Testing the Effectiveness of DNA Barcoding for Biodiversity Assessment of Moths from Nigeria

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Lotanna Micah Nneji ◽  
Adeniyi Charles Adeola ◽  
Yun-Yu Wang ◽  
Adeyemi Mufutau Ajao ◽  
Okorie Anyaele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Biodiversity Assessment ◽  
Taxonomic Methods ◽  
Future Work

Comprehensive biodiversity assessment of moths in Nigeria rely greatly on accurate species identification. While most of the Nigerian moths are identified effortlessly using their morphological traits, some taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, which makes it difficult for taxon diagnosis. We investigated the efficiency of the DNA barcode, a fragment of the mitochondrial Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I, as a tool for the identification of Nigerian moths. We barcoded 152 individuals comprising 18 morphospecies collected from one of the remaining and threatened rainforest blocks of Nigeria – the Cross River National Park. Phenetic neighbor-joining tree and phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood approach were employed for the molecular-based species identification. Results showed that DNA barcodes enabled species-level identification of most of the individuals collected from the Park. Additionally, DNA barcoding unraveled the presence of at least six potential new and yet undescribed species—Amnemopsyche sp., Arctia sp., Deinypena sp., Hodebertia sp., Otroeda sp., and Palpita sp. The phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood using the combined dataset of all the newly assembled sequences from Nigeria showed that all species formed unique clades. The phylogenetic analyses provided evidence of population divergence in Euchromia lethe, Nyctemera leuconoe, and Deinypena lacista. This study thus illustrates the efficacy of DNA barcoding for species identification and discovery of potential new species, which demonstrates its relevance in biodiversity documentation of Nigerian moths. Future work should, therefore, extend to the creation of an exhaustive DNA barcode reference library comprising all species of moths from Nigeria to have a comprehensive insight on the diversity of moths in the country. Finally, we propose integrated taxonomic methods that would combine morphological, ecological, and molecular data in the identification and diversity studies of moths in Nigeria.

Xylodon bambusinus and X. xinpingensis spp. nov. (Hymenochaetales) from southern China

Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 511 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
XIANG MA ◽  
CHANG-LIN ZHAO
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Thin Walled ◽  
Inference Methods

Two new species, Xylodon bambusinus and X. xinpingensis, are proposed based on morphological and molecular evidences. Both species share the annual growth habit, resupinate basidiomata and monomitic hyphal system with clamped, colorless generative hyphae, smooth, thin-walled basidiospores, but X. bambusinus is characterized by the smooth to tuberculate hymenial surface, presence of capitate and fusiform cystidia, broad ellipsoid basidiospores, while X. xinpingensis by the reticulate hymenophore with cream hymenial surface, and subglobose basidiospores (4.5–6 × 3.5–5 µm). Sequences of ITS and LSU nrRNA gene regions of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data of ITS and ITS+nLSU sequences showed that X. bambusinus was sister to X. subclavatus, while X. xinpingensis grouped with X. astrocystidiatus and X. paradoxus. The nLSU dataset revealed that X. bambusinus grouped with X. asperus and X. brevisetus with lower supports, and that X. xinpingensis grouped with X. astrocystidiatus and X. paradoxus and then with X. rimosissimus without supports. Both morphological and molecular evidences confirmed the placement of two new species in Xylodon. Description and figures from the new species and a key to the known species of Xylodon from China are presented.

scholarly journals Improvements in the fossil record may largely resolve current conflicts between morphological and molecular estimates of mammal phylogeny

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1893) ◽  
pp. 20181632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin M. D. Beck ◽  
Charles Baillie
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Morphological Character ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
State Reconstruction ◽  
Consensus View

Phylogenies of mammals based on morphological data continue to show several major areas of conflict with the current consensus view of their relationships, which is based largely on molecular data. This raises doubts as to whether current morphological character sets are able to accurately resolve mammal relationships. We tested this under a hypothetical ‘best case scenario’ by using ancestral state reconstruction (under both maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood) to infer the morphologies of fossil ancestors for all clades present in a recent comprehensive DNA sequence-based phylogeny of mammals, and then seeing what effect the subsequent inclusion of these predicted ancestors had on unconstrained phylogenetic analyses of morphological data. We found that this resulted in topologies that are highly congruent with the current consensus phylogeny, at least when the predicted ancestors are assumed to be well preserved and densely sampled. Most strikingly, several analyses recovered the monophyly of clades that have never been found in previous morphology-only studies, such as Afrotheria and Laurasiatheria. Our results suggest that, at least in principle, improvements in the fossil record—specifically the discovery of fossil taxa that preserve the ancestral or near-ancestral morphologies of the nodes in the current consensus—may be sufficient to largely reconcile morphological and molecular estimates of mammal phylogeny, even using current morphological character sets.

