Revision of Madagascar's Dwarf Lemurs (Cheirogaleidae:Cheirogaleus): Designation of Species, Candidate Species Status and Geographic Boundaries Based on Molecular and Morphological Data

Abstract Boana atlantica was described based on morphological characters to acommodate populations from Bahia state, Brazil, previously referred to as B. punctata. However, its taxonomic validity is questionable due to inconsistencies in bioacoustic data. Here, we integrate molecular, cytogenetic and morphological data to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of B. atlantica. Molecular analyses provided strong support for the hypothesis that B. atlantica is a valid species, being, however, nominal populations from Bahia state paraphyletic with respect to individuals of B. atlantica collected in Alagoas and Pernambuco states. These populations shown high genetic divergence in the 16S rRNA mitochondrial fragment, and we consider populations from Alagoas and Pernambuco as a putative new candidate species of Boana punctata group. The external and internal morphology of the tadpoles of these lineages were similar, but Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NOR) was sited in different chromosomes. Our results indicate that B. atlantica is paraphyletic and may be a complex of species. Morphological of adult and/or bioacoustical data should be further assessed to find diagnostic characters to tease these lineages apart and name them properly.

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Anopheles prachongae, a new species of the Gigas Complex of subgenus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand, contrasted with known forms of the complex

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4236.1.3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4236 (1) ◽

pp. 65 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

RALPH E. HARBACH ◽

RAMPA RATTANARITHIKUL ◽

BRUCE A. HARRISON

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Central Asia ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Immature Stages ◽

Species Status ◽

Larval Stages ◽

South Central ◽

A New Species

Anopheles (Anopheles) prachongae, a new species of the Gigas Complex from northern Thailand, is described and illustrated in the adult, pupal and larval stages, and bionomics and chaetotaxy tables are provided for the immature stages. The species is distinguished from Anopheles baileyi, the only other species of the complex known to occur in Thailand, and contrasted with other taxa of the complex that occur in the Oriental Region. Available morphological data indicate that An. gigas sumatrana is unique and is therefore formally afforded species status. The three other Sumatran subspecies may be conspecific. The taxonomic status of the non-Sumatran subspecies, i.e. crockeri (Borneo), formosus (Philippines), refutans (Sri Lanka) and simlensis (south-central Asia), is questioned but their status is unchanged pending further study.

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A morphometric assessment of species boundaries in a widespread anole lizard (Squamata: Dactyloidae)

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society ◽

10.1093/biolinnean/blaa082 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 130 (4) ◽

pp. 813-825

Author(s):

Tanner C Myers ◽

Pietro L H de Mello ◽

Richard E Glor

Keyword(s):

Cryptic Species ◽

Model Fitting ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Genetic Data ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Species Boundaries ◽

Morphometric Data ◽

Normal Mixture ◽

Test Species ◽

Candidate Species

Abstract Cryptic species – genetically distinct species that are morphologically difficult to distinguish – present challenges to systematists. Operationally, cryptic species are very difficult to identify and sole use of genetic data or morphological data can fail to recognize evolutionarily isolated lineages. We use morphometric data to test species boundaries hypothesized with genetic data in the North Caribbean bark anole (Anolis distichus), a suspected species complex. We use univariate and multivariate analyses to test if candidate species based on genetic data can be accurately diagnosed. We also test alternative species delimitation scenarios with a model fitting approach that evaluates normal mixture models capable of identifying morphological clusters. Our analyses reject the hypothesis that the candidate species are diagnosable. Neither uni- nor multivariate morphometric data distinguish candidate species. The best-supported model included two morphological clusters; however, these clusters were uneven and did not align with a plausible species divergence scenario. After removing two related traits driving this result, only one cluster was supported. Despite substantial differentiation revealed by genetic data, we recover no new evidence to delimit species and refrain from taxonomic revision. This study highlights the importance of considering other types of data along with molecular data when delimiting species.

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Are Palmer’s Elm-Leaf Goldenrod and the Smooth Elm-Leaf Goldenrod Real? The Angiosperms353 Kit Provides Within-Species Signal in Solidago ulmifolia s. l.

