Phylogeographic patterns of genetic diversity in the common spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus (Anura: Pelobatidae), reveals evolutionary history, postglacial range expansion and secondary contact

Habitat loss and degradation are the most obvious and acute factors which influence amphibian decline. Fortunately, however, habitat deterioration is potentially reversible. Recognizing the factors critical for the species is therefore essential for successful habitat restoration and maintenance. In this study we explored the habitat requirements of the common spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus), a severely declining species in Europe. The toad is considered a typical representative of herpetofauna in open agricultural landscapes but at its northern and western range edge the species occurs also in forested areas. So far, studies on the habitat requirements of the common spadefoot toad have only focused on agricultural areas and the significance of forest habitats has remained indistinct. In order to determine the habitat characteristics vital for the species as well as the function of forests as possible sink or source habitats, we explored 34 water bodies and their surroundings comparatively in forested and open landscapes in Estonia. Our study demonstrated that land cover type did not influence the presence of the species – the limiting habitat factors were related to soil type and quality of the reproduction site only. Respectively, the species preferred large fish free sun exposed water bodies in areas with sandy soil. In our study sites such conditions were best met in old growth coniferous forest areas. Thus we suggest that these types of forests holding viable populations of the common spadefoot toad should be protected with large scale clear cuttings as well as altering of hydrology avoided.

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Age, size and body condition do not equally reflect population response to habitat change in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11678

Author(s):

Dan Cogălniceanu ◽

Florina Stănescu ◽

Diana Székely ◽

Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Median Lifespan ◽

Terrestrial Habitats ◽

The Common ◽

The Impact ◽

Physical Expansion

Urbanization impacts biodiversity both directly through physical expansion over land, and indirectly due to land use conversion and human behaviors associated with urban areas. We assessed the response of a common spadefoot toad population (Pelobates fuscus) to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban development by studying changes in size, body condition and age parameters. We compared samples collected in the early 2000s (sample A) and later on during 2012–2014 (sample B). The terrestrial habitats in the study area were severely reduced and fragmented due to the expansion of the human settlement. We found no significant differences in the age parameters between the two sampling periods; the median lifespan shortened from 3.5 (sample A) to 3.0 years (sample B), while the other age parameters were similar in both samples. In contrast, snout-vent length, body mass and body condition experienced a significant decrease over time. Our results suggest that changes in body size and body condition, rather than age parameters, better reflect the response of the common spadefoot toad population to declining habitat quality. Therefore, body measurements can provide reliable estimates of the impact of habitat degradation in amphibian populations.

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Drivers of genetic differentiation and recent evolutionary history of an Eurasian wild pea

10.1101/2021.06.14.448334 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Timo Hellwig ◽

Shahal Abbo ◽

Ron Ophir

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Land Use ◽

Pisum Sativum ◽

Genetic Differentiation ◽

Range Expansion ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

Western Europe ◽

Genotyping By Sequencing ◽

Population Recovery ◽

Environmental Predictors

Genetic diversity a major determinant for the capacity of species to persist and adapt to their environments. Unraveling the factors affecting genetic differentiation is crucial to understand how genetic diversity is shaped and species may react to changing environments. We employed genotyping by sequencing to test the influence of climate, space, latitude, altitude and land cover on genetic differentiation in a collection of 81 wild pea samples (Pisum sativum ssp. elatius) from across its distribution range from western Europe to central Asia. We also attempted to elucidate the species recent evolutionary history and its effect on the current distribution of genetic diversity. Association of single SNPs with climate variables were analyses to test for signatures of local adaptation. Genetic variation was geographically structured into six distinct genetic cluster. Two of which were associated with a taxonomic group (Pisum sativum ssp. humile) that according to some researchers does not qualify for a sub-species rank due to its alleged lack of genetic distinctness from other conspecific groups. The effect of the tested factors influencing genetic differentiation were rather variable among genetic clusters. The climate predictors were most important in all clusters. Land use was more important in clusters from areas strongly influenced by human land use, especially by agriculture. We found a statistically significant association of 3,623 SNPs (2.4 % of all SNPs) with one of the environmental predictors. Most of them were correlated with latitude followed by temperature, precipitation and altitude. Estimation of SNP effects of the candidates resulted in a missense to silent ratio of 0.45, suggesting many of the observed candidates SNPs may alter the encoded amino acid sequence. Wild peas went through a genetic bottleneck during the last glacial period followed by population recovery. Probably associated with this population recovery, we detected a range expansion, which may have led to an eastward range expansion of the European cluster to Turkey and thereof southwards and eastwards. Overall, the interplay of several environmental factors and the recent evolutionary history affected the distribution of genetic diversity in wild peas where each subpopulations were differently affected by those factors and processes.

