scholarly journals Successful post-glacial colonization of Europe by single lineage of freshwater amphipod from its Pannonian Plio-Pleistocene diversification hotspot

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedvig Csapó ◽  
Paula Krzywoźniak ◽  
Michał Grabowski ◽  
Remi Wattier ◽  
Karolina Bącela-Spychalska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Pannonian Basin ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Index Number ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
Low Genetic Diversity ◽  
Coi Barcoding ◽  
Historical Times

Abstract Gammarus roeselii Gervais, 1835 is a morphospecies with a wide distribution range in Europe. The Balkan Peninsula is known as an area of pre-Pleistocene cryptic diversification within this taxon, resulting in at least 13 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs). The morphospecies diversified there during Neogene and has probably invaded other parts of the continent very recently, in postglacial or even historical times. Thus, the detailed goals of our study were to (1) identify which lineage(s) colonized Central-Western Europe (CWE), (2) determine their possible geographical origin, (3) verify, whether the colonisation was associated with demographic changes. In total, 663 individuals were sequenced for the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcoding fragment and 137 individuals for the internal transcribed spacer II (ITS2). We identified two MOTUs in the study area with contrasting Barcode Index Number and haplotype diversities. The Pannonian Basin (PB) appeared to be a potential ice age refugium for the species, while CWE was colonised by a single lineage (also present in PB), displaying low genetic diversity. Our results suggest that G. roeselii is a relatively recent coloniser in CWE, starting demographic expansion around 10 kya.

scholarly journals A DNA barcode library for the water mites of Montenegro

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Pešić ◽  
Andrzej Zawal ◽  
Ana Manović ◽  
Aleksandra Bańkowska ◽  
Milica Jovanović
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Number System ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Index Number ◽  
Dna Barcodes ◽  
Water Mites ◽  
Single Linkage ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
Wide Range

Water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) are a significant component of freshwater ecosystems inhabiting a wide range of aquatic habitats. This study provides a first comprehensive DNA barcode library for the water mites of Montenegro. DNA barcodes were analysed from 233 specimens of water mites morphologically assigned to 86 species from 28 genera and 15 families. In the course of the study, four species, i.e. Lebertia reticulata (Koenike, 1919), Atractides inflatipalpis K.Viets, 1950, A. latipes (Szalay, 1935) and Parabrachypoda montii (Maglio, 1924) were molecularly confirmed as new for Montenegro and three species, i.e. Protzia octopora Lundblad, 1954, Piona laminata (Thor, 1901) and Unionicola ypsilophora (Bonz, 1783) are new for the Balkan Peninsula. Results are analysed using the Barcode Index Number system (BIN) and the Refined Single Linkage (RESL) of BOLD. The BIN assigned sequences to 98 clusters, while the RESL reveal 103 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Unique BINs were revealed for 72 species (83.7%), whereas twelve species (14%) were characterised by two BINs and two species (2.3%) with three BINs. Amongst the studied taxa, 14 species were found with a high intraspecific sequence divergences (˃ 2.2%), emphasising the need for additional comprehensive morphological and molecu­lar analysis of these species.

The Response to Past Climate Perturbations Explains Extremely Low Genetic Diversity in the Genome of an Abundant Ice-Age Remnant, the Alpine Marmot

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni I. Gossmann​ ◽  
Achchuthan Shanmugasundram​ ◽  
Stefan Börno ◽  
Ludovic Duvaux ◽  
Christophe Lemaire​ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Past Climate ◽  
Low Genetic Diversity ◽  
Alpine Marmot

Lectotypification of names related to Teucrium montanum L. (Lamiaceae) reported for the Balkan peninsula

Phytotaxa ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 530 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-204
Author(s):  
MILOŠ ZBILJIĆ ◽  
DMITAR LAKUŠIĆ ◽  
IVANA STEVANOSKI ◽  
NEVENA KUZMANOVIĆ
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Asia Minor

Teucrium montanum is a species widely distributed in Europe, occurring also in North Africa and Asia Minor. Because of its wide distribution and high morphological variability, many taxa related to T. montanum have been described. In this paper we discuss and lectotypify the following six names of taxa described or reported for the Balkan Peninsula: T. helianthemoides, T. montanum var. hirsutum, T. montanum var. modestum, T. montanum var. parnassicum, T. pannonicum, and T. skorpilii.

The unusual floods and flood frequency in 1858–1878 dry period in Central and Western Europe

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libor Elleder ◽  
Ladislav Kašpárek ◽  
Jakub Krejčí ◽  
Jolana Šírová ◽  
Stanislav Racko
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Extreme Flood ◽  
Strong Winds

<p>According to the present knowledge, the second half of the 19<sup>th</sup> century meant the end of the Little Ice Age and gradual warming.  This is, however, undoubtedly a fairly simplified statement.  Our contribution presents the period of 1858–1878: (1) from the point of view of drought but also (2) regarding frequency of floods. The aggregation for this period of weather-driven risks such as droughts, floods, strong winds and high tides, is worth attention.  The length of the drought period of 1858–1878, the absolute value of rainfall deficits and the length of seasonal droughts, as well as their impacts, are a certain warning in terms of our present.</p><p>Surprisingly, in such a dry period we witness an accumulation of important and extreme flood episodes as well. The regional catastrophic floods of 1858, and winter extensive floods of 1862 and 1876, may serve as excellent examples.  Furthermore, the Elbe catchment recorded floods with return periods of 10–20 years in 1860, 1865 and 1872. For this period, an occurrence of intensive mesoscale flash flood events with extreme hydrological parameters, high number of fatalities and large damages are of the utmost importance (e.g. 1868-Switzerland, 1872-Czechlands, 1874- Catalonia, 1875-South France). Our contribution builds on earlier analysed flood events of 1872, 1875 and drought period presented at EGU earlier. The contribution stresses the analogies and differences with present situation in 2014–2019.  We mainly address the situation in Czech lands, Central Europe interpreted in wider European context.</p>

scholarly journals STUDIES ON THE GLACIAL REFUGIA OF FOREST TREES ON BALKAN PENINSULA

