scholarly journals Characterisation of nine new polymorphic microsatellite loci in the reticulated glass frog Hyalinobatrachium valerioi (Centrolenidae)

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Ringler ◽  
Alexandra Mangold ◽  
Katharina Trenkwalder ◽  
Max Ringler ◽  
Walter Hödl
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium ◽  
Individual Mating ◽  
Genetic Mating System ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite ◽  
Scientific Questions

Here we document the development of thirteen novel microsatellite markers for the reticulated glass frog Hyalinobatrachium valerioi (Centrolenidae). Nine of those markers were polymorphic and contained between 4 and 34 alleles per locus (mean = 20.3) in 138 individuals (91 males, 47 females) from the field site ‘La Gamba’, Costa Rica. Average observed heterozygosity was 0.76. Two loci (Hyval19 and Hyval21) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We did not find evidence for linkage disequilibrium among any of the loci. These markers will serve to identify the genetic mating system in H. valerioi, investigate gene flow between local populations, and reconstruct parent-offspring relationships for studies on individual mating and reproductive success. Therefore, these markers will serve to answer a wide range of scientific questions in conservation, behavioural ecology, and also evolutionary biology.

Geographic Variation in Behavior

1999 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Behavioral Characteristics ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Behavioral Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Wide Range

Studies of animal behavior often assume that all members of a species exhibit the same behavior. Geographic Variation in Behavior shows that, on the contrary, there is substantional variation within species across a wide range of taxa. Including work from pioneers in the field, this volume provides a balanced overview of research on behavioral characteristics that vary geographically. The authors explore the mechanisms by which behavioral differences evolve and examine related methodological issues. Taken together, the work collected here demonstrates that genetically based geographic variation may be far more widespread than previously suspected. The book also shows how variation in behavior can illuminate both behavioral evolution and general evolutionary patterns. Unique among books on behavior in its emphasis on geographic variation, this volume is a valuable new resource for students and researchers in animal behavior and evolutionary biology.

Characterisation of 14 microsatellite markers for the Australian fig psylloid, Mycopsylla fici

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Fromont ◽  
Markus Riegler ◽  
James M. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Illumina Miseq ◽  
Insect Herbivore ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Moreton Bay ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium ◽  
Sap Feeding ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Two Populations

The Australian fig psylloid, Mycopsylla fici, is a sap-feeding insect herbivore that is host-specific to the Moreton Bay fig, Ficus macrophylla. It has periodic major outbreaks that can cause complete defoliation of individual trees and massive decrease in local leaf and fruit availability, with significant effects for many insect and vertebrate species that utilise the tree’s resources. We used ⅛ of an Illumina MiSeq run to sequence genomic DNA from two pools of five psylloids from two different field sites. We identified 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci and characterised them in 43 individuals from two populations (Sydney and Lord Howe Island, Australia). Within populations, the number of alleles ranged from 4 to 15 per locus with observed heterozygosity of 0–0.9. Four loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The microsatellite primers will be useful for the study of population genetics and gene flow within and between psylloid populations.

scholarly journals Population Genetics of the Red Rock Lobster,  Jasus edwardsii

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Luke Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Rock Lobster ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Jasus Edwardsii ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite

<p>Understanding patterns of gene flow across a species range is a vital component of an effective fisheries management strategy. The advent of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers has facilitated the detection of fine-scale patterns of genetic differentiation at levels below the resolving power of earlier techniques. This has triggered the wide-spread re-examination of population structure for a number of commercially targeted species. The aims of thesis were to re-investigate patterns of gene flow of the red rock lobster Jasus edwardsii throughout New Zealand and across the Tasman Sea using novel microsatellite markers. Jasus edwardsii is a keystone species of subtidal rocky reef system and supports lucrative export markets in both Australia and New Zealand. Eight highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from 454 sequence data and screened across a Wellington south coast population to obtain basic diversity indices. All loci were polymorphic with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 6-39. Observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.563-0.937 and 0.583-0.961, respectively. There were no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium following standard Bonferroni corrections. The loci were used in a population analysis of J. edwardsii that spanned 10 degrees of latitude and stretched 3,500 km across the South Pacific. The analysis rejected the null-hypothesis of panmixia based on earlier mDNA analysis and revealed significant population structure (FST=0.011, RST=0.028) at a wide range of scales. Stewart Island was determined to have the highest levels of genetic differentiation of all populations sampled suggesting a high degree of reproductive isolation and self-recruitment. This study also identified high levels of asymmetric gene flow from Australia to New Zealand indicating a historical source-sink relationship between the two countries. Results from the genetic analysis were consistent with results from oceanographic dispersal models and it is likely that the genetic results reflect historical and contemporary patterns of Jasus edwardsii dispersal and recruitment throughout its range.</p>

scholarly journals Testing repeatability, measurement error and species differentiation when using geometric morphometrics on complex shapes: a case study of Patagonian lizards of the genus Liolaemus (Squamata: Liolaemini)

