scholarly journals Phylogenomic analyses reveal a Gondwanan origin and repeated out of India colonizations into Asia by tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11162
Author(s):  
Saoirse Foley ◽  
Henrik Krehenwinkel ◽  
Dong-Qiang Cheng ◽  
William H. Piel
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Dispersal Rate ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Current Distributions ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Phylogenomic Analyses ◽  
Dual Colonization

The study of biogeography seeks taxa that share a key set of characteristics, such as timescale of diversification, dispersal ability, and ecological lability. Tarantulas are ideal organisms for studying evolution over continental-scale biogeography given their time period of diversification, their mostly long-lived sedentary lives, low dispersal rate, and their nevertheless wide circumtropical distribution. In tandem with a time-calibrated transcriptome-based phylogeny generated by PhyloBayes, we estimate the ancestral ranges of ancient tarantulas using two methods, DEC+j and BBM, in the context of their evolution. We recover two ecologically distinct tarantula lineages that evolved on the Indian Plate before it collided with Asia, emphasizing the evolutionary significance of the region, and show that both lineages diversified across Asia at different times. The most ancestral tarantulas emerge on the Americas and Africa 120 Ma–105.5 Ma. We provide support for a dual colonization of Asia by two different tarantula lineages that occur at least 20 million years apart, as well as a Gondwanan origin for the group. We determine that their current distributions are attributable to a combination of Gondwanan vicariance, continental rafting, and geographic radiation. We also discuss emergent patterns in tarantula habitat preferences through time.

Habitat Selection by 2 Closely Related Skinks, Egernia-Modesta Storr and Egernia-Whitii Lacepede (Lacertilia, Scincidae)

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Milton ◽  
JM Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Grass Cover ◽  
Allopatric Populations ◽  
Narrow Zone ◽  
Current Distributions ◽  
Microhabitat Preferences

'The habitat and microhabitat preferences, and times of activity, of the skinks Egernia modesta and E. whitii were examined in southern Queensland where they coexist in a narrow zone. The above parameters were compared between locally sympatric and allopatric populations, in an attempt to determine whether there was evidence of niche separation in sympatry. E. modesta preferred open habitats with little canopy cover and high grass cover, adjacent to rocky retreats. E. whitii preferred rocky areas with well developed canopy and shrub layers. Both species were active throughout the day, although E. modesta was active later than E. whitii. No evidence was found of competition restricting habitat preferences where the two species coexisted. It is suggested that human disturbance has had some influence on current distributions of these species.

scholarly journals Phylogenomic Reconstruction Sheds Light on New Relationships and Timescale of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) Evolution

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C. Garcia-R ◽  
Emily Moriarty Lemmon ◽  
Alan R. Lemmon ◽  
Nigel French
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Bayesian Approaches ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Anchored Phylogenomics ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenomic Analyses

The integration of state-of-the-art molecular techniques and analyses, together with a broad taxonomic sampling, can provide new insights into bird interrelationships and divergence. Despite their evolutionary significance, the relationships among several rail lineages remain unresolved as does the general timescale of rail evolution. Here, we disentangle the deep phylogenetic structure of rails using anchored phylogenomics. We analysed a set of 393 loci from 63 species, representing approximately 40% of the extant familial diversity. Our phylogenomic analyses reconstruct the phylogeny of rails and robustly infer several previously contentious relationships. Concatenated maximum likelihood and coalescent species-tree approaches recover identical topologies with strong node support. The results are concordant with previous phylogenetic studies using small DNA datasets, but they also supply an additional resolution. Our dating analysis provides contrasting divergence times using fossils and Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. Our study refines the evolutionary history of rails, offering a foundation for future evolutionary studies of birds.

scholarly journals Core Microbiota in Agricultural Soils and Their Potential Associations with Nutrient Cycling

mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Jiao ◽  
Yiqin Xu ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Xin Hao ◽  
Yahai Lu
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Cycling ◽  
Microbial Ecology ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Rice Soils ◽  
Core Microbiota ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
The Core ◽  
Ecological Roles

ABSTRACT Revealing the ecological roles of the core microbiota in community maintaining and soil nutrient cycling is crucial for understanding ecosystem function, yet there is a dearth of continental-scale studies on this fundamental topic in microbial ecology. Here, we collected 251 soil samples from adjacent pairs of maize and rice fields at a continental scale in eastern China. We revealed the major ecological roles of the core microbiota in maintaining complex connections between bacterial taxa and their associations with belowground multinutrient cycling. By identifying the habitat preferences of the core microbiota, we built a continental atlas for mapping the spatial distributions of bacteria in agro-soils, which helps forecast the responses of agricultural ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance. The multinutrient cycling index for maize and rice soils was related to bacterial α-diversity and β-diversity, respectively. Rice soils exhibited higher bacterial diversity and closer bacterial cooccurrence relationships than maize soils. In contrast to the macro- or microecological latitudinal richness patterns in natural terrestrial ecosystems, the bacteria in maize soils showed higher richness at high latitudes; however, this trend was not observed in rice soils. This study provides a new perspective on the distinct bacterial biogeographic patterns to predict the ecological roles of the core microbiota in agro-soils and thus helps manage soil bacterial communities for better provisioning of key ecosystem services. IMPORTANCE Disentangling the roles of the core microbiota in community maintaining and soil nutrient cycling is an important yet poorly understood topic in microbial ecology. This study presents an exploratory effort to gain predictive understanding of the spatial atlas and ecological roles of the core microbiota. A systematic, continental-scale survey was conducted using agro-soils in adjacent pairs of maize (dryland) and rice (wetland) fields across eastern China. The results indicate that the core microbiota play major ecological roles in maintaining complex connections between bacterial taxa and are associated with belowground multinutrient cycling. A continental atlas was built for mapping the bacterial spatial distributions in agro-soils through identifying their habitat preferences. This study represents a significant advance in forecasting the responses of agricultural ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance and thus helps manage soil bacterial communities for better provisioning of key ecosystem services—the ultimate goal of microbial ecology.

From depth to surface: how deep-earth processes and active tectonics shape the landscape in Pamir and Hindu Kush

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Crosetto ◽  
Sabrina Metzger ◽  
Dirk Scherler ◽  
Onno Oncken
Keyword(s):  
Active Faults ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Eurasian Plate ◽  
North West ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
The North ◽  
Lateral Extrusion ◽  
Hindu Kush ◽  
Thrust System

<p>The Pamir and Hindu Kush are located at the western tip of the India-Asia collision zone. Approximately a third of the northward motion of India’s western syntax is mostly accommodated by continental-scale underthrusting of the Indian plate beneath Asia. On its way northwards the arcuate, convex Pamir mountain range acts as a rigid indenter penetrating the weaker Eurasian plate, while lateral extrusion occurs to the west in the Tajik