Morphological variability of recent species of the order Cassiduloida (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) of Mexico

ntroduction: In Mexico, there are two recorded living species of Cassiduloida: Cassidulus caribaearum and Rhyncholampas pacifica. Most of the taxonomic studies on cassiduloids have used external morphology, pedicellariae and morphometric characters; however, the intraspecific variation of quantitative and qualitative characters has been poorly evaluated. Objective: To compare the basic morphology of R. pacifica and C. caribaearum. Methods: We examined a total of 2 158 specimens of R. pacifica and C. caribaearum, selecting 50 to evaluate shape and size with linear regression and Principal Component analysis. We selected an additional 62 specimens per species to identify significant character correlations and morphological groups within species. Results: There is a direct relationship between Test length and Test width. Test height/Test width, and Total length (oral view)/Distance from the ambitus to the peristome apex, are the two main ratios to distinguish both species. C. caribaearum is more dorsoventrally compressed and has a round peristome base; versus R. pacifica has a tall and triangular one. There are four morphological groups of C. caribaearum and two groups for R. pacifica. Conclusions: These two species can be distinguished with reliable morphological characters, in which peristome shape suggests that R. pacifica is more adapted to burrowing deeper into certain types of substratum.

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Morphological variation in the genus Juliomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) and taxonomic status of Juliomys anoblepas (Winge 1887) from the Quaternary of Southeast Brazil

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4861.3.9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4861 (3) ◽

pp. 429-443

Author(s):

CAROLINA PIRES ◽

MARCELO WEKSLER ◽

CIBELE R. BONVICINO

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Variation ◽

Morphological Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

The Other ◽

Anterior Portion ◽

Living Species ◽

Qualitative Characters

The region of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is one of the most important karstic areas of the Brazilian Quaternary due to the faunistic diversity of living and extinct forms. Among them, some taxa remain poorly studied, as is the case of Calomys anoblepas Winge 1887. Despite the recent allocation of the taxon within Juliomys, its description and morphological analysis are condensed, based on comparative few specimens and on few informative characters. In this study, we investigate characters proposed to distinguish species of Juliomys, and reevaluate the taxonomic status of the fossil Juliomys anoblepas. We analyzed 80 cranio-dental morphological characters in 233 specimens represented by the four species currently recognized: J. pictipes (Osgood 1933), J. rimofrons Oliveira & Bonvicino 2002, J. ossitenuis Costa, Pavan, Leite & Fagundes 2007, and J. ximenezi Christoff, Vieira, Oliveira, Gonçalves, Valiati & Tomasi 2016. We also performed principal component analysis on eight craniodental measurements available for the J. anoblepas hypodigm. The review of morphological systems and the evaluation of the characters used in the literature revealed that there are no diagnostic characters in the anterior portion of the skull and in the molar series of Juliomys, being difficult to differentiate the fossil from the other living species. Only six qualitative characters were variable and applicable to the hypodigm of J. anoblepas. Characters are polymorphic, invariable, or the fossil is not sufficiently complete to determinate its states. The taxon could not be morphometrically differentiated from J. pictipes and J. ossitenuis. Based on the results presented herein, we consider J. anoblepas as a nomen dubium and restrict its name to the taxon’s hypodigm.

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Taxonomy, natural history, and conservation of the Great-billed Seed-Finch Sporophila maximiliani (Cabanis, 1851) (Thraupidae, Sporophilinae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4442.4.4 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4442 (4) ◽

pp. 551 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

FLÁVIO KULAIF UBAID ◽

LUÍS FABIO SILVEIRA ◽

CESAR A. B. MEDOLAGO ◽

THIAGO V. V. COSTA ◽

MERCIVAL ROBERTO FRANCISCO ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

South America ◽

Captive Breeding ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Bird Species ◽

