scholarly journals Records of melanistic Tamandua tetradactyla (Pilosa, Myrmecophagidae) from Ecuador

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-347
Author(s):  
Gorki Ríos-Alvear ◽  
Héctor Cadena-Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
Frequent Mutations ◽  
Dark Coloration

In Ecuador, the presence of melanistic individuals of Southern Tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla Linnaeus (1758) has been recognized but there has not been a formal report written about it. Neither has there been one on the observations or the collected specimens in museums. We present six records of melanism in Tamandua tetradactyla from southern Ecuador and discuss other records in wildlife and from museum collections. Half of the records are recent photographic ones (2018), and the other three are museum specimens collected between 2009 and 2016. Our report of melanistic individuals suggests that dark coloration varieties are frequent mutations in the region. This report can be useful to promote conservation initiatives, based on the Southern Tamandua as a potential flagship-species.

scholarly journals Six new cases confirm the clinical molecular profile of complete combined 17α-hydroxylase/ 17,20-lyase deficiency in Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 711-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiane Rodrigues Barbosa Belgini ◽  
Maricilda Palandi de Mello ◽  
Maria Tereza Matias Baptista ◽  
Daniel Minutti de Oliveira ◽  
Fernanda Canova Denardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Present Report ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
The Other ◽  
Renin Activity ◽  
Inguinal Region ◽  
Molecular Profile ◽  
Hydroxylase Deficiency ◽  
Lyase Deficiency ◽  
Frequent Mutations ◽  
Low Levels

In 2004, Costa-Santos and cols. reported 24 patients from 19 Brazilian families with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency and showed that p.W406R and p.R362C corresponded to 50% and 32% of CYP17A1 mutant alleles, respectively. The present report describes clinical and molecular data of six patients from three inbred Brazilian families with 17α-hydroxlyse deficiency. All patients had hypogonadism, amenorrhea and hypertension at diagnosis. Two sisters were found to be 46,XY with both gonads palpable in the inguinal region. All patients presented hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, with high levels of ACTH (> 104 ng/mL), suppressed plasmatic renin activity, low levels of potassium (< 2.8 mEq/L) and elevated progesterone levels (> 4.4 ng/mL). Three of them, including two sisters, were homozygous for p.W406R mutation and the other three (two sisters and one cousin) were homozygous for p.R362C. The finding of p.W406R and p.R362C in the CYP17A1 gene here reported in additional families, confirms them as the most frequent mutations causing complete combined 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency in Brazilian patients.

scholarly journals Recovery of skeletal elements and extended wing from a mounted specimen of the nearly extinct Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)

2018 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Pavia ◽  
Gion Boano
Keyword(s):  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Extinct Species ◽  
The World

The Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) is a very rare Palaearctic Scolopacidae, classified Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with the last accepted record in 2001. In the museum collections, it is commonly preserved with mounted specimens and study skins, but only two skeletons have been reported in the world. Here we present the re-preparation of a mounted specimen from the collection of the Museo di Zoologia of the Torino University in order to obtain as much osteological material as possible. This practice, especially with rare or extinct species, is recommended in different papers to maximize the value of the museum specimens and remedy the lack of skeletal elements of very rare or extinct species.

Shedding new light on old species identifications: morphological and genetic evidence suggest a need for conservation status review of the critically endangered bat, Saccolaimus saccolaimus

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian J. Milne ◽  
Felicity C. Jackling ◽  
Manpreet Sidhu ◽  
Belinda R. Appleton
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Species Classification ◽  
Accurate Identification ◽  
Identification Of Species ◽  
Vital Component

Information based on the accurate identification of species is a vital component for achieving successful outcomes of biodiversity conservation and management. It is difficult to manage species that are poorly known or that are misidentified with other similar species. This is particularly problematic for rare and threatened species. Species that are listed under endangered species classification schemes need to be identified accurately and categorised correctly so that conservation efforts are appropriately allocated. In Australia, the emballonurid Saccolaimus saccolaimus is currently listed as ‘Critically Endangered’. On the basis of new observations and existing museum specimens, we used a combination of genetic (mitochondrial DNA sequence) and morphological (pelage characteristics, dig III : phalanx I length ratio, inter-upper canine distance) analyses to identify six new geographic records for S. saccolaimus, comprising ~100 individuals. Our analyses also suggested that there are likely to be more records in museum collections misidentified as S. flaviventris specimens. The external morphological similarities to S. flaviventris were addressed and genetic, morphological and echolocation analyses were used in an attempt to provide diagnostic characters that can be used to readily identify the two species in the field. We recommend genetic testing of all museum specimens of Australian Saccolaimus to clarify species’ distributions and provide data for reassessing the conservation status for both S. saccolaimus and S. flaviventris. Museum curators, taxonomists and wildlife managers need to be aware of potential species misidentifications, both in the field and laboratory. Misidentifications that result in misclassification of both threatened and non-threatened species can have significant implications.

