Morphological, Molecular, and Biogeographic Evidence for Specific Recognition of Euthamia hirtipes and Euthamia scabra (Asteraceae, Astereae)

Abstract—The number and identity of species within Euthamia (Asteraceae, Astereae) have varied considerably among taxonomic treatments. Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nutt. is often treated broadly, including plants from the northern and eastern United States and Canada, including the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Broad-leaved, largely glabrous plants from New Jersey to the Florida Panhandle have been inconsistently treated as E. graminifolia, E. graminifolia var. hirtipes (Fernald) C.E.S. Taylor & R.J. Taylor, E. hirtipes (Fernald) Sieren, or a hybrid between E graminifolia and E. caroliniana (L.) Greene ex Porter & Britton. Similarly, plants from the Florida Panhandle to eastern Louisiana have been incorporated into E. graminifolia or E. graminifolia var. hirtipes with only Greene in 1902 recognizing these plants as a distinct species, E. scabra Greene. To determine the identity and proper rank of these entities, morphological and phylogenetic analyses were performed to evaluate relationships within Euthamia. Plants from the Atlantic Coast most morphologically resemble Gulf Coast plants which similarly resemble E. gymnospermoides Greene. The Gulf Coast plants and E. gymnospermoides share similar DNA sequences while the Atlantic Coast plants represent a unique clade. Neither Gulf Coast nor Atlantic Coast plants contain highly polymorphic sequences, indicating that they are not hybrids. Occasional plants found within southernmost Alabama and the Florida Panhandle have polymorphic sequences and intermediate morphology however, suggesting that putative hybrids exist between Gulf and Atlantic Coast plants. This study concludes that both entities deserve specific rank as E. scabra Greene for scabrous plants along the central Gulf Coast and E. hirtipes (Fernald) Sieren for largely glabrous plants mostly along the Atlantic Coast. Ecological niche modeling indicates that precipitation, especially during summer months, and soils, namely coarse fragments and sand content, drive the distribution of these organisms, largely restricted to either side of the Apalachicola River serving as a distributional barrier.

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Molecular assessment of the genus Sargassum (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) from the Mexican coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, with the description of S. xochitlae sp. nov.

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.461.4.3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 461 (4) ◽

pp. 254-274

Author(s):

DONAJÍ GONZÁLEZ-NIETO ◽

MARIANA C. OLIVEIRA ◽

MARÍA LUISA NÚÑEZ RESENDIZ ◽

KURT M. DRECKMANN ◽

LUZ ELENA MATEO-CID ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Population Level ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Molecular Analyses ◽

Low Genetic Diversity ◽

Molecular Assessment ◽

Independent Species

The recognition of many species of Sargassum has been difficult because morphological characters show significant phenotypic variation depending on habitat, season, or even differences at the population level. To resolve some of these systematic issues along the Mexican Atlantic coast, molecular analyses of Sargassum species were carried out using DNA sequences of the COI-5P, ITS-2 and rbcL_S genetic markers. Of the 16 species recorded for the area, five species (S. acinarium, S. mathiesonii, S. pteropleuron, S. pusillum and S. ramifolium) were not found during the collections and their status remains undefined. Phylogenetic analyses of the three molecular markers showed that 10 species with their varieties (S. bermudense, S. buxifolium, S. cymosum, S. filipendula, S. fluitans, S. furcatum, S. hystrix, S. natans, S. polyceratium, and S. vulgare) were grouped into a polytomy, with low genetic diversity. If we consider these markers as suitable for proxy for species delimitation, these species should be synonymized under S. cymosum, the older name. Taxonomic independence was confirmed only for S. platycarpum and our data revealed a new morphologically and molecularly independent species within the genus, described here as Sargassum xochitlae.

