Mizoram, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
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20
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Das A, Garg S, Hamidy A, Smith EN, Biju SD. A new species of Micryletta frog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7012. [PMID: 31223526 PMCID: PMC6568283 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described as Micryletta aishani sp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognised Micryletta species by 3.5-5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30-800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genus Micryletta in Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, Microhyla inornata (= Micryletta inornata) and Microhyla steinegeri (= Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Das
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amir Hamidy
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Eric N. Smith
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center and Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - S. D. Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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