2020 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 800-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Vrdoljak ◽  
Kevin Imanol Sanchez ◽  
Roberto Arreola-Ramos ◽  
Emilce Guadalupe Diaz Huesa ◽  
Alejandro Villagra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Geometric Morphometrics ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Species Differentiation ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Operator Error ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Complex Shapes ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Sources Of Variation

Abstract The repeatability of findings is the key factor behind scientific reliability, and the failure to reproduce scientific findings has been termed the ‘replication crisis’. Geometric morphometrics is an established tool in evolutionary biology. However, different operators (and/or different methods) could act as large sources of variation in the data obtained. Here, we investigated inter-operator error in geometric morphometric protocols on complex shapes of Liolaemus lizards, as well as measurement error in three taxa varying in their difficulty of digitalization. We also examined the potential for these protocols to discriminate among complex shapes in closely related species. We found a wide range of inter-operator error, contributing between 19.5% and 60% to the total variation. Moreover, measurement error increased with the complexity of the quantified shape. All protocols were able to discriminate between species, but the use of more landmarks did not imply better performance. We present evidence that complex shapes reduce repeatability, highlighting the need to explore different sources of variation that could lead to such low repeatability. Lastly, we suggest some recommendations to improve the repeatability and reliability of geometric morphometrics results.

Twenty-five new polymorphic microsatellites for the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki (Actinopterygii : Poeciliidae), an invasive species in Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate D. L. Umbers ◽  
Michael D. Jennions ◽  
J. Scott Keogh
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Paternity Analysis ◽  
Gambusia Holbrooki ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Single Population ◽  
Invasive Range ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellites ◽  
Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite ◽  
Eastern Mosquitofish

We isolated 25 new polymorphic microsatellite markers from the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki. Initially, 454 shotgun sequencing was used to identify 1187 loci for which primers could be designed. Of these 1187, we trialled 48 in the target species, 40 of which amplified a product of expected size. Subsequently, those 40 loci were screened for variation in 48 individuals from a single population in Canberra, Australia. Twenty loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and polymorphic, with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.04 to 0.72 (mean: 0.45 ± 0.18) and the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 5 (mean: 3.20 ± 1.05). These loci will be useful in understanding genetic variation, paternity analysis and in managing this species across both its native and invasive range.

scholarly journals mTOR Signaling at the Crossroad between Metazoan Regeneration and Human Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmine Lund-Ricard ◽  
Patrick Cormier ◽  
Julia Morales ◽  
Agnès Boutet
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin ◽  
Mtor Pathway ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Structure Damage ◽  
Wide Range

A major challenge in medical research resides in controlling the molecular processes of tissue regeneration, as organ and structure damage are central to several human diseases. A survey of the literature reveals that mTOR (mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin) is involved in a wide range of regeneration mechanisms in the animal kingdom. More particularly, cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, and differentiation are controlled by mTOR. In addition, autophagy, stem cell maintenance or the newly described intermediate quiescence state, Galert, imply upstream monitoring by the mTOR pathway. In this review, we report the role of mTOR signaling in reparative regenerations in different tissues and body parts (e.g., axon, skeletal muscle, liver, epithelia, appendages, kidney, and whole-body), and highlight how the mTOR kinase can be viewed as a therapeutic target to boost organ repair. Studies in this area have focused on modulating the mTOR pathway in various animal models to elucidate its contribution to regeneration. The diversity of metazoan species used to identify the implication of this pathway might then serve applied medicine (in better understanding what is required for efficient treatments in human diseases) but also evolutionary biology. Indeed, species-specific differences in mTOR modulation can contain the keys to appreciate why certain regeneration processes have been lost or conserved in the animal kingdom.

scholarly journals Development and characterisation of microsatellite markers for the fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae

2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Emilson Cardoso ◽  
Michael James Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Lasiodiplodia Theobromae ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite