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Phylogeny of Cladonia uncialis (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes) and its allies

The Lichenologist ◽

10.1017/s0024282915000183 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 215-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Soili Stenroos ◽

Raquel Pino-Bodas ◽

Diana Weckman ◽

Teuvo Ahti

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Usnic Acid ◽

Eastern United States ◽

Dna Sequence Data ◽

Rdna Igs ◽

Alternative Topology ◽

Reindeer Lichens ◽

First Time

AbstractThe species from Cladonia section Unciales are characterized by the absence of squamules and soredia on the corticate podetia and the presence of usnic acid. Different subspecies, varieties and forms have been distinguished in the type species C. uncialis. In this study, a molecular phylogeny of Cladonia uncialis and members of the traditionally recognized section Unciales, along with additional potentially allied species, was constructed. DNA sequences from three gene loci, namely ITS rDNA, IGS rDNA and ß-tubulin, were analyzed using Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Eleven species were analyzed for the first time using DNA sequence data. Cladonia uncialis subsp. uncialis and subsp. biuncialis were recognized as distinct taxa. The recognition of C. pseudostellata as a species was not supported by the analyses, but it represents a hypothamnolic acid chemotype, which is reported here as new to Europe (Scotland). The presence of subsp. biuncialis in North America (Newfoundland) was substantiated. The subsp. uncialis usually lacks squamatic acid, but in the eastern United States a morph referred to as subsp. uncialis does normally contain that acid. However, this morph did not attain taxonomic recognition based on phylogenetic analyses. All the other taxa formerly included in sect. Unciales turned out to belong to other groups of Cladonia, mainly Amaurocraeae, Borya, Divaricatae, and Perviae. The formerly recognized genus Cladina (reindeer lichens) is non-monophyletic, consisting of three groups within Cladonia, making the concept Cladina even nomenclaturally useless. Alternative topology tests rejected the monophyly of C. pseudostellata, section Unciales and Cladina.

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Differential patterns of ophiostomatoid fungal communities associated with three sympatric Tomicus species infesting pines in south-western China, with a description of four new species

MycoKeys ◽

10.3897/mycokeys.50.32653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 ◽

pp. 93-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Wang HuiMin ◽

Zheng Wang ◽

Fu Liu ◽

Cheng Xu Wu ◽

Su Fang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Bark Beetles ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Large Subunit ◽

Forest Health ◽

Elongation Factor ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Western China ◽

Ophiostomatoid Fungi ◽

Additional Species

Bark beetles and their associated fungi, which cause forest decline and sometimes high mortality in large areas around the world, are of increasing concern in terms of forest health. ThreeTomicusspp. (T.brevipilosus,T.minorandT.yunnanensis) infect branches and trunks ofPinusyunnanensisandP.kesiyain Yunnan Province, in south-western China.Tomicusspp. are well known as vectors of ophiostomatoid fungi and their co-occurrence could result in serious ecological and economic impact on local forest ecosystems. Nonetheless, knowledge about their diversity, ecology, including pathogenicity and potential economic importance is still quite rudimentary. Therefore, an extensive survey of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with theseTomicusspecies infestingP.yunnanensisandP.kesiyawas carried out in Yunnan. Seven hundred and seventy-two strains of ophiostomatoid fungi were isolated from the adult beetles and their galleries. The strains were identified based on comparisons of multiple DNA sequences, including the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU) region, the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, together with the intervening 5.8S gene (ITS) and the partial genes of β-tubulin (TUB2), elongation factor 1α (TEF1-α) and calmodulin (CAL). Phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum parsimony (MP) as well as maximum likelihood (ML). Combinations of culture features, morphological characters and temperature-dependent growth rates were also employed for species identification. Eleven species belonging to five genera were identified. These included six known species,Esteyavermicola,Leptographiumyunnanense,Ophiostomabrevipilosi,O.canum,O.minusandO.tingensand four novel taxa, described asGraphilbumanningense,O.aggregatum,SporothrixpseudoabietinaandS.macroconidia. A residual strain was left unidentified asOphiostomasp. 1. The overall ophiostomatoid community was by far dominated by three species, representing 87.3% of the total isolates; in decreasing order, these wereO.canum,O.brevipilosiandO.minus. Furthermore, the ophiostomatoid community of each beetle, although harbouring a diversity of ophiostomatoid species, was differentially dominated by a single fungal species;Ophiostomacanumwas preferentially associated with and dominated the ophiostomatoid community ofT.minor, whereasO.brevipilosiandO.minuswere exclusively associated with and dominated the ophiostomatoid communities ofT.brevipilosusandT.yunnanensis, respectively. Eight additional species, representing the remaining 12.7% of the total isolates, were marginal or sporadic. These results suggested that sympatricTomicuspopulations are dominated by distinct species showing some level of specificity or even exclusivity.

