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

Animals ◽  
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.

scholarly journals A microbial eukaryote with a unique combination of purple bacteria and green algae as endosymbionts

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (24) ◽  
pp. eabg4102
Author(s):  
Sergio A. Muñoz-Gómez ◽  
Martin Kreutz ◽  
Sebastian Hess
Keyword(s):  
Energy Metabolism ◽  
Green Algae ◽  
Purple Bacteria ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Unique Combination ◽  
Anoxygenic Photosynthesis ◽  
Microbial Eukaryote ◽  
Eukaryotic Algae ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Partial Overlap

Oxygenic photosynthesizers (cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae) have repeatedly become endosymbionts throughout evolution. In contrast, anoxygenic photosynthesizers (e.g., purple bacteria) are exceedingly rare as intracellular symbionts. Here, we report on the morphology, ultrastructure, lifestyle, and metagenome of the only “purple-green” eukaryote known. The ciliate Pseudoblepharisma tenue harbors green algae and hundreds of genetically reduced purple bacteria. The latter represent a new candidate species of the Chromatiaceae that lost known genes for sulfur dissimilation. The tripartite consortium is physiologically complex because of the versatile energy metabolism of each partner but appears to be ecologically specialized as it prefers hypoxic sediments. The emergent niche of this complex symbiosis is predicted to be a partial overlap of each partners’ niches and may be largely defined by anoxygenic photosynthesis and possibly phagotrophy. This purple-green ciliate thus represents an extraordinary example of how symbiosis merges disparate physiologies and allows emergent consortia to create novel ecological niches.

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

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runhua Lei ◽  
Cynthia L. Frasier ◽  
Adam T. McLain ◽  
Justin M. Taylor ◽  
Carolyn A. Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Data ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Geographic Boundaries ◽  
Candidate Species

scholarly journals A Taxonomic Investigation into the Red Alga Plocamium within New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Madeline Wynn Cooper
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Species Delimitation ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Relationship ◽  
Red Alga ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
True Diversity ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Bayesian Implementation ◽  
Genetic Species

<p>The red alga Plocamium is a cosmopolitan genus, known for its distinct branching pattern and rich chemical composition. Recent studies indicate morphological-based species delimitation approaches have failed to accurately discern diversity, distributions, and evolutionary relationship between species worldwide. Currently there are seven recognized species within New Zealand based on traditional morphological approaches and no molecular based work focused on discerning true diversity of New Zealand species in this genus. This thesis is the first to use molecular-assisted alpha taxonomy to investigate Plocamium within New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference) based on COI, rbcL, LSU and combined LSU/COI markers, three molecular species delimitation methods (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, General Mixed Yule Coalescent, and Bayesian implementation of the Poisson Tree Processes), and morphometric analyses of various characters (width of main axis (WMA), width of lowest basal ramuli (WLBR), length of lowest basal ramuli (LLBR), number of alternating series of ramuli (NASR), average number of ramuli per alternating series (ANRAS), curvature of basal ramuli (CBR) and serrations present or absent from basal ramuli (SERBR) were used to address this topic. The species delimitation methods revealed at least eleven (A-K) putative genetic species (with some incongruences) within the New Zealand specimens included in the study. Morphometric analyses indicated morphology reflects genetic diversity when multiple measures of multiple characters are used, however this is not the case when considering single characters. Phylogenetic analyses revealed possible monophyly of New Zealand candidate species C-K, and possible relationships to Australian, Chilean, and Taiwanese species. However these backbone relationships were poorly supported. The results of this study indicate that Plocamium diversity within New Zealand has been underestimated and provide the first steps in discovering the true species diversity of Plocamium within New Zealand.</p>

scholarly journals Novel diversity within marine Mamiellophyceae (Chlorophyta) unveiled by metabarcoding

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot Tragin ◽  
Daniel Vaulot
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
18S Rrna Gene ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Green Microalgae ◽  
Variable Regions ◽  
Specific Distribution ◽  
Clade B ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Ocean Sampling

ABSTRACTThe Ocean Sampling Day (OSD) project provided metabarcoding data for the V4 hyper-variable regions of the 18S rRNA gene from 157 samples collected at 143 mostly coastal stations. In this paper we focus on the class Mamiellophyceae, which was found at nearly all OSD stations and represented 55 % of the green microalgae (Chlorophyta) reads in the 2014 OSD dataset. We performed phylogenetic analyses of unique OSD metabarcodes (ASV, amplicon single variants) and reference GenBank sequences from cultures and from the environment, focusing on the four most represented genera: Ostreococcus (45 % of the Mamiellophyceae reads), Micromonas (34 %), Bathycoccus (10 %) and Mantoniella (8.7 %). These analyses uncovered novel diversity within each genus except Bathycoccus. In Ostreococcus, a new clade (E) with 2 very clear base pair differences compared to the oceanic clade B in the V4 region was the second most represented clade after the coastal Ostreococcus “lucimarinus”. Within Micromonas, ten clades were found exceeding the 4 species and 2 candidate species already described. Finally, we found 2 new environmental clades of Mantoniella. Each Mamiellophyceae clade had a specific distribution in the OSD dataset suggesting that they are adapted to different ecological niches.