Lasiodiplodia theobromae is an important fungal pathogen of higher plants from tropical and sub-tropical regions. The fungus infects divergent hosts in a wide range of environmental conditions, suggesting that it is highly variable. The aim of this study was to develop new polymorphic microsatellite markers from a Brazilian isolate of L. theobromae that can be used in population studies of this and related fungi. The nine microsatellite markers developed included six that revealed allelic polymorphisms among nine isolates of the disease collected from infected plants in Brazil. Preliminary evaluation of the markers suggested substantial genetic variability among Brazilian L. theobromae populations. These markers have potential utility for evolutionary and epidemiologic studies of this fungus.

scholarly journals The Cognitive Lens: a primer on conceptual tools for analysing information processing in developmental and regenerative morphogenesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1774) ◽  
pp. 20180369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Manicka ◽  
Michael Levin
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Neural Cells ◽  
Cognitive Architectures ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Mechanistic Investigation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Scale Integration

Brains exhibit plasticity, multi-scale integration of information, computation and memory, having evolved by specialization of non-neural cells that already possessed many of the same molecular components and functions. The emerging field of basal cognition provides many examples of decision-making throughout a wide range of non-neural systems. How can biological information processing across scales of size and complexity be quantitatively characterized and exploited in biomedical settings? We use pattern regulation as a context in which to introduce the Cognitive Lens—a strategy using well-established concepts from cognitive and computer science to complement mechanistic investigation in biology. To facilitate the assimilation and application of these approaches across biology, we review tools from various quantitative disciplines, including dynamical systems, information theory and least-action principles. We propose that these tools can be extended beyond neural settings to predict and control systems-level outcomes, and to understand biological patterning as a form of primitive cognition. We hypothesize that a cognitive-level information-processing view of the functions of living systems can complement reductive perspectives, improving efficient top-down control of organism-level outcomes. Exploration of the deep parallels across diverse quantitative paradigms will drive integrative advances in evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, synthetic bioengineering, cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Liquid brains, solid brains: How distributed cognitive architectures process information’.

Fish antifreeze proteins: physiology and evolutionary biology

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 2611-2617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. Davies ◽  
Choy L. Hew ◽  
Garth L. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Antifreeze Proteins ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Antifreeze Protein ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Endogenous Rhythms ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Concentrations

Many marine teleosts have adapted to ice-laden seawater by evolving antifreeze proteins and glycoproteins. These proteins are synthesized in the liver for export to the blood where they circulate at levels of up to 20 mg/mL. There are at least four distinct antifreeze protein classes differing in carbohydrate content, amino acid composition, protein sequence, and secondary structure. In addition to antifreeze structural diversity, fish species differ considerably with respect to mechanisms controlling seasonal regulation of plasma antifreeze concentrations. Some species synthesize antifreeze proteins immediately before the onset of freezing conditions, some synthesize them in response to such conditions, whereas others possess high concentrations all year. Endogenous rhythms, water temperature, photoperiod, and pituitary hormones have all been implicated as regulators of plasma antifreeze protein levels. The structural diversity of antifreeze proteins and their occurrence in a wide range of fish species suggest that they evolved separately and recently during Cenozoic glaciation. Invariably, the genes coding for these antifreeze proteins are amplified, sometimes as long tandem arrays, suggesting intense selective pressure to produce large amounts of protein. The distribution of antifreeze gene types among fish species suggests that they could serve as important tools for studying phylogenetic relationships.

scholarly journals Patch-clamp recordings in slices of telencephalon, diencephalon and rhombencephalon of salamanders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Flaive ◽  
Dimitri Ryczko
Keyword(s):  
Patch Clamp ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
List Type ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Visual Identification ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Scientific Questions ◽  
Brain Slice Preparation

AbstractThe salamander is a key limbed vertebrate from which many major scientific questions can be addressed in the fields of motor control, evolutionary biology, and regeneration biology. An important gap of knowledge is the description of the electrophysiological properties of the neurons constituting their central nervous system. To our knowledge, some patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were done in the spinal cord and recently in hindbrain slices, but not in any higher brain region. Here, we present a method to obtain patch-clamp recordings in slices of the telencephalon, diencephalon and rhombencephalon of salamanders. The method includes dissection of the brain, brain slice preparation, visual identification of neurons and patch-clamp recordings. We provide single cell recordings in the rhombencephalon, diencephalon and telencephalon of salamanders. This method should open new avenues to dissect the operation of salamander brain circuits at the cellular level.Highlights- Salamander brain slices of telencephalon, diencephalon, and rhombencephalon- Patch-clamp recordings in salamander brain slices- The salamander as a model to decipher tetrapod neural microcircuits

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