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Morphometric Characters ◽

History Of

Seed-finches are small-sized Neotropical granivorous birds characterized by extremely strong and thick beaks. Among these birds, the Great-billed Seed-Finch Sporophila maximiliani has been selectively and intensively trapped to the extent that has become one of the most endangered bird species in South America, yet its taxonomy remains complex and controversial. Two subspecies have been recognized: S. m. maximiliani (Cabanis, 1851), mainly from the Cerrado of central South America, and S. m. parkesi Olson (= Oryzoborus m. magnirostris), from northeastern South America. Originally, S. m. parkesi was diagnosed as being larger than the Large-billed Seed-Finch, S. c. crassirostris (Gmelin, 1789), but proper comparisons with S. m. maximiliani, which is larger than S. c. crassirostris, were never performed. Here we provide a review of the taxonomic and nomenclatural history of S. maximiliani, reevaluate the validity and taxonomic status of the subspecies based on morphological characters, and significantly revise its geographic distribution. Analyses based on plumage patterns and a Principal Component Analysis of morphometric characters indicated that S. m. parkesi is most appropriately treated as a synonym of the nominate taxon, which results in a monotypic S. maximiliani comprising two disjunct populations. Further, we conducted systematic searches for S. maximiliani in Brazil, in an attempt to obtain natural history information. After more than 6,000 hours of fieldwork in 45 areas of potential and historical occurrence, S. maximiliani was located only in two sites, in marshy environments called veredas, confirming the critical conservation status of this species, at least in Brazil. We discuss the conservation potential for, and the problems involved with, captive breeding of S. maximiliani for reintroduction into the wild.

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A Systematic Analysis of the Alpine Saxifrage Complex (Saxifragaceae) in the Canadian Arctic Islands Using Morphology and Chloroplast DNA Data

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v118i3.1 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 118 (3) ◽

pp. 326 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Caroline Healy ◽

Lynn J. Gillespie

Keyword(s):

Morphological Variability ◽

Canadian Arctic ◽

Principal Component ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Sympatric Species ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Systematic Analysis ◽

Site Analysis

The Saxifraga nivalis complex displays significant ecological, morphological and cytological variation. Most European studies suggest that the S. nivalis complex comprises two distinct species: Saxifraga nivalis sensu stricto and Saxifraga tenuis. However, the presence of intermediate morphotypes, inconsistencies in chromosomal counts and variability in morphological keys and descriptions have led to different taxonomic interpretations of the complex in North America. This study investigated the systematics of Canadian Arctic Island members of this complex from 157 specimens using 23 morphological characters. Principal component analysis of the morphological data revealed two adjacent clusters, corresponding to the two taxa and consistent with a close morphological similarity and the presence of hybrids. A preliminary restriction site analysis of five non-coding regions of the chloroplast genome, trnH-trnK, trnT-trnF, trnF-trnV, trnV-rbcL and rbcL-ORF106, was conducted using 21 restriction endonucleases. This analysis indicated a length difference between the trnT-trnF region of S. nivalis and that of S. tenuis, but no difference in restriction sites for any of the assayed regions. These results confirm that in the Canadian Arctic, the S. nivalis complex consists of two closely related, largely sympatric species, with notable morphological variability, and possible hybrids.

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Morphological variability of acorns and its taxonomic significance in Quercus. from Turkey

Bangladesh Journal of Botany ◽

10.3329/bjb.v43i3.21601 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 293-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Y Bakis ◽

MT Babaç

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Variability ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Taxonomic Significance ◽

Morphological Variations ◽

Quercus Species ◽

Different Populations

Morphological variations of acorn among and within the groups of Quercus species were studied. A total of 617 acorns belonging to 14 species representing all 3 sections of Quercus L. (Fagaceae) in Turkey were examined in this study. Specimens were collected from 47 different populations over both Anatolian and Thrace part of Turkey. Principal component analysis was used to analyze the morphological characteristics of acorns. Results obtained from this study demonstrate the use of morphological characters in differentiating the taxa of Quercus and Cerris sections studied. Another important finding is the introgression among the acorns of species within Quercus section DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v43i3.21601 Bangladesh J. Bot. 43(3): 293-299, 2014 (December)

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Morphological variability withinOesophagostomum bifurcumamong different primate species from Ghana