scholarly journals Size cline not subspeciation in the Hooded Vulture

Vulture News ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Peter J. Mundy
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
The Other ◽  
Museum Collections

Wing, tail and bill lengths of Hooded Vultures were measured on 36 wild-caught birds and 75 in museum collections. A further 60 measurements were taken from literature, and 40 measurements were received from the Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale (Tervuren, Belgium). By grouping them into regions of Africa it was shown that the smallest birds were in West Africa and the largest in southern Africa (which is well known), with a gradation in between. Sizes varied according to a cline, and were correlated with average altitude. Given that the species has the same colouration (head, caruncles, plumage) from one end of the range to the other, indeed that populations are contiguous from Senegal to South Africa, then this goes against recognising any subspecies, but rather an intraspecific trend in sizes

scholarly journals A new Colombian species of Liodessus diving beetles from the Páramo de Sumapaz (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Bidessini)

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1059 ◽  
pp. 79-87
Author(s):  
Michael Balke ◽  
Yoandri Suarez-Megna ◽  
Rodulfo Ospina-Torres ◽  
Juan Simon Venegas ◽  
Carlos Prieto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
The Other ◽  
Diving Beetles ◽  
Dark Coloration

Liodessus picinussp. nov. is described from the Páramo de Sumapaz near Bogota D.C. at 3,500 m above sea level. The species can be distinguished from the other Colombian Liodessus species by its dark coloration, discontinuous habitus, shiny surface of the pronotum and elytron, presence of a distinct occipital line, distinct basal pronotal striae, short or even faint basal elytral striae, as well as by its distinct geographic distribution and cox1 signature.

scholarly journals Review of the Australian and New Zealand orb-weaving spider genus Novakiella (Araneae, Araneidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-405
Author(s):  
Volker W. Framenau ◽  
Cor J. Vink ◽  
Nikolaj Scharff ◽  
Renner L. C. Baptista ◽  
Pedro de S. Castanheira
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Base Plate ◽  
The Other ◽  
Museum Specimens

The orb-weaving spider genus Novakiella Court &amp; Forster, 1993 (family Araneidae Clerck, 1757) is reviewed to include two species, N. trituberculosa (Roewer, 1942) (type species, Australia and New Zealand) and N. boletussp. nov. (Australia). Novakiella belongs to the informal, largely Australian ‘backobourkiine’ clade and shares with the other genera of the clade a single macroseta on the male pedipalp patella and a median apophysis of the male pedipalp that forms an arch over the radix. The proposed genus synapomorphies are the presence of a large basal conductor lobe expanding apically over the radix and the shape of the median apophysis, which extends into a basally directed, pointy projection. Males have an apico-prolateral spur on the tibia of the second leg that carries a distinct spine. Females have an epigyne with triangular base plate bearing transverse ridges and an elongate triangular scape, which is almost always broken off. The humeral humps of the abdomen are distinct. Novakiella trituberculosa build characteristic dome-shaped webs; however, the foraging behaviour and web-shape of N. boletussp. nov., currently only known from museum specimens, are not known.

Consequences of the misidentification of museum specimens: the taxonomic status of Canis lupaster soudanicus

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 1148-1150
Author(s):  
Andrew C Kitchener ◽  
Fabio A Machado ◽  
Virginia Hayssen ◽  
Patricia D Moehlman ◽  
Suvi Viranta
Keyword(s):  
Geometric Morphometrics ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Junior Synonym ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Subsequent Research ◽  
Dental Measurements ◽  
Taxonomic Changes ◽  
Conservation And Management

Abstract Researchers are increasingly using museum collections for taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics, and faunal analyses, and they assume that taxonomic identifications on museum labels are correct. However, identifications may be incorrect or out of date, which could result in false conclusions from subsequent research. A recent geometric morphometrics analysis of skulls of African canids by Machado and Teta (2020) suggested that Canis lupaster soudanicus is a junior synonym of Lupulella adusta. However, the holotype of soudanicus was not measured and further investigation of the putative soudanicus specimens used in this study showed that these originally were identified as L. adusta. This original identification was confirmed by dental measurements, which also confirm that the holotype of soudanicus is Canis lupaster. Hence, soudanicus should not be synonymized with L. adusta. This example highlights the importance of careful checking of species identifications of museum specimens prior to research and, where possible, including (holo)types of taxa, before making taxonomic changes that could have important consequences for species conservation and management.