scholarly journals A Taxonomic Investigation into the Red Alga Plocamium within New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Madeline Wynn Cooper
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Species Delimitation ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Relationship ◽  
Red Alga ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
True Diversity ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Bayesian Implementation ◽  
Genetic Species

<p>The red alga Plocamium is a cosmopolitan genus, known for its distinct branching pattern and rich chemical composition. Recent studies indicate morphological-based species delimitation approaches have failed to accurately discern diversity, distributions, and evolutionary relationship between species worldwide. Currently there are seven recognized species within New Zealand based on traditional morphological approaches and no molecular based work focused on discerning true diversity of New Zealand species in this genus. This thesis is the first to use molecular-assisted alpha taxonomy to investigate Plocamium within New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference) based on COI, rbcL, LSU and combined LSU/COI markers, three molecular species delimitation methods (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, General Mixed Yule Coalescent, and Bayesian implementation of the Poisson Tree Processes), and morphometric analyses of various characters (width of main axis (WMA), width of lowest basal ramuli (WLBR), length of lowest basal ramuli (LLBR), number of alternating series of ramuli (NASR), average number of ramuli per alternating series (ANRAS), curvature of basal ramuli (CBR) and serrations present or absent from basal ramuli (SERBR) were used to address this topic. The species delimitation methods revealed at least eleven (A-K) putative genetic species (with some incongruences) within the New Zealand specimens included in the study. Morphometric analyses indicated morphology reflects genetic diversity when multiple measures of multiple characters are used, however this is not the case when considering single characters. Phylogenetic analyses revealed possible monophyly of New Zealand candidate species C-K, and possible relationships to Australian, Chilean, and Taiwanese species. However these backbone relationships were poorly supported. The results of this study indicate that Plocamium diversity within New Zealand has been underestimated and provide the first steps in discovering the true species diversity of Plocamium within New Zealand.</p>

scholarly journals Glassfrogs of Ecuador: Diversity, Evolution, and Conservation

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Guayasamin ◽  
Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia ◽  
Roy W. McDiarmid ◽  
Paula Peña ◽  
Carl R. Hutter
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Species Status ◽  
The Andes ◽  
New Information ◽  
Dominant Feature ◽  
The Family ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
Conservation Threats

Glassfrogs (family: Centrolenidae) represent a fantastic radiation (~150 described species) of Neotropical anurans that originated in South America and dispersed into Central America. In this study, we review the systematics of Ecuadorian glassfrogs, providing species accounts of all 60 species, including three new species described herein. For all Ecuadorian species, we provide new information on the evolution, morphology, biology, conservation, and distribution. We present a new molecular phylogeny for Centrolenidae and address cryptic diversity within the family. We employ a candidate species system and designate 24 putative new species that require further study to determine their species status. We find that, in some cases, currently recognized species lack justification; specifically, we place Centrolene gemmata and Centrolene scirtetes under the synonymy of Centrolene lynchi; C. guanacarum and C. bacata under the synonymy of Centrolene sanchezi; Cochranella phryxa under the synonymy of Cochranella resplendens; and Hyalinobatrachium ruedai under the synonymy of Hyalinobatrachium munozorum. We also find that diversification patterns are mostly congruent with allopatric speciation, facilitated by barriers to gene flow (e.g., valleys, mountains, linearity of the Andes), and that niche conservatism is a dominant feature in the family. Conservation threats are diverse, but habitat destruction and climate change are of particular concern. The most imperiled glassfrogs in Ecuador are Centrolene buckleyi, C. charapita, C. geckoidea, C. medemi, C. pipilata, Cochranella mache, Nymphargus balionotus, N. manduriacu, N. megacheirus, and N. sucre, all of which are considered Critically Endangered. Lastly, we identify priority areas for glassfrog conservation in Ecuador.

Restoring the species status of Catharus maculatus (Aves: Turdidae), a secretive Andean thrush, with a critique of the yardstick approach to species delimitation

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4276 (3) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW R. HALLEY ◽  
JOHN C. KLICKA ◽  
PAUL R. SESINK CLEE ◽  
JASON D. WECKSTEIN
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Species Delimitation ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Plumage Color ◽  
Species Status ◽  
The Common ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Independent Species ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

In the 1850s, two species of "Spotted" Nightingale-Thrush (Aves: Catharus) were independently described from montane rainforests of Guatemala, C. dryas (Gould, 1855) and Ecuador, C. maculatus (Sclater, 1858). However, due to similarities in plumage color, C. maculatus was reclassified as a subspecies of C. dryas in 1878, a decision that has been upheld for 137 years. We collected multiple lines of evidence including phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences (ND2), discriminant and principal components analysis of morphometric and vocal data, and statistical modeling of ecological niches, that collectively indicate that C. d. dryas and C. d. maculatus are independent species. We recommend restoring species status to C. maculatus of South America and applying the common name Sclater’s Nightingale-Thrush to this species. 

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