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/joh2006363 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 80 (4) ◽

pp. 357-361 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J.M. de Gruijter ◽

J. Blotkamp ◽

R.B. Gasser ◽

S. Amponsah ◽

A.M. Polderman

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Variability ◽

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Primate Species ◽

Distinct Population ◽

Genetic Studies ◽

Olive Baboons ◽

Green Monkey ◽

Length Width

AbstractAdultOesophagostomum bifurcum(Nematoda: Strongylida) from human and non-human primates from Ghana were compared in order to investigate the extent of morphological variability within the species. Using analysis of variance and principal component analysis, significant differences in morphological characters (such as parasite length, width, length of the oesophagus and length of spicules) were demonstrated betweenO. bifurcumworms from humans, the Mona, Patas or Green monkey and/or Olive baboons. These findings suggest thatO. bifurcumfrom different species of primate host represent distinct population variants, also supported by recent epidemiological and genetic studies ofO. bifurcumfrom such hosts.

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Evaluation of morphometric characters of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) populations in Nigeria

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1680 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Usman H Dukku

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Body Size ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Analysis Of Variance ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Morphometric Characters ◽

Sub Saharan

Samples of workers of honeybee were collected from 41 colonies in nine localities in Nigeria and analysed using classical morphometry. Measurements of 35 morphological characters of body size, colour and pilosity were taken from 10 workers per colony and the data subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis. Although ANOVA revealed a considerable variation of morphological characters between the sampled localities, principal component analysis indicated that this variation was not sufficient to group the colonies under investigation into geographically separable groups. Based on the agreement between the results of this study and those of previous studies, it is concluded that the honeybees of this area are morphometrically pure populations of sub-Saharan A. mellifera.

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Identification of morphometric variation of Aegel marmelos (L.) Correa correlated with habitat types in Western Terai

International Journal of Frontiers in Life Science Research ◽

10.53294/ijflsr.2021.1.1.0031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 01-017

Author(s):

Bimal Bahadur Kunwar

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Morphometric Traits ◽

Morphometric Variation ◽

Morphometric Characters ◽

Grouping Pattern ◽

And Cluster Analysis ◽

Disc Level ◽

East West

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa locally called “Bael” is an economically important plant mainly harvested and traded for medicinal as well as religious purposes. Most of the collection of the plant is from forest. Due to habitat change, deforestation and over harvesting, it is feared that such important plant and its precious genetic diversity may be lost from the nature. Responding to these challenges a major initiative has been launched in the Western Terai Landscape Complex of Nepal to identify morphometric variability in A. marmelos. Morphometric characters variation of this species in Western Terai Landscape Complex was statically and numerically evaluated. Sixteen populations were analysed, using 27 morphological characters of leaves and fruit, collected during 2007/2008 naturally. Most of the morphological characters were not significant with the east-west longitudinal gradient except few were, probably because of small gradient. The variation in the A. marmelos is clearly verified by uni- and multivariate statistics. Highest variation was observed in the (DL) Disc Level (CV= 6.08) from different morphometric characters and later that in PL and B. These DL, PL and B were determining characters of morphometric variation. Similarly, principal component and cluster analysis through forming dendrogram of morphometric traits indicated different grouping pattern of populations. The populations that are nearer to each other are not cluster together. At different sites of sampling analysis of variance in the morphometric traits revealed remarkable variation among population.

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Variation in morphological characters of Marsilea crenata living in floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial habitats

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity ◽

10.13057/biodiv/d220736 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

Author(s):

