scholarly journals Underestimated diversity of Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) on karst landscapes in Sarawak, East Malaysia, Borneo

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 18792-18799
Author(s):  
Izneil Nashriq ◽  
Indraneil Das
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Malay Peninsula ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Asian Clade ◽  
East Malaysia ◽  
Island Biodiversity ◽  
Paraphyletic Group ◽  
Karst Landscapes

The paraphyletic group of Old World rock gecko genus Cnemaspis, currently comprises ~180 described species from Africa and Asia.  The south-east Asian clade with 63 described species, is most diverse on the Thai-Malay Peninsula, with just five species known from Borneo, an island biodiversity hotspot.  Karst regions are known as centres for species endemism, and vast areas of caves and karst exist across northern Borneo.  Fieldwork from 2017 to 2020 recovered additional undescribed species of Cnemaspis from areas of karst forests in western and northern Sarawak.  These discoveries emphasize the importance of preserving areas of limestone karst within rainforest areas for maintaining species diversity, as well as accelerating research on documenting the biota.

scholarly journals Unrealized diversity in an urban rainforest: A new species of Lygosoma (Squamata: Scincidae) from western Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4370 (4) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
BENJAMIN R. KARIN ◽  
ELYSE S. FREITAS ◽  
SAMUEL SHONLEBEN ◽  
L. LEE GRISMER ◽  
AARON M. BAUER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
East Malaysia ◽  
Mitochondrial Nd1 ◽  
Distinct Morphology ◽  
A New Species

We collected two specimens of an undescribed species of Lygosoma from pitfall traps in an urban rainforest in Kuching and from the base of a forested hill in western Sarawak, East Malaysia. The new species is diagnosable from all south-east Asian congeners by morphological characters, and most closely resembles Lygosoma herberti from the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The new species shows substantial molecular divergence from its closest relatives in two protein-coding genes, one mitochondrial (ND1) and one nuclear (R35) that we sequenced for several south-east Asian congeners. We describe the new species on the basis of this distinct morphology and genetic divergence. It is the third species of Lygosoma known from Borneo, and highlights the continuing rise in lizard species diversity on the island. In addition, the discovery of this species from a small urban rainforest underscores the importance of preserving intact rainforest areas of any size in maintaining species diversity. 

scholarly journals Hide-and-Seek with Tiny Neotenic Beetles in One of the Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots: Towards an Understanding of the Real Diversity of Jurasaidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 420
Author(s):  
Gabriel Biffi ◽  
Simone Policena Rosa ◽  
Robin Kundrata
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
First Time

Jurasaidae are a family of neotenic elateroid beetles which was described recently from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot based on three species in two genera. All life stages live in the soil, including the larviform females, and only adult males are able to fly. Here, we report the discovery of two new species, Jurasai miraculum sp. nov. and J. vanini sp. nov., and a new, morphologically remarkable population of J. digitusdei Rosa et al., 2020. Our discovery sheds further light on the diversity and biogeography of the group. Most species of Jurasaidae are known from the rainforest remnants of the Atlantic Forest, but here for the first time we report a jurasaid species from the relatively drier Atlantic Forest/Caatinga transitional zone. Considering our recent findings, minute body size and cryptic lifestyle of all jurasaids, together with potentially high numbers of yet undescribed species of this family from the Atlantic Forest and possibly also other surrounding ecoregions, we call for both field research in potentially suitable localities as well as for a detailed investigation of a massive amount of already collected but still unprocessed materials deposited in a number of Brazilian institutes, laboratories and collections.

Seed Plant Genera Endemic to the Caribbean Island Biodiversity Hotspot: A Review and a Molecular Phylogenetic Perspective

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Francisco-Ortega ◽  
Eugenio Santiago-Valentín ◽  
Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez ◽  
Carl Lewis ◽  
John Pipoly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Seed Plant ◽  
Caribbean Island ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Island Biodiversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective ◽  
The Caribbean

Unveiling species diversity in collared frogs through morphological and bioacoustic evidence: a new Mannophryne (Amphibia, Aromobatidae) from Sierra de Aroa, northwestern Venezuela, and an amended definition and call description of M. herminae (Boettger, 1893)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4461 (4) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
FERNANDO J.M. ROJAS-RUNJAIC ◽  
MIGUEL E. MATTA-PEREIRA ◽  
ENRIQUE LA MARCA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Unique Combination ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

Species diversity in collared frogs of the genus Mannophryne is presumed to be underestimated due to the paucity of external morphology characters, but combining morphology with bioacoustics and other lines of evidence has shown to be useful in delimiting species of this group. Herein we describe a new species of Mannophryne from Sierra de Aroa in northwestern Venezuela. The new species is morphologically similar to M. herminae but is readily recognized by its strikingly different advertisement call. It also can be distinguished from all its congeners by the unique combination of its small body size, general color pattern, basal toe webbing, and advertisement call consisting of long trills of single tonal notes emitted at a rate of 2–3 notes/s. Additionally, to facilitate future diagnosis of undescribed species related to M. herminae, we amend the definition of the latter, describe in detail its advertisement call, and redefine its known distribution range. The new species increases the number of described species of Mannophryne to 20. 

scholarly journals Insights into the Unique Nature of the East Asian Clade of the Emerging Pathogenic Yeast Candida auris