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Molecular systematics of New Zealand Cyanoramphus parakeets: conservation of Orange-fronted and Forbes' Parakeets

Bird Conservation International ◽

10.1017/s0959270900000198 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 211-239 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

W. M. Boon ◽

J. C. Kearvell ◽

C. H. Daugherty ◽

G. K. Chambers

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Biological Species ◽

Biological Species Concept ◽

Allozyme Data ◽

Dna Sequence Data ◽

Data Support ◽

High Conservation

The controversy that presently surrounds the taxonomy of the Orange-fronted Cyanoramphus malherbi and Forbes' C. forbesi Parakeets has important implications for the conservation of both birds. Both taxa are critically endangered, but consensus regarding their specific status has not yet been achieved. We present mitochondrial DNA sequences for the cytochrome b gene and the control region from 17 Cyanoramphus parakeets representing nine populations and six taxa together with field observations of courtship and breeding behaviour in a sympatric population of Orange-fronted and Yellow-crowned Parakeets C. auriceps. Field data support species status of the Orange-fronted Parakeet under the Biological Species Concept. Phylogenetic analyses of our DNA sequence data support earlier hypotheses based on allozyme data that both Orange-fronted and Forbes' Parakeets represent distinct species under four species concepts and indicate that high conservation priority is warranted for both taxa.

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Evolving in the darkness: phylogenomics of Sinocyclocheilus cavefishes highlights recent diversification and cryptic diversity

10.1101/2021.10.09.460971 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ting-Ru Mao ◽

Ye-Wei Liu ◽

Mariana M. Vasconcellos ◽

Marcio R. Pie ◽

Gajaba Ellepola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Bayes Factor ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Constant Darkness ◽

Mt Dna ◽

Firm Basis ◽

Olfactory Organs ◽

Blind Cavefish ◽

High Degree

Troglomorphism-morphological adaptation enabling life in constant darkness of caves, such as loss of pigment, reduced eyesight or blindness, over-developed tactile and olfactory organs has long intrigued biologists. However, inferring the proximate and ultimate mechanisms driving the evolution of troglomorphism in freshwater fish requires a sound understanding of the evolutionary relationships among surface, troglomorphic, and intermediate lineages. We use Restriction Site Associated DNA Sequencing (RADseq) to probe deeper into the evolution of the Sinocyclocheilus fishes of China. They comprise the largest cavefish diversification in the world with a remarkable array of derived troglomorphic traits, and are currently considered as an emerging multi-species model system to study evolutionary novelty. We sequenced a total of 120 individuals from throughout the Sinocyclocheilus distribution. The data comprised a total of 646,497 bp per individual, including 4378 loci and 67,983 SNPs (61,023 parsimony-informative) shared across more than at least 114 individuals at a given locus. Phylogenetic analyses using either the concatenated RAD loci (RAxML) or the SNPs only under a coalescent model (SVDquartets) showed a high degree of congruence and high node support (> 95) for most nodes in the phylogeny. The major clades we recovered conform to a pattern established previously using Sanger-based mt-DNA sequences, however, with a few notable exceptions. With an increased representation of the genome sequenced, we now recognize 6 major clades in this group, two additional clades than before. The blind cavefish S. tianlinensis and the micro-eyed S. microphthalmus are now recognized as distinct clades due to their deep divergence from other clades. A Bayes factor delimitation (BFD) analysis showed support for 21 species, recognizing 19 previously described species and two putative new cryptic ones. Two species whose identity were previously disputed, S. furcodorsalis and S. tianeensis, are supported here as distinct species. Our multi-species calibrated tree in SNAPP suggests that the genus Sinocyclocheilus originated around 10.5 Mya, but most speciation events happened in the last 2 Mya, likely favored by the uplift of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and a climate driven aridification event forcing cave occupation during this period. These results provide a firm basis for future comparative studies on the evolution of Sinocyclocheilus and its adaptations to cave life.