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364421x16370109698740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 1107-1113

Author(s):

James B. Beck ◽

Morgan L. Markley ◽

Mackenzie G. Zielke ◽

Justin R. Thomas ◽

Haley J. Hale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Clustering Analysis ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Herbarium Specimens ◽

Species Status ◽

Genetic Groups ◽

The Status ◽

Distinct Taxon ◽

Sheer Number

Abstract— The genus Solidago represents a taxonomically challenging group due to its sheer number of species, putative hybridization, polyploidy, and shallow genetic divergence among species. Here we use a dataset obtained exclusively from herbarium specimens to evaluate the status of Solidago ulmifolia var. palmeri, a morphologically subtle taxon potentially confined to Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri. A multivariate analysis of both discrete and continuous morphological data revealed no clear distinction between S. ulmifolia var. palmeri and Solidago ulmifolia var. ulmifolia. Solidago ulmifolia var. palmeri’s status was also assessed with a phylogenomic and SNP clustering analysis of data generated with the “Angiosperms353” probe kit. Neither analysis supported Solidago ulmifolia var. palmeri as a distinct taxon, and we suggest that this name should be discarded. The status of Solidago delicatula (formerly known as Solidago ulmifolia var. microphylla) was also assessed. Both morphological and phylogenetic analyses supported the species status of S. delicatula and we suggest maintaining this species at its current rank. These results highlight the utility of the Angiosperms353 probe kit, both with herbarium tissue and at lower taxonomic levels. Indeed, this is the first study to utilize this kit to identify genetic groups within a species.

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Intra- or inter-specific difference in genotypes of Caligus elongatus Nordmann 1832?

Acta Parasitologica ◽

10.2478/s11686-008-0002-2 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Øivind Øines ◽

Thomas Schram

Keyword(s):

Species Differences ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Genetic Distances ◽

Mitochondrial Genes ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Specific Difference ◽

Species Status ◽

Lower Range ◽

Crustacean Species

AbstractTwo mitochondrial and one nuclear genetic marker were used to study the phylogenetic position of the two reported CO1-genotypes of Caligus elongatus in a group of closely related caligid parasites. Molecular analysis of the two mitochondrial genes (CO1 and 16S), indicate genetic distances of the two C. elongatus genotypes in the lower range of distances previously reported between other crustacean species, but higher than comparable reported within-species differences. Analyses of nuclear 18S sequences indicate no detectable differentiation between these genotypes, but may be due to expected differences in the resolution of these genetic markers. Investigation of two of three selected morphological characters reveals phenotypes supporting the division based on the molecular division. The species status on the two C. elongatus genotypes cannot be drawn conclusively, although the molecular and morphological data presented here suggests the presence of sibling species.

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Disentangling the Impacts of Speciation, Sympatry and the Island Effect on the Morphology of Seven Hynobius sp. Salamanders

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11010187 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 187

Author(s):

Amaël Borzée ◽

Mi-Sook Min

Keyword(s):

Korean Peninsula ◽

Ecological Niches ◽

Microsatellite Data ◽

Species Status ◽

Island Effect ◽

Ecological Variables ◽

True Diversity ◽

Candidate Species ◽

Related Individuals

Closely related individuals from different areas can see their morphologies change based on differences between clades, but also ecological variables such as the island effect or sympatry. This is the case of salamanders, which have adapted to a broad range of ecological niches, ranging from underground dwellers in xeric landscape to tropical arboreal habitats. On the Korean Peninsula, salamanders from the Hynobius clade are widespread on the mainland and islands, with several partially sympatric clades and candidate species. Currently, seven lineages have been identified based on mtDNA, four of them matching named species and three others for which the species status remains untested. While the morphology of Korean Hynobius is known to be variable between genetically segregated clades, we hypothesise that (1) the candidate species are morphologically different, and that (2) the island effect and (3) the sympatric status have significant impacts on the morphology of individuals within the genus. Here we measured 329 Hynobius salamanders from all seven clades, in areas of sympatry and allopatry, and on islands and on the mainland (Graphical Abstract A). We determined that the island effect had a significant impact on the morphology of the genus, with mainland individuals generally displaying a broader range of morphology than islandic individuals (Graphical Abstract B). We also determined that sympatry had an impact on morphology, with the sizes of individuals from clades in sympatric areas diverging from each other (Graphical Abstract C). Finally, we demonstrated that all seven clades have significantly different morphologies, and we described the three candidate species that had already been isolated based on mtDNA and microsatellite data: Hynobius notialis sp. nov., Hynobius geojeensis sp. nov. and Hynobius perplicatus sp. nov. We conclude that looking at morphology alone would be misleading about the true diversity of Hynobius species, and species in general, because of the island and patry effects.

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Hippocampus queenslandicus Horne, 2001 - a new seahorse species or yet another synonym?