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory M. Welsh ◽  
D. Joseph Sexton ◽  
Kaitlin Forsberg ◽  
Snigdha Vallabhaneni ◽  
Anastasia Litvintseva
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Candida Auris ◽  
Pathogenic Yeast ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Information ◽  
Asian Clade ◽  
Single Region ◽  
Invasive Infections ◽  
Unique Nature

ABSTRACT The emerging yeast Candida auris can be highly drug resistant, causing invasive infections, and large outbreaks. C. auris went from an unknown pathogen a decade ago to being reported in over thirty countries on six continents. C. auris consists of four discrete clades, based on where the first isolates of the clade were reported, South Asian (clade I), East Asian (clade II), African (clade III), and South American (clade IV). These clades have unique genetic and biochemical characteristics that are important to understand and inform the global response to C. auris. Clade II has been underrepresented in the literature despite being the first one discovered. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Y. J. Kwon et al. (J Clin Microbiol 57:e01624-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01624-18) describe the largest collection of clinical isolates from Clade II, which is also the longest-running span of clinical cases, 20 years, from any single region to date. Clade II appears to have a propensity for the ear that is uncharacteristic of the other clades, which typically cause invasive infections and large-scale outbreaks. This study provides new information on an understudied lineage of C. auris and has important implications for future surveillance.

scholarly journals Coleoptera of Canada

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 819 ◽  
pp. 361-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Brunke ◽  
Patrice Bouchard ◽  
Hume B. Douglas ◽  
Mikko Pentinsaari
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
New Records ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Index Numbers ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Substantial Progress

The beetle fauna of Canada was assessed, including estimates of yet unreported diversity using information from taxonomists and COI sequence clusters in a BOLD (Barcode of Life Datasystems) COI dataset comprising over 77,000 Canadian records. To date, 8302 species of Coleoptera have been recorded in Canada, a 23% increase from the first assessment in 1979. A total of 639 non-native beetle species have become established in Canada, with most species in the Staphylinidae (153 spp.), Curculionidae (107 spp.), Chrysomelidae (56 spp.) and Carabidae (55 spp.). Based on estimates from the taxonomic community and our BOLD dataset, we estimate that slightly more than 1000 beetle species remain to be reported from Canada, either as new records or undescribed species. Renewed enthusiasm toward and financial support for surveys, especially in the central and western provinces of Canada will be critical for detecting, documenting and describing these species. The Barcode of Life database is still far from comprehensive for Canadian Coleoptera but substantial progress has been made and the number of Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) (as candidate species) has reached nearly 70% of the number of species reported from Canada. Comparison of BINs to observed species in a group of Canadian Staphylinidae suggests that BINs may provide a good estimate of species diversity within the beetles. Histeridae is a diverse family in Canada that is notably underrepresented in BOLD. Families such as Mordellidae, Scraptiidae, Latridiidae, Ptiliidae and Scirtidae are poorly known taxonomically in Canada and are represented in our BOLD dataset by many more BINs than recorded species.

scholarly journals Shifting Quaternary migration patterns in the Bahamian archipelago: Evidence from the Zamia pumila complex at the northern limits of the Caribbean island biodiversity hotspot

2017 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dayana E. Salas-Leiva ◽  
Alan W. Meerow ◽  
Michael Calonje ◽  
Javier Francisco-Ortega ◽  
M. Patrick Griffith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Caribbean Island ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Island Biodiversity ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Bahamian Archipelago

Description of a new species of Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 (Hormuridae) from India

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4365 (2) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
ZEESHAN A. MIRZA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
A New Species

Scorpions of the genus Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 are widespread in forests of the Indo-Pacific region; however, its species diversity is poorly resolved. A new species of the genus Liocheles is herein described from northeast India after examination of freshly collected specimens and available museum material. The new species, Liocheles schalleri sp. nov., occurs in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, a region that has been poorly explored for its arachnid diversity. 

scholarly journals From marine park to future genomic observatory? Enhancing marine biodiversity assessments using a biocode approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Cheong Aden Ip ◽  
Ywee Chieh Tay ◽  
Su Xuan Gan ◽  
Hui Ping Ang ◽  
Karenne Tun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Dna Barcodes ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Marine Fauna ◽  
Species Numbers ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
First Results ◽  
Genomic Observatory

Few tropical marine sites have been thoroughly characterised for their animal species, even though they constitute the largest proportion of multicellular diversity. A number of focused biodiversity sampling programmes have amassed immense collections to address this shortfall, but obstacles remain due to the lack of identification tools and large proportion of undescribed species globally. These problems can be partially addressed with DNA barcodes (“biocodes”), which have the potential to facilitate the estimation of species diversity and identify animals to named species via barcode databases. Here, we present the first results of what is intended to be a sustained, systematic study of the marine fauna of Singapore’s first marine park, reporting more than 365 animal species, determined based on DNA barcodes and/or morphology represented by 931 specimens (367 zooplankton, 564 macrofauna including 36 fish). Due to the lack of morphological and molecular identification tools, only a small proportion could be identified to species solely based on either morphology (24.5%) or barcodes (24.6%). Estimation of species numbers for some taxa was difficult because of the lack of sufficiently clear barcoding gaps. The specimens were imaged and added to “Biodiversity of Singapore” (http://singapore.biodiversity.online), which now contains images for > 13,000 species occurring in the country.

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