Late Miocene eastwards transatlantic dispersal of flightless anchonine weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4952 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70
Author(s):  
VASILY V. GREBENNIKOV ◽  
ROBERT S. ANDERSON

The weevil genera Aethiopacorep Voisin and Titilayo Cristóvão & Lyal are the only native African members of the nearly pantropical and poorly known tribe Anchonini. All Anchonini are flightless, a trait likely limiting dispersal, yet these weevils are found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. A phylogenetic analysis of 79 terminals and 3248 aligned positions from one mitochondrial and two nuclear ribosomal fragments supports a clade of West African Anchonini nested within American Anchonini. As suggested by previous authors, the Asian genera Himalanchonus Zherikhin and Otibazo Morimoto do not form a clade with the tribe’s core, and along with Cycloterinus Kolbe, Euthycodes Pascoe, Leptanchonus Morimoto, Nepalanchonus Zherikhin, and Tanyomus Champion, are here removed from Anchonini and placed as Molytinae incertae sedis. So defined, the monophyletic tribe Anchonini contains 36 genus-group names, all but two denoting American taxa. Using molecular clock analysis, we estimate the separation of the West African Anchonini from its American sister at 9.5–5.2 million years ago (Ma). This date greatly postdates the Cretaceous opening of the Atlantic Ocean (about 100 Ma) and, therefore, evokes a single transatlantic dispersal to West Africa, likely by over-water rafting, leading to subsequent diversification. We postulate this to be the first documented eastwards crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by terrestrial non-volant arthropods based on morphological and molecular data. 

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Bettisworth ◽  
Alexandros Stamatakis

Abstract Background In phylogenetic analysis, it is common to infer unrooted trees. However, knowing the root location is desirable for downstream analyses and interpretation. There exist several methods to recover a root, such as molecular clock analysis (including midpoint rooting) or rooting the tree using an outgroup. Non-reversible Markov models can also be used to compute the likelihood of a potential root position. Results We present a software called which uses a non-reversible Markov model to compute the most likely root location on a given tree and to infer a confidence value for each possible root placement. We find that is successful at finding roots when compared to similar tools such as IQ-TREE and MAD, and will occasionally outperform them. Additionally, we find that the exhaustive mode of is useful in quantifying and explaining uncertainty in rooting positions. Conclusions can be used on an existing phylogeny to find a root, or to asses the uncertainty of the root placement. is available under the MIT licence at https://www.github.com/computations/root_digger.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 507 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
NING MAO ◽  
YU-YAN XU ◽  
LI FAN

Three new species of Tricholomopsis were described and illustrated based on collections from Shanxi Province in North China. Tricholomopsis galeata sp. nov. is closely related to T. pteridiicola but distinguished from the latter by its large pileus with red to purple reddish fibrous scales and the absence of pleurocystidia. Tricholomopsis pallidolutea sp. nov. is similar to T. sulfureoides and T. flavescens in macromorphology but is differentiated from T. sulfureoides by its dark orange fibrous scales on the pileal surface and narrow basidiospores (avQ = 1.77 ± 0.33), and from T. flavescens by its abundant pleurocystidia. Tricholomopsis mitirubicunda sp. nov. is morphologically similar to T. rutilans but is distinguished from the latter by its abundant pleurocystidia. Phylogenetic analysis supported the taxonomic position of the three new species in the genus Tricholomopsis.


Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. eabh2644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuno R. Faria ◽  
Thomas A. Mellan ◽  
Charles Whittaker ◽  
Ingra M. Claro ◽  
Darlan da S. Candido ◽  
...  

Cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Manaus, Brazil, resurged in late 2020, despite previously high levels of infection. Genome sequencing of viruses sampled in Manaus between November 2020 and January 2021 revealed the emergence and circulation of a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. Lineage P.1, acquired 17 mutations, including a trio in the spike protein (K417T, E484K and N501Y) associated with increased binding to the human ACE2 receptor. Molecular clock analysis shows that P.1 emergence occurred around mid-November 2020 and was preceded by a period of faster molecular evolution. Using a two-category dynamical model that integrates genomic and mortality data, we estimate that P.1 may be 1.7–2.4-fold more transmissible, and that previous (non-P.1) infection provides 54–79% of the protection against infection with P.1 that it provides against non-P.1 lineages. Enhanced global genomic surveillance of variants of concern, which may exhibit increased transmissibility and/or immune evasion, is critical to accelerate pandemic responsiveness.


Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Arenas-Viveros ◽  
Pamela Sánchez-Vendizú ◽  
Alan Giraldo ◽  
Jorge Salazar-Bravo

Abstract The systematics and taxonomy of the broadly distributed bats of the genus Cynomops has changed considerably in the last few years. Among the major changes, Cynomops abrasus was split into two species of large-bodied forms (Cynomops mastivus and C. abrasus) distributed east of the Andes. However, large Colombian specimens identified as C. abrasus from the western side of the Andes had yet to be included in any revisionary work. Phylogenetic analysis performed in this study, using mtDNA sequences (Cytochrome-b), revealed that these Colombian individuals are more closely related to Cynomops greenhalli. Morphological and molecular data allowed us to recognize populations from western Colombia, western Ecuador and northwestern Peru, as members of a new species of Cynomops. Characters that allow for its differentiation from C. greenhalli include a larger forearm, paler but more uniform ventral pelage, more globular braincase, and well-developed zygomatic processes of the maxilla (almost reaching the postorbital constriction). This study serves as another example of the importance of including multiple lines of evidence in the recognition of a new species. Given its rarity and the advanced transformation of its habitat, this new species is particularly important from a conservation perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M. Montes ◽  
J. Barneche ◽  
Y. Croci ◽  
D. Balcazar ◽  
A. Almirón ◽  
...  

