Cranial shape variation and molecular phylogenetic structure of crested newts (Triturus cristatus superspecies: Caudata, Salamandridae) in the Balkans

AbstractClosely related lichen-forming fungal species circumscribed using phenotypic traits (morphospecies) do not always align well with phylogenetic inferences based on molecular data. Using multilocus data obtained from a worldwide sampling, we inferred phylogenetic relationships among five currently accepted morphospecies of Peltigera section Peltidea (P. aphthosa group). Monophyletic circumscription of all currently recognized morphospecies (P. britannica, P. chionophila, P. frippii and P. malacea) except P. aphthosa, which contained P. britannica, was confirmed with high bootstrap support. Following their re-delimitation using bGMYC and Structurama, BPP validated 14 putative species including nine previously unrecognized potential species (five within P. malacea, five within P. aphthosa, and two within P. britannica). Because none of the undescribed potential species are corroborated morphologically, chemically, geographically or ecologically, we concluded that these monophyletic entities represent intraspecific phylogenetic structure, and, therefore, should not be recognized as new species. Cyanobionts associated with Peltidea mycobionts (51 individuals) represented 22 unique rbcLX haplotypes from five phylogroups in Clade II subclades 2 and 3. With rare exceptions, Nostoc taxa involved in trimembered and bimembered associations are phylogenetically closely related (subclade 2) or identical, suggesting a mostly shared cyanobiont pool with infrequent switches. Based on a broad geographical sampling, we confirm a high specificity of Nostoc subclade 2 with their mycobionts, including a mutualistically exclusive association between phylogroup III and specific lineages of P. malacea.

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Fenestelloid clades of the Cucurbitariaceae

Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi ◽

10.3767/persoonia.2020.44.01 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 1-40

Author(s):

W.M. Jaklitsch ◽

H. Voglmayr

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Lsu Rdna ◽

Phylogenetic Structure ◽

Protein Coding ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Type Studies ◽

Asexual Morphs ◽

One New Species

Fresh collections and their ascospore and conidial isolates backed up by type studies and molecular phylogenetic analyses of a multigene matrix of partial nuSSU-, complete ITS, partial LSU rDNA, rpb2, tef1 and tub2 sequences were used to evaluate the boundaries and species composition of Fenestella and related genera of the Cucurbitariaceae. Eight species, of which five are new, are recognised in Fenestella s.str., 13 in Parafenestella with eight new species and two in the new genus Synfenestella with one new species. Cucurbitaria crataegi is combined in Fenestella, C. sorbi in Synfenestella, Fenestella faberi and Thyridium salicis in Parafenestella. Cucurbitaria subcaespitosa is distinct from C. sorbi and combined in Neocucurbitaria. Fenestella minor is a synonym of Valsa tetratrupha, which is combined in Parafenestella. Cucurbitaria marchica is synonymous with Parafenestella salicis, Fenestella bavarica with S. sorbi, F. macrospora with F. media, and P. mackenziei is synonymous with P. faberi, and the latter is lectotypified. Cucurbitaria sorbi, C. subcaespitosa and Fenestella macrospora are lecto- and epitypified, Cucurbitaria crataegi, Fenestella media, F. minor and Valsa tetratrupha are epitypified in order to stabilise the names in their phylogenetic positions. A neotype is proposed for Thyridium salicis. A determinative key to species is given. Asexual morphs of fenestelloid fungi are phoma-like and do not differ from those of other representatives of the Cucurbitariaceae. The phylogenetic structure of the fenestelloid clades is complex and can only be resolved at the species level by protein-coding genes, such as rpb2, tef1 and tub2. All fungal species studied here occur, as far as has been possible to determine, on members of Diaporthales, most frequently on asexual and sexual morphs of Cytospora.

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Combining Shape Data and Traditional Measurements with the 2B-PLS: Testing the Covariation Between Avian Brain Size and Cranial Shape Variation as an Example

Morphometrics for Nonmorphometricians - Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/978-3-540-95853-6_7 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 179-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jesús Marugán-Lobón

Keyword(s):

Brain Size ◽

Avian Brain ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Shape Data ◽

Cranial Shape

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The taxonomic implications of cranial shape variation in Homo erectus

Journal of Human Evolution ◽

10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.11.003 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 54 (6) ◽

pp. 827-847 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Karen L. Baab

Keyword(s):

Homo Erectus ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Taxonomic Implications ◽

Cranial Shape

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Heterochronic Shifts Mediate Ecomorphological Convergence in Skull Shape of Microcephalic Sea Snakes

Integrative and Comparative Biology ◽

10.1093/icb/icz033 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 616-624 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Emma Sherratt ◽

Kate L Sanders ◽

Amy Watson ◽

Mark N Hutchinson ◽

Michael S Y Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Morphological Changes ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Micro Computed Tomography ◽