Molecular characterisation of, and new data on, two populations of Xiphinema ingens Luc & Dalmasso, 1964 (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from Iran

Nematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Sohrab Mirzaei ◽  
Ebrahim Pourjam ◽  
Majid Pedram
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
28S Rdna ◽  
Molecular Characterisation ◽  
Morphometric Data ◽  
Two Populations

Two populations of Xiphinema ingens were recovered and characterised based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. Interesting morphological variation was observed on the nature of differentiation in uterus of females between both populations, i.e. one population had only a pseudo-Z-organ in the shape of globular bodies, whilst the second population had a similar pseudo-Z-organ but also had crystalloids which varied in size and number and were located near the pseudo-Z-globules or sometimes at some distance from them towards the vagina. Variation was also observed in the shape of tail of juveniles within each population as well as between two recovered populations. Both populations had the same range of morphometric data and formed a fully supported clade in both Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods of phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of 28S rDNA D2-D3 and ITS1 regions. The two populations of X. ingens formed a clade with another Xiphinema species native to Iran (X. castilloi) in 28S and two species, X. macroacanthum and X. bernardi, in ITS1 trees.

Phlebia nigrodontea sp. nov. in Meruliaceae (Polyporales) with a black hymenial surface

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 458 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-206
Author(s):  
RUO-XIA HUANG ◽  
KAI-YUE LUO ◽  
CHANG-LIN ZHAO
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Monophyletic Lineage ◽  
Phlebioid Clade ◽  
Thin Walled ◽  
Inference Methods

A new wood-inhabiting fungus, Phlebia nigrodontea, is proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. The species is characterized by a grandinioid hymenophore with vinaceous brown to black colour, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae and ellipsoid, colourless, thin-walled, smooth basidiospores (3.9–4.9 × 2.3–3.1 µm). Sequences of ITS and LSU nrRNA gene regions of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses carried out using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analyses based on the molecular data of ITS+nLSU sequences showed that P. nigrodontea nested within the phlebioid clade. A further investigation of more representative taxa from Phlebia, based on ITS+nLSU sequences, demonstrated that the species P. nigrodontea formed a monophyletic lineage with strong support (100% BS, 100% BT, 1.00 BPP) and closely grouped with P. chrysocreas.

An example of problems associated with DNA barcoding in tardigrades: a novel method for obtaining voucher specimens

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3104 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHELE CESARI ◽  
ILARIA GIOVANNINI ◽  
ROBERTO BERTOLANI ◽  
LORENA REBECCHI
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Integrative Taxonomy ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Moss Sample ◽  
Voucher Specimens

We have in recent papers revealed that an integrative taxonomy approach helps to solve taxonomic problems in tardigrades. However, whole tardigrades are required for DNA work, which leaves no hologenophore voucher specimens with adult morphology. Using a novel methodology for the Tardigrada, we introduce the practice of collecting high quality maximum magnification light microscopy images of recently thawed animals to act as hologenophore voucher specimens of animals later used for DNA barcode sequencing. Within the framework of a DNA barcoding project on tardigrades, we collected a moss sample from the type locality of Macrobiotus terminalis Bertolani & Rebecchi, 1993 (Castelsantangelo, Central Apennines, Italy), a species of the “Macrobiotus hufelandi group”. Within the moss sample we found several animals and eggs with a morphology that corresponded to the original description of M. terminalis, while others were attributable to Macrobiotus macrocalix Bertolani & Rebecchi, 1993. In this study, molecular (cox1 mtDNA) analyses demonstrated no intraspecific variability in M. terminalis from the type locality but very large interspecific differences when compared with M. macrocalix and GenBank data for other species within the M. “hufelandi group”. There was also a large difference between our M. terminalis sequences and the GenBank data of a specimen attributed to the same species. The GenBank sequence originated from a population in the Northern Apennines, whose morphology appeared to be like that of the specimens of the locus typicus. This confirmed the importance in utilising material from the type locality for linking molecular data to the species’ morphological characters. Our paper underlines the importance of an integrative taxonomy in species diagnoses and demonstrates a scenario where morphological observations alone are not always sufficient. Lastly, this work adds reliable information to the sequence reference library that provides a useful building block for further studies on similar and related tardigrade taxa.