WISANTI WISANTI ◽

DURAN COREBIMA ALOYSIUS ◽

Siti Zubaidah ◽

SRI RAHAYU LESTARI

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Morphological Variations ◽

Quantitative Characters ◽

Morphological Adaptations ◽

Terrestrial Habitats ◽

Grouping Pattern ◽

Qualitative Characters ◽

Two Populations

Abstract. Wisanti, Aloysius DC, Zubaidah S, Lestari SR. 2021. Variation in morphological characters of Marsilea crenata living in floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial habitats. Biodiversitas 22: 2853-2859. Marsilea is a hydrophyte fern that has plasticity often influenced by enviroment. Several of the species with different habitats or geographies show morphological variations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the variations in morphological characters of M. crenata growing in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. A total of 38 plant samples were collected from their natural habitats including floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial types. Morphological variations data included 4 qualitative characters and 9 quantitative characters. The quantitative characters were analyzed by one-way ANOVA to test for differences, while the combination of both characters was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine the distribution between groups. The data results showed a separate grouping pattern between aquatic and terrestrial populations. These two groups showed significant differences in 5 quantitative characters and 2 qualitative characters. However, emergent aquatic samples’ distribution pattern is closer to the terrestrial group. The characters’ similarity of these two populations was in ??the rhizomes air spaces area, the position between leaflets and absence of red streak on the abaxial lamina. Conclusively, the variations in M. crenata’s morphological characters indicate that this plant has experienced morphological adaptations to water availability in its environment.

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Phenotypic diversity of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)accessions in the Philippines for utilization

Legume Research - An International Journal ◽

10.18805/lr.v0iof.3769 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Hidelisa De Chavez ◽

Teresita Borromeo ◽

Nic Oswald Borines ◽

Renerio Jr Gentallan

Keyword(s):

Coat Color ◽

Phenotypic Diversity ◽

Germplasm Collection ◽

Principal Component ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

The Philippines ◽

Soybean Germplasm ◽

Plant Growth Habit ◽

Qualitative Characters

An increasing trend of soybean production and consumption has been seen in the Philippines. To assess the potential of the soybean germplasm for utilization, diversity of the Philippine soybean collection was established. High diversity was marked on 17 out of 29 qualitative characters, which include plant growth habit, leaf blistering and flower standard color. Phenotypic diversity indices (H’) of 92 soybean accessions averaged at 0.62. This aside, traits identical to a variety of soybean with superior characters were all present in the soybean germplasm collection. Using simple matching similarity coefficient, cluster analysis separated the different accessions into 12 distinct clusters at 62% similarity. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA) showed that two independent components accounted for 35.36% of the total variation of the qualitative morphological characters. Factor loadings for each component showed the morphological characters, such as pubescence color, flower wing color, and seed coat color, that were contributing to the high projections in the two principal components. Accessions with vigorous seedlings were also observed. With the marked trait diversity, the soybean collection could be potentially used directly and for breeding purposes. Consequently, to uncover further the potential of our genetic resources at hand, the remaining germplasm accessions at NPGRL should be characterized and evaluated

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Taxonomic revision of the genus Elmomorphus Sharp, 1888 I. Japanese and Korean species (Coleoptera: Dryopidae)

European Journal of Taxonomy ◽

10.5852/ejt.2021.758.1427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 758 ◽

Author(s):

Ján Kodada ◽

Dávid Selnekovič ◽

Manfred A. Jäch ◽

Katarína Goffová ◽

Peter Vďačný

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Morphological Evidence ◽

Morphometric Variation ◽

Morphometric Characters ◽

Gene Coding ◽

Interspecific Divergence

The species of Elmomorphus Sharp, 1888 occurring in Japan and Korea are redescribed and illustrated: E. brevicornis Sharp, 1888 (Japan, Korea) and E. amamiensis Nomura, 1959 (Japan). The standard barcoding fragment of the mitochondrial gene coding for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was sequenced and used together with morphological characters to delimit the taxonomic boundaries of the two species. To assess their morphometric variation, eight morphometric characters were measured and statistically evaluated using principal component analysis. The two species of Elmomorphus formed distinct and well-separated clusters in the COI tree. Their interspecific divergence is very high, ranging from 22.7 to 23.9%. On the other hand, morphometric characters, including those previously presumed to be diagnostic, overlap and per se do not allow unambiguous species identification. Reliable morphological distinguishing characters are described for males and females. Molecular data along with the morphological evidence strongly confirm the species status of E. amamiensis. An identification key to the Japanese and Korean species is provided.

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