Trophic Specialization ◽

Evolutionary Patterns ◽

Dietary Specialization ◽

Geometric Morphometric ◽

Sea Snakes ◽

Morphometric Methods ◽

Cranial Shape

Abstract Morphological variation among the viviparous sea snakes (Hydrophiinae), a clade of fully aquatic elapid snakes, includes an extreme “microcephalic” ecomorph that has a very small head atop a narrow forebody, while the hind body is much thicker (up to three times the forebody girth). Previous research has demonstrated that this morphology has evolved at least nine times as a consequence of dietary specialization on burrowing eels, and has also examined morphological changes to the vertebral column underlying this body shape. The question addressed in this study is what happens to the skull during this extreme evolutionary change? Here we use X-ray micro-computed tomography and geometric morphometric methods to characterize cranial shape variation in 30 species of sea snakes. We investigate ontogenetic and evolutionary patterns of cranial shape diversity to understand whether cranial shape is predicted by dietary specialization, and examine whether cranial shape of microcephalic species may be a result of heterochronic processes. We show that the diminutive cranial size of microcephalic species has a convergent shape that is correlated with trophic specialization to burrowing prey. Furthermore, their cranial shape is predictable for their size and very similar to that of juvenile individuals of closely related but non-microcephalic sea snakes. Our findings suggest that heterochronic changes (resulting in pedomorphosis) have driven cranial shape convergence in response to dietary specializations in sea snakes.

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A three-dimensional geometric morphometrics view of the cranial shape variation and population history in the New World

American Journal of Human Biology ◽

10.1002/ajhb.22845 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 646-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Manon Galland ◽

Martin Friess

Keyword(s):

Geometric Morphometrics ◽

New World ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Population History ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Cranial Shape

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Review of Brazilian jawfishes of the genus Opistognathus with descriptions of two new species (Teleostei, Opistognathidae)

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.794.26789 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 794 ◽

pp. 95-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

William F. Smith-Vaniz ◽

Luke Tornabene ◽

Raphael M. Macieira

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Color Pattern ◽

Sister Species ◽

Disjunct Distribution ◽

Nominal Species ◽

Phylogenetic Structure ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Fernando De Noronha ◽

Brazilian Province ◽

Meristic Data

A new species of jawfish,Opistognathusthionyisp. n., is described from the Vitória-Trindade Chain and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago off Brazil, a disjunct distribution of ca. 1,800 km.Opistognathusthionyiand its allopatric Caribbean sister-species,Opistognathusmaxillosus, both have a wide, fan-like upper margin of the subopercular flap and mostly over-lapping meristic data. The new species differs fromO.maxillosusin having the darkest spot on the spinous dorsal fin, when present, between spines 2–5, versus always present between spines 6–9, the buccal area surrounding the esophageal opening pale versus very dark and fewer oblique scale rows in longitudinal series (45–52 vs. 69–85). A second new species,Opistognathusvicinussp. n., known from Brazil’s mainland, has completely over-lapping meristic values with its allopatric Caribbean sister-speciesO.whitehursti, but differs in lacking vomerine teeth and a supramaxilla and retaining the juvenile color pattern of the latter species in adults. Diagnoses, photographs, an identification key, and distributional maps are given for all Brazilian species ofOpistognathus.Molecular phylogenetic analysis of partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I sequences indicates that specimens of the two allopatric pairs,O.thionyi–O.maxillosusandO.vicinus–O.whitehursti, form reciprocally monophyletic groups that differ from each other on average by 9 to 11%, with less than 1% average pair-wise genetic distance within-species. Similar patterns of phylogenetic structure were observed between reciprocally monophyletic (predominately allopatric) groups within nominal species ofOpistognathusaurifrons, suggesting the possibility of at least two additional undescribed species from the Brazilian Province.

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

ARPHA Conference Abstracts ◽

10.3897/aca.4.e65363 ◽

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.

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Evolutionary morphology of the rabbit skull

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.2453 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e2453 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Brian Kraatz ◽

Emma Sherratt

Keyword(s):

Small Proportion ◽

Phylogenetic Signal ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Evolutionary Morphology ◽

Crown Group ◽

Size Change ◽

Generalist Species ◽

Facial Region ◽

Cranial Shape

The skull of leporids (rabbits and hares) is highly transformed, typified by pronounced arching of the dorsal skull and ventral flexion of the facial region (i.e., facial tilt). Previous studies show that locomotor behavior influences aspects of cranial shape in leporids, and here we use an extensive 3D geometric morphometrics dataset to further explore what influences leporid cranial diversity. Facial tilt angle, a trait that strongly correlates with locomotor mode, significantly predicts the cranial shape variation captured by the primary axis of cranial shape space, and describes a small proportion (13.2%) of overall cranial shape variation in the clade. However, locomotor mode does not correlate with overall cranial shape variation in the clade, because there are two district morphologies of generalist species, and saltators and cursorial species have similar morphologies. Cranial shape changes due to phyletic size change (evolutionary allometry) also describes a small proportion (12.5%) of cranial shape variation in the clade, but this is largely driven by the smallest living leporid, the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). By integrating phylogenetic history with our geometric morphometric data, we show that the leporid cranium exhibits weak phylogenetic signal and substantial homoplasy. Though these results make it difficult to reconstruct what the ‘ancestral’ leporid skull looked like, the fossil records suggest that dorsal arching and facial tilt could have occurred before the origin of the crown group. Lastly, our study highlights the diversity of cranial variation in crown leporids, and highlights a need for additional phylogenetic work that includes stem (fossil) leporids and includes morphological data that captures the transformed morphology of rabbits and hares.

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