Abstract During a parasitological survey of fishes at Iguazu National Park, Argentina, specimens belonging to the allocreadiid genus Auriculostoma were collected from the intestine of Characidium heirmostigmata. The erection of the new species is based on a unique combination of morphological traits as well as on phylogenetic analysis. Auriculostoma guacurarii n. sp. resembles four congeneric species – Auriculostoma diagonale, Auriculostoma platense, Auriculostoma tica and Auriculostoma totonacapanensis – in having smooth and oblique testes, but can be distinguished by a combination of several morphological features, hosts association and geographic distribution. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from both A. diagonale and A. platense by the egg size (bigger in the first and smaller in the last); from A. tica by a shorter body length, the genital pore position and the extension of the caeca; and from A. totonacapanensis by the size of the oral and ventral sucker and the post-testicular space. Additionally, one specimen of Auriculostoma cf. stenopteri from the characid Charax stenopterus (Characiformes) from La Plata River, Argentina, was sampled and the partial 28S rRNA gene was sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. guacurarii n. sp. clustered with A. tica and these two as sister taxa to A. cf. stenopteri. The new species described herein is the tenth species in the genus and the first one parasitizing a member of the family Crenuchidae.


2021 ◽  
pp. 269-278
Author(s):  
M. Lenguas Francavilla ◽  
L. Negrete ◽  
A. Martínez-Aquino ◽  
C. Damborenea ◽  
F. Brusa

Girardia Ball, 1974 is the most diverse and widely distributed genus of the family Dugesiidae (Platyhelminthes: Continenticola) in the Neotropical region. Seven out of the 52 species of the genus are known for Argentina. The Somuncurá Plateau is a region in northern Patagonia with several endemic flora and fauna, but little is known about the free-living Platyhelminthes. We describe two new species of Girardia partially inhabiting in sympatry in the Somuncurá Plateau: Girardia somuncura sp. nov. and Girardia tomasi sp. nov. The identification criteria that we followed was an integrative taxonomic approach based on morphological and molecular data. Thus, we used anatomical features focused on the reproductive system, together with a phylogenetic analysis, using a mitochondrial (COI barcode region) genetic marker. This study is the first phylogenetic analysis of the genus Girardia in which we include the southernmost representatives of America here described, thus making it possible to incorporate them in global phylogenies.


Zoosymposia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
K. KANAZAWA ◽  
M. SAITOH ◽  
N. WAKAYAMA ◽  
M. OBUCHI ◽  
S. NAKACHI ◽  
...  

In 2017 we started a project to analyze the ecology and phylogeny of western Pacific echinoids. As the first step, we are establishing methods to infer their phylogenetic relationships using molecular data; we developed effective methods to obtain complete mitochondrial DNA sequences, and determined their effectiveness in phylogenetic analysis. We have also been gathering data concerning the ecology and systematics of Japanese extant echinoids, which arguably has among the highest genus-level diversities in the West Pacific or perhaps even in the world. We have collected 58 species from middle and southern Japan representing 48 genera. In the next year, we will collect sea urchins from northern Japan, and within 2 years we will finish collecting data on ecology and systematics of Japanese echinoids, and provide a set of standardized data that will be useful for many researchers studying western Pacific echinoids. At that time, we will start comparative analyses of echinoid faunas distributed in the western Pacific.


Zootaxa ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 680 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARNE NYGREN

Autolytinae is revised based on available types, and newly collected specimens. Out of 170 nominal species, 18 are considered as incertae sedis, 43 are regarded as junior synonyms, and 25 are referred to as nomina dubia. The relationships of Autolytinae is assessed from 51 morphological characters and 211 states for 76 ingroup-taxa, and 460 molecular characters from mitochondrial 16S rDNA and nuclear 18S rDNA for 31 ingroup-taxa; outgroups include 12 non-autolytine syllid polychaetes. Two analyses are provided, one including morphological data only, and one with combined morphological and molecular data sets. The resulting strict consensus tree from the combined data is chosen for a reclassification. Three main clades are identified: Procerini trib. n., Autolytini Grube, 1850, and Epigamia gen. n. Proceraea Ehlers, 1864 and Myrianida Milne Edwards, 1845 are referred to as nomen protectum, while Scolopendra Slabber, 1781, Podonereis Blainville, 1818, Amytis Savigny, 1822, Polynice Savigny, 1822, and Nereisyllis Blainville, 1828 are considered


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Abdul Razaq ◽  
Sobia Ilyas ◽  
Abdul Nasir Khalid

Cystodermella cinnabarina is reported here for the first time from the moist temperate forests of western Himalaya and is the first collection of a Cystodermella from Pakistan. This species is redescribed here using morphological and molecular data. The phylogenetic analysis which is based on internal transcribed spacers (ITS) showed that the Pakistani collection clustered distinctly with similar European sequences in the Cystodermella clade. The Italian and north European sequences of this species clustered in two separate subclades and the Pakistani sequences closely matched the Italian sequences. It is evident that the Pakistani population has a very close evolutionary affinity with the Italian individuals rather than those from northern Europe. The species is distributed in Europe, in North America, and now in the western Himalaya of Asia.


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