Ascomal evolution of filamentous ascomycetes: evidence from molecular data

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 811-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Spatafora
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Ribosomal Dna ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Filamentous Ascomycete ◽  
Group 4 ◽  
Nucleotide Data ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Parsimony Trees

Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide data from partial sequences (1150 bp) of the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) were performed on 30 taxa representing several orders of Hymenoascomycetes and Loculoascomycetes. These analyses detected four major groups of filamentous ascomycetes: group 1, pyrenomycetes (Hypocreales, Microascales, Diaporthales, Sordariales) and loculoascomycetes (Pleosporales); group 2, operculate discomycetes (Pezizales); group 3, inoperculate discomycetes (Geoglossaceae); and group 4, plectomycetes (Eurotiales, Onygenales) and loculoascomycetes (Chaetothyriales). Well-supported clades, which correspond to groupings based on ascomal morphology, were resolved; however, the monophyly of the classes Hymenoascomycetes and Loculoascomycetes was rejected. The placement of the root on the filamentous ascomycete ingroup proved more problematic than resolving the ingroup relationships. Three alternative rooting possibilities, which were identified in suboptimal parsimony trees, were not significantly less likely in maximum likelihood ratio tests. Nonetheless, the most likely topology obtained from fastDNAml was identical to the most parsimonious tree. Key words: filamentous ascomycetes, Hymenoascomycetes, Loculoascomycetes, parsimony, maximum likelihood, ribosomal DNA.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of Chara (Charophyceae, Characeae) from Brazil with emphasis on the midwest and southeast regions

Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 302 (2) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
FABIO RENATO BORGES ◽  
ORLANDO NECCHI JR
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
American Studies ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
South American ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
Sem Analyses

South American studies on the genus Chara are relatively scarce, most consisting of floristic surveys and using only traditional morphological characters. This study is a first approach to the systematics of the genus Chara applying modern techniques (DNA sequences and oospore SEM analyses) in addition to the alpha-taxonomy investigations that have been conducted in Brazil. Twelve populations of Chara were analyzed from the midwest and southeast regions of Brazil. Sequences of three molecular markers were applied to infer phylogenies. The ultrastructure of the oospore wall and currently used morphological characters were analyzed for Chara populations. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of sequences of rbcL, ITS2, and matK were congruent in that they grouped the species in six clades, each representing one species: Chara braunii C.C. Gmelin, C. foliolosa C.L.Willdenow, C. guairensis R.Bicudo, C. haitensis M.P.J.F. Turpin, C. hydropitys H. Reichenbach and C. rusbyana M. Howe. Morphological characters, including ultrastructure of oospore wall, provided good evidences to characterize each species. Molecular data supported the recent view that some traditional infra-generic taxa (e.g. subgenus Charopsis and subsection Willdenowia) are not supported in phylogenetic analyses, whereas some species (e.g. C. foliolosa, C. haitensis, C. hydropitys and C. rusbyana previously considered as varieties and forms of C. zeylanica) were consistently distinguished in the analyses for the three molecular markers.

scholarly journals Multi-locus DNA barcoding identifies matK as a suitable marker for species identification in Hibiscus L.

Genome ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 1150-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sundar Poovitha ◽  
Nithaniyal Stalin ◽  
Raju Balaji ◽  
Madasamy Parani
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Species Differentiation ◽  
Molecular Method ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Medicinal Value ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
Suitable Marker

The genus Hibiscus L. includes several taxa of medicinal value and species used for the extraction of natural dyes. These applications require the use of authentic plant materials. DNA barcoding is a molecular method for species identification, which helps in reliable authentication by using one or more DNA barcode marker. In this study, we have collected 44 accessions, representing 16 species of Hibiscus, distributed in the southern peninsular India, to evaluate the discriminatory power of the two core barcodes rbcLa and matK together with the suggested additional regions trnH-psbA and ITS2. No intraspecies divergence was observed among the accessions studied. Interspecies divergence was 0%–9.6% with individual markers, which increased to 0%–12.5% and 0.8%–20.3% when using two- and three-marker combinations, respectively. Differentiation of all the species of Hibiscus was possible with the matK DNA barcode marker. Also, in two-marker combinations, only those combinations with matK differentiated all the species. Though all the three-marker combinations showed 100% species differentiation, species resolution was consistently better when the matK marker formed part of the combination. These results clearly showed that matK is more suitable when compared to rbcLa, trnH-psbA, and ITS2 for species identification in Hibiscus.