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo07021 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 139 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Peter R. Teske ◽

Sara A. Lourie ◽

Conrad A. Matthee ◽

David M. Green

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽

Strong Support ◽

Mitochondrial Control Region ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Lineage Sorting ◽

Species Status ◽

The Past ◽

Species Descriptions

During the past six years, 15 new seahorse species (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) have been described on the basis of morphological characters. This approach is known to be problematic, and most species names in Hippocampus are now considered to be synonyms. Genetic methods have great potential to resolve the confused taxonomy of the genus, but none have yet been incorporated into species descriptions. In the present study, mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b DNA sequences, as well as morphological data from the recently described Queensland seahorse, Hippocampus queenslandicus Horne, 2001, were compared with corresponding data from closely related seahorse species to determine whether there is strong support for distinction of this taxon. The haplotypes of H. queenslandicus were nested among haplotypes belonging to two of the three major Southeast Asian lineages of H. spinosissimus Weber, 1913. Although incomplete lineage sorting characteristic of very recently diverged species cannot be ruled out, the genetic results suggest that H. queenslandicus is paraphyletic. Morphometric analysis further fails to provide strong support for the species status of H. queenslandicus. We conclude that support for the distinctness of H. queenslandicus is weak, and indicate that it is a synonym of H. spinosissimus. The taxonomic validity of other recently described seahorse species should be similarly scrutinised using combined genetic and detailed morphological methods.

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Not the Cryptic Species: Diversity of Hipposideros gentilis (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in Indochina

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13050218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 218

Author(s):

Alexander P. Yuzefovich ◽

Ilya V. Artyushin ◽

Sergei V. Kruskop

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Morphological Similarity ◽

Species Status ◽

Lowland Forest ◽

The North ◽

South Vietnam ◽

Central Vietnam ◽

Close Phylogenetic Relationship ◽

Complex Distribution

We present here the result of phylogenetic analysis for Vietnamese Hipposideros gentilis specimens using 7 nuclear genes and one mitochondrial gene. The complex distribution of divergent mitochondrial DNA lineages contradicts, at least in part, nuclear and morphological data. The most likely explanation for this discordance is the historical hybridization between ancestral populations of H. gentilis and H. rotalis/H. khaokhouayensis. Our data supports the species status of H. gentilis, while only partially corroborating its previously proposed subspecies delimitation. We suggest the lowland forest populations from south Vietnam may correspond to their own subspecies. At the same time, the close phylogenetic relationship and morphological similarity of mountain forms from south and central Vietnam to the north Vietnamese populations make doubtful the subspecies status of H. gentilis sinensis.

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Morphological and genetic variation in Centrolepis paludicola and C. monogyna (Centrolepidaceae)

Australian Systematic Botany ◽

10.1071/sb98035 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 679 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Cambecèdes ◽

R. E. Vaillancourt ◽

B. M. Potts

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Molecular Markers ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Species Status ◽

Variable Species ◽

The Common ◽

Local Differentiation ◽

Vegetative Characters ◽

High Level

Centrolepis paludicola is a small cushion-forming herb which is listed as an endangered species. However, some taxonomists have questioned its species status and treat it as a subspecies of the common C. monogyna. Morphological measurements were taken on plants from 50 cushions collected from 31 sites throughout Tasmania, and included C. paludicola, C. monogyna and C. fascicularis as an outgroup to resolve this taxonomic issue. While C. fascicularis was distinct in all morphological analyses, the sympatric C. paludicola and C. monogyna could not be clearly distinguished on the basis of the reproductive and vegetative characters that are supposed to separate them. Centrolepis monogyna is henceforth interpreted as a morphologically variable species which includes C. paludicola. Once it was shown that these are best treated as one species, RAPD molecular markers were used to analyse genetic variation between populations. This analysis revealed a high level of polymorphism between cushions. As in the multivariate analysis of morphological data, C. monogyna and C. paludicola containing cushions were indistinguishable. However, there was a strong geographical structure to the genetic variation in the C. monogyna/C. paludicola group, consistent with a model in which gene flow between populations is limited and local differentiation has occurred.

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Re-evaluation of the taxonomy of the Sri Lankan pigmy shrew Suncus fellowesgordoni (Soricidae: Crocidurinae) and its phylogenetic relationship with S. etruscus

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.3187.1.5 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3187 (1) ◽

pp. 57 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

SUYAMA MEEGASKUMBURA ◽

MADHAVA MEEGASKUMBURA ◽

CHRISTOPHER J. SCHNEIDER

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Genetic Distance ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Species Status ◽

Popula Tions ◽

Rag 1 ◽

Lower Incisors

The taxonomy of the pigmy shrews Suncus fellowesgordoni and S. etruscus is unclear and their phylogenetic relationshipsare unknown. Using molecular and morphological data, we confirm the species status of S. fellowesgordoni as being dis-tinct from S. etruscus, its probable sister species. Suncus fellowesgordoni is genetically distant from S. etruscus popula-tions in Sri Lanka and India, and Europe with a percent pairwise uncorrected genetic distance of 7.9–8.2% and 9.2–9.3%for cytochrome-b (mitochondrial DNA), respectively. The genetic distance between S. fellowesgordoni and S. etruscus ofSri Lanka and India for Rag 1 (nuclear DNA, exon) is 1.3–1.7%. The two species are also morphologically distinct by S. fellowesgordoni being larger in all dimensions, darker in hue and having two denticulations on the lower incisors.

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