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Redescription of Orthopristis ruber and Orthopristis scapularis (Haemulidae: Perciformes), with a hybridization zone off the Atlantic coast of South America

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4576.1.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4576 (1) ◽

pp. 109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

ALEXANDRE PIRES MARCENIUK ◽

RODRIGO ANTUNES CAIRES ◽

LEONARDO MACHADO ◽

NAJILA NOLIE CATARINE DANTAS CERQUEIRA ◽

RAYLA ROBERTA M. DE S. SERRA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Valid Species ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Northern Coast ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Coloration Patterns

The genus Orthopristis includes seven valid species, three from the western Atlantic and five from eastern Pacific, while the available identification guides and taxonomic keys incorrectly recognize Orthopristis ruber as the only valid species found on the Atlantic coast of South America. Efforts to expand the inventory of fish species from the northern coast of Brazil led to the identification of two distinct species of Orthopristis from Atlantic South America, based on the analysis of coloration patterns and meristic data, as well as DNA. In the present study, the limits of Orthopristis ruber are reviewed, while Orthopristis scapularis is recognized as a valid species for the northern and northeastern coasts of South America. Based on intermediate morphological characteristics and nuclear DNA markers, a hybrid zone was identified off the state of Espírito Santo, on the eastern Brazilian coast. Additionally, considerations are made on the diversity and biogeography of the coastal marine and estuarine fishes found on the Brazilian coast.

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Relationships of North American members of Rhodiola (Crassulaceae)

Botany ◽

10.1139/cjb-2014-0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 92 (12) ◽

pp. 901-910 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Joel P. Olfelt ◽

William A. Freyman

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

North American ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Black Hills ◽

Trnl Intron ◽

The North ◽

Alpine Habitats ◽

Rare And Endangered ◽

Chloroplast Dna Sequences ◽

Rhodiola Integrifolia

Taxa of Rhodiola L. (Crassulaceae) generally grow in arctic or alpine habitats. Some Rhodiola species are used medicinally, one taxon, Rhodiola integrifolia Raf. subsp. leedyi (Rosend. & J.W.Moore) Moran, (Leedy’s roseroot), is rare and endangered, and the group’s biogeography in North America is intriguing because of distributional disjunctions and the possibility that Rhodiola rhodantha (A.Gray) H.Jacobsen (2n = 7II) and Rhodiola rosea L. (2n = 11II) hybridized to form Rhodiola integrifolia Raf. (2n = 18II). Recent studies of the North American Rhodiola suggest that the group’s current taxonomy is misleading. We analyzed nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences (internal transcribed spacer (ITS), trnL intron, trnL–trnF spacer, trnS–trnG spacer) from the North American Rhodiola taxa. We combined our data with GenBank sequences from Asian Rhodiola species, performed parsimony, maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses, and applied a Bayesian clock model to the ITS data. Our analyses reveal two major Rhodiola clades, suggest that hybridization between R. rhodantha and R. rosea lineages was possible, show two distinct clades within R. integrifolia, and demonstrate that a Black Hills, South Dakota, Rhodiola population should be reclassified as Leedy’s roseroot. We recommend that R. integrifolia be revised, and that the Black Hills Leedy’s roseroot population be managed as part of that rare and endangered taxon.