scholarly journals Machine Learning for Species Identification: The HebelomaProject from database to website

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bartlett ◽  
Ursula Eberhardt ◽  
Nicole Schütz ◽  
Henry Beker
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Learning Phase ◽  
Training Set ◽  
Species Determination ◽  
Almost All

Attempts to use machine learning (ML) for species identification of macrofungi have usually involved the use of image recognition to deduce the species from photographs, sometimes combining this with collection metadata. Our approach is different: we use a set of quantified morphological characters (for example, the average length of the spores) and locality (GPS coordinates). Using this data alone, the machine can learn to differentiate between species. Our case study is the genus Hebeloma, fungi within the order Agaricales, where species determination is renowned as a difficult problem. Whether it is as a result of recent speciation, the plasticity of the species, hybridization or stasis is a difficult question to answer. What is sure is that this has led to difficulties with species delimitation and consequently a controversial taxonomy. The Hebeloma Project—our attempt to solve this problem by rigorously understanding the genus—has been evolving for over 20 years. We began organizing collections in a database in 2003. The database now has over 10,000 collections, from around the world, with not only metadata but also morphological descriptions and photographs, both macroscopic and microscopic, as well as molecular data including at least an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence (generally, but not universally, accepted as a DNA barcode marker for fungi (Schoch et al. 2012)), and in many cases sequences of several loci. Included within this set of collections are almost all type specimens worldwide. The collections on the database have been analysed and compared. The analysis uses both the morphological and molecular data as well as information about habitat and location. In this way, almost all collections are assigned to a species. This development has been enabled and assisted by citizen scientists from around the globe, collecting and recording information about their finds as well as preserving material. From this database, we have built a website, which updates as the database updates. The website (hebeloma.org) is currently undergoing beta testing prior to a public launch. It includes up-to-date species descriptions, which are generated by amalgamating the data from the collections of each species in the database. Additional tools allow the user to explore those species with similar habitat preferences, or those from a particular biogeographic area. The user is also able to compare a range of characters of different species via an interactive plotter. The ML-based species identifier is featured on the website. The standardised storage of the collection data on the database forms the backbone for the identifier. A portion of the collections on the database are (almost) randomly selected as a training set for the learning phase of the algorithm. The learning is “supervised” in the sense that collections in the training set have been pre-assigned to a species by expert analysis. With the learning phase complete, the remainder of the database collections may then be used for testing. To use the species identifier on the website, a user inputs the same small number of morphological characters used to train the tool and it promptly returns the most likely species represented, ranked in order of probability. As well as describing the neural network behind the species identifier tool, we will demonstrate it in action on the website, present the successful results it has had in testing to date and discuss its current limitations and possible generalizations.

scholarly journals DNA-barcoding of forensically important blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in the Caribbean Region

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohath Z. Yusseff-Vanegas ◽  
Ingi Agnarsson
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Species Delimitation ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Reference Database ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Accurate Identification ◽  
The Caribbean

Correct identification of forensically important insects, such as flies in the family Calliphoridae, is a crucial step for them to be used as evidence in legal investigations. Traditional identification based on morphology has been effective, but has some limitations when it comes to identifying immature stages of certain species. DNA-barcoding, using COI, has demonstrated potential for rapid and accurate identification of Calliphoridae, however, this gene does not reliably distinguish among some recently diverged species, raising questions about its use for delimitation of species of forensic importance. To facilitate DNA based identification of Calliphoridae in the Caribbean we developed a vouchered reference collection from across the region, and a DNA sequence database, and further added the nuclear ITS2 as a second marker to increase accuracy of identification through barcoding. We morphologically identified freshly collected specimens, did phylogenetic analyses and employed several species delimitation methods for a total of 468 individuals representing 19 described species. Our results show that combination of COI + ITS2 genes yields more accurate identification and diagnoses, and better agreement with morphological data, than the mitochondrial barcodes alone. All of our results from independent and concatenated trees and most of the species delimitation methods yield considerably higher diversity estimates than the distance based approach and morphology. Molecular data support at least 24 distinct clades within Calliphoridae in this study, recovering substantial geographic variation forLucilia eximia, Lucilia retroversa, Lucilia ricaandChloroprocta idioidea, probably indicating several cryptic species. In sum, our study demonstrates the importance of employing a second nuclear marker for barcoding analyses and species delimitation of calliphorids, and the power of molecular data in combination with a complete reference database to enable identification of taxonomically and geographically diverse insects of forensic importance.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document