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Genetic Diversity in the Common Terrestrial Orchid Oreorchis patens and Its Rare Congener Oreorchis coreana: Inference of Species Evolutionary History and Implications for Conservation

Journal of Heredity ◽

10.1093/jhered/ess032 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 103 (5) ◽

pp. 692-702 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

M. Y. Chung ◽

J. Lopez-Pujol ◽

M. Maki ◽

K.-J. Kim ◽

J. M. Chung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

Terrestrial Orchid ◽

The Common

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An unusually coloured individual of the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

Fragmenta Faunistica ◽

10.3161/00159301ff2020.63.2.137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 137-140

Author(s):

Piotr Paweł KAZIMIRSKI ◽

Keyword(s):

Predator Avoidance ◽

Green Light ◽

Ecological Effects ◽

Yellowish Green ◽

Anuran Species ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

The Common ◽

Light Green ◽

Olive Green

The background colouration of the spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus, an anuran species found in Europe is typically light grey/yellow grey/light olive-green. However, an atypical specimen, whose background was brightly coloured yellowish green (light green/lime/yellow coloured), with darker small spots distributed through dorsal parts and four main spots slightly shaped was observed in Poland (Great Poland, Mościejewo village), near to two ponds. The ecological effects of green coloured individual can be adaptively important, through its similarity to the vegetation (predator avoidance).

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Analysis of the common spadefoot toad (PELOBATES FUSCUS) skin secretions on the presence of the potential hemostasis system effectors

Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Series Biology ◽

10.17721/1728_2748.2019.77.38-44 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 38-44

Author(s):

I. Udovychenko ◽

D. Oliynyk ◽

J. Dudkina ◽

T. Halenova ◽

O. Savchuk

Keyword(s):

Biologically Active ◽

Raw Material ◽

Amphibian Skin ◽

Active Compounds ◽

Skin Glands ◽

Hemostasis System ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Skin Secretions ◽

The Common

Since nowadays the chemical synthesis of new bioactive compounds is a complicated and expensive procedure, alongside with the increased price for drugs based on synthetic biologically active compounds, scientists lay emphasize on natural sources as a promising raw material for various biologically active substances. Amphibian skin glands secretions are a powerful source of potential pharmacological agents. Currently their antimicrobial, antiviral, cardiotonic and antidiabetic activities have been studied in detail, although almost nothing is known about the effects of the tailless amphibians' skin secretions on the functioning of the hemostasis system. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential effects of the components of skin glands secretions of a representative of Ukrainian batrakhofauna – the Common spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus) on some parameters of hemostasis system. In the result of chromatographic separation of general skin secretions, 4 protein fractions were obtained, containing a variety of proteins with molecular masses ranging from 17 to 150 kDa. The components of fraction 1 activated prothrombin and factor X in plasma. Several components of fraction 4 had proteolytic activity and substrate specificity for collagen. The components of fractions 1 and 2 prolonged plasma coagulation time in the APTT. Thus, it was proved the presence of biologically active compounds in the P. fuscus skin secretions, that indicates the prospects for further research to identify the individual components responsible for the manifestation of the shown effects in order to provide clues in understanding the structural and functional characteristics and mechanism of action. Moreover, advances in this area will further increase the use of amphibian skin secretions as a raw material for the development of new original pharmaceutical agents and/or biotechnological products

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Salinity Tolerance in Pelobates Fuscus (Laurenti, 1768) Tadpoles (Amphibia: Pelobatidae)

Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” ◽

10.2478/travmu-2013-0008 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Florina Stănescu ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

Diana Székely ◽

Paul Székely ◽

Daniela Roşioru ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Deionized Water ◽

Salinity Treatment ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Size At Metamorphosis ◽

Salinity Levels ◽

The Common ◽

The Mean ◽

Mean Time

Abstract We investigated the effect of salinity on larval development and survival rate to metamorphosis in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768). Our hypothesis was that higher salinity would decrease tadpole survival rate and body size at metamorphosis, and delay metamorphosis. The response of the tadpoles was evaluated through an experimental design with three salinity treatments of 2, 4, and 8‰ compared to a control (deionized water). Survival varied across the treatments: neither of the tadpoles in 8‰ salinity treatment survived the experiment, nor achieved metamorphosis. Salinity levels of 2 and 4‰ had no significant influence on the mean time to metamorphosis, body mass and SVL at metamorphosis. Our results suggest that P. fuscus tadpoles have a tolerance threshold for brackish water up to 4‰, above which survival is impaired.

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