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Evidence for Range Expansion and Origins of an Invasive Hornet Vespa bicolor (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Taiwan, with Notes on Its Natural Status

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12040320 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 320

Author(s):

Sheng-Shan Lu ◽

Junichi Takahashi ◽

Wen-Chi Yeh ◽

Ming-Lun Lu ◽

Jing-Yi Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Range Expansion ◽

Ecological Niche Modeling ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Current Status ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Short Branch ◽

Branch Lengths ◽

The Government ◽

Central Taiwan

The invasive alien species (IAS) Vespa bicolor is the first reported hornet that has established in Taiwan and is concerning as they prey on honeybee Apis mellifera, which leads to colony losses and public concerns. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the current status of V. bicolor abundance, dispersal, and impact and to trace the origins of Taiwan’s V. bicolor population. Our studies took place in five areas in northern to central Taiwan. We used mtDNA in the phylogenetic analyses. Field survey and ecological niche modeling (ENM) were used to understand the origins and current range of the invasive species. Two main subgroups of V. bicolor in the phylogenetic tree were found, and a clade with short branch lengths in Southeastern China and Taiwan formed a subgroup, which shows that the Taiwan population may have invaded from a single event. Evidence shows that V. bicolor is not a severe pest to honeybees in the study area; however, using ENM, we predict the rapid dispersion of this species to the cooler and hilly mountain areas of Taiwan. The management of V. bicolor should also involve considering it a local pest to reduce loss by beekeepers and public fear in Taiwan. Our findings highlight how the government, beekeepers, and researchers alike should be aware of the implications of V. bicolor’s rapid range expansion in Taiwan, or in other countries.

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Systematic status of Campydora Cobb, 1920 (Nematoda: Campydorina)

Nematology ◽

10.1163/156854103322746878 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 699-711 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Peter Mullin ◽

Timothy Harris ◽

Thomas Powers

Keyword(s):

Maximum Likelihood ◽

Ribosomal Dna ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Maximum Parsimony ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Systematic Position ◽

Nominal Species ◽

Competing Hypotheses ◽

Small Subunit Ribosomal Dna

AbstractThe systematic position of Campydora Cobb, 1920, which possesses many unique morphological features, especially in pharyngeal structure and stomatal armature, has long been a matter of uncertainty with the 'position of the Campydorinae' (containing only Campydora) being questionable. A review of the morphology of C. demonstrans, the only nominal species of Campydora concluded that the species warranted placement as the sole member of a monotypic suborder, Campydorina, in the order Dorylaimida. Others placed Campydorina in the order Enoplida. We conducted phylogenetic analyses, using 18s small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences generated from a number of taxa in the subclasses Enoplia and Dorylaimia, to evaluate these competing hypotheses. Although precise taxonomic placement of the genus Campydora and the identity of its closest living relatives is in need of further investigation, our analyses, under maximum parsimony, distance, and maximum likelihood criteria, unambiguously indicate that Campydora shares a common, more recent, ancestry with genera such as Alaimus, Pontonema, Tripyla and Ironus (Enoplida), rather than with any members of Dorylaimida, Mononchida or Triplonchida.

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A new species of Chlorociboria (Helotiales, Ascomycota) on herbaceous stems from China

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.312.1.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 312 (1) ◽

pp. 111

Author(s):

HUAN-DI ZHENG ◽

WEN-YING ZHUANG

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Large Subunit ◽

Central China ◽

Nuclear Ribosomal Dna ◽

Light Blue ◽

Ectal Excipulum ◽

A New Species

A new species, namely Chlorociboria herbicola, is discovered on herbaceous stems in central China. Morphologically, the new fungus is distinctive by the combination of light blue-green apothecia, rectangular cells in ectal excipulum, and elongate-ellipsoidal ascospores with rounded ends. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer and large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences confirm its ascription in Chlorociboria and distinction from the known species of the genus.

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