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Petar Zhelev
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Markers ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Glacial Refugia ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Refugia Within Refugia

During the Ice Age the southern parts of Europe, including Balkans, remained practically unaffected by glaciations and served as refugia for many plant and animal species. However, even within the framework of each glacial refugia, the conditions were not homogeneous and isolated “hot spots” appeared that had led to “refugia within refugia”. The territory of Balkan Peninsula could be subdivided into different zones, which are of different importance from the point of view of formation of the present day biodiversity. Tree species are particularly suitable for studies of inter-glacial and post-glacial migrations, due to their important ecological role in shaping the environmental conditions. Today, studying of these issues is greatly facilitated by introducing of genetic markers, allowing precise tracing of post-glacial migrations. The topic is less studied in the Balkan Peninsula, even though the region is considered one of the most important European refugia. A brief review of the more important studies in this respect is presented and the prospects and importance of such studies is discussed.

scholarly journals Examining Our Past Relationship with Climate to Understand Climate’s Current Importance: An Exploration of Climate Change During the Little Ice Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara E Cook
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Epidemic Disease ◽  
After Effects ◽  
Revitalization Movement ◽  
Black Plague

From the years 1300 until the 1850’s people living in Western Europe battled a terrifying and seemingly insurmountable foe, the Little Ice Age. Examining how people of this time not only survived but thrived during an era of cataclysmic climate change can offer us positive perspectives and productive mechanisms going forward in our own battle with climate in modern times. Explored are massive famines and epidemic disease, volcanic eruptions and their after-effects, specific historical events such as the Black Plague and the Irish Potato famine and how all of these devastating events overlap to create a vivid picture of human fortitude. This article uncovers the tools and ingenuity Western Europeans employed to overcome a rapidly changing climate and how those tools are properly utilized to battle devastating climatic events. In exploring both scientific theory, including   anthropological works such as Anthony Wallace’s Revitalization Movement, and the modern church’s position on climate change, this article hopes to address the current circumstance of global climate change and provide a potential way forward for modern humans in light of scientific reason and theological discussion about our unavoidable role in the environment.

scholarly journals DNA barcodes combined with geometric morphometry challenge species hypothesis in palaemonid shrimp

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Jablonska ◽  
Nicolas Navarro ◽  
Remi Laffont ◽  
Remi Wattier ◽  
Vladimir Pesic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
Freshwater Shrimps ◽  
Coi Sequences

Although the Mediterranean Region is known as a hotspot for biodiversity and endemism its freshwater fauna is still greatly unexplored, and even the emblematic taxa such as decapods require in-depth integrative investigation. In our research we used integrative approach composed of various geometric morphometric and molecular methods to challenge the taxonomic status of two freshwater shrimps representing Palaemonidae: Palaemon antennarius and Palaemon minos. Basing on 352 COI sequences, three Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) were defined. Two of them belonged to P. antennarius: first inhabiting Apennine Peninsula and Sicily, the second one from the Balkan Peninsula. The third MOTU corresponded to Palaemon minos from Crete. The Balkan MOTU of P. antennarius was closer to P. minos in terms of genetics, than to the other conspecific MOTU. The carapace shape variation, studied on 180 individuals, was mainly explained by the geographic distribution. Balkan and Cretan groups were clearly distinguished, while other samples were distributed along the shape gradient from Sicily and southern Apennine Peninsula to the Balkans. The results of our study showed that, either the MOTU assigned to the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily constitutes a separate species or, alternatively, P. minos should be synonymised with P. antennarius.

scholarly journals The genetic origin of Daunians and the Pan-Mediterranean southern Italian Iron Age context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Aneli ◽  
Tina Saupe ◽  
Francesco Montinaro ◽  
Anu Solnik ◽  
Ludovica Molinaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Genetic Profile ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Genetic Landscape ◽  
First Time

The geographical location and shape of Apulia, a narrow land stretching out in the sea at the South of Italy, made this region a Mediterranean crossroads connecting Western Europe and the Balkans. Such movements culminated at the beginning of the Iron Age with the Iapygian civilization which consisted of three cultures: Peucetians, Messapians and Daunians. Among them, the Daunians left a peculiar cultural heritage, with one-of-a-kind stelae and pottery, but, despite the extensive archaeological literature, their origin has been lost to time. In order to shed light on this and to provide a genetic picture of Iron Age Southern Italy, we collected and sequenced human remains from three archaeological sites geographically located in Northern Apulia (the area historically inhabited by Daunians) and radiocarbon dated between 1157 and 275 calBCE. We find that Iron Age Apulian samples are still distant from the genetic variability of modern-day Apulians, they show a remarkable genetic heterogeneity, even though a few kilometers and centuries separate them, and they are well inserted into the Iron Age Pan-Mediterranean genetic landscape. Our study provides for the first time a window on the genetic make-up of pre-imperial Southern Italy, whose increasing connectivity within the Mediterranean landscape, would have contributed to laying the foundation for modern genetic variability. In this light, the genetic profile of Daunians may be compatible with an autochthonous origin, with plausible contributions from the Balkan peninsula.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document