scholarly journals Peptide sequences from the first Castoroides ohioensis skull and the utility of old museum collections for palaeoproteomics

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1832) ◽  
pp. 20160593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. Cleland ◽  
Elena R. Schroeter ◽  
Robert S. Feranec ◽  
Deepak Vashishth
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Collagen I ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
The World

Vertebrate fossils have been collected for hundreds of years and are stored in museum collections around the world. These remains provide a readily available resource to search for preserved proteins; however, the vast majority of palaeoproteomic studies have focused on relatively recently collected bones with a well-known handling history. Here, we characterize proteins from the nasal turbinates of the first Castoroides ohioensis skull ever discovered. Collected in 1845, this is the oldest museum-curated specimen characterized using palaeoproteomic tools. Our mass spectrometry analysis detected many collagen I peptides, a peptide from haemoglobin beta, and in vivo and diagenetic post-translational modifications. Additionally, the identified collagen I sequences provide enough resolution to place C. ohioensis within Rodentia. This study illustrates the utility of archived museum specimens for both the recovery of preserved proteins and phylogenetic analyses.

scholarly journals Morphology captures diet and locomotor types in rodents

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 160957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis D. Verde Arregoitia ◽  
Diana O. Fisher ◽  
Manuel Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Morphological Similarity ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
Ecological Relevance ◽  
Ecological Literature ◽  
Close Relatives

To understand the functional meaning of morphological features, we need to relate what we know about morphology and ecology in a meaningful, quantitative framework. Closely related species usually share more phenotypic features than distant ones, but close relatives do not necessarily have the same ecologies. Rodents are the most diverse group of living mammals, with impressive ecomorphological diversification. We used museum collections and ecological literature to gather data on morphology, diet and locomotion for 208 species of rodents from different bioregions to investigate how morphological similarity and phylogenetic relatedness are associated with ecology. After considering differences in body size and shared evolutionary history, we find that unrelated species with similar ecologies can be characterized by a well-defined suite of morphological features. Our results validate the hypothesized ecological relevance of the chosen traits. These cranial, dental and external (e.g. ears) characters predicted diet and locomotion and showed consistent differences among species with different feeding and substrate use strategies. We conclude that when ecological characters do not show strong phylogenetic patterns, we cannot simply assume that close relatives are ecologically similar. Museum specimens are valuable records of species' phenotypes and with the characters proposed here, morphology can reflect functional similarity, an important component of community ecology and macroevolution.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Dynamics and Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Mutations and its Possible Structural and Functional Implications

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Justo Arévalo ◽  
Daniela Zapata Sifuentes ◽  
César Huallpa Robles ◽  
Gianfranco Landa Bianchi ◽  
Adriana Castillo Chávez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mutation Rate ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
The Other ◽  
Frequent Mutation ◽  
Synonymous Mutations ◽  
Functional Implications ◽  
Frequent Mutations ◽  
Drug Treatments ◽  
Identification Analysis ◽  
Global Population

ABSTRACTAfter eight months of the pandemic declaration, COVID-19 has not been globally controlled. Several efforts to control SARS-CoV-2 dissemination are still running including vaccines and drug treatments. The effectiveness of these procedures depends, in part, that the regions to which these treatments are directed do not vary considerably. Although, it is known that the mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 is relatively low it is necessary to monitor the adaptation and evolution of the virus in the different stages of the pandemic. Thus, identification, analysis of the dynamics, and possible functional and structural implication of mutations are relevant. Here, we first estimate the number of COVID-19 cases with a virus with a specific mutation and then calculate its global relative frequency (NRFp). Using this approach in a dataset of 100 924 genomes from GISAID, we identified 41 mutations to be present in viruses in an estimated number of 750 000 global COVID-19 cases (0.03 NRFp). We classified these mutations into three groups: high-frequent, low-frequent non-synonymous, and low-frequent synonymous. Analysis of the dynamics of these mutations by month and continent showed that high-frequent mutations appeared early in the pandemic, all are present in all continents and some of them are almost fixed in the global population. On the other hand, low-frequent mutations (non-synonymous and synonymous) appear late in the pandemic and seems to be at least partially continent-specific. This could be due to that high-frequent mutation appeared early when lockdown policies had not yet been applied and low-frequent mutations appeared after lockdown policies. Thus, preventing global dissemination of them. Finally, we present a brief structural and functional review of the analyzed ORFs and the possible implications of the 25 identified non-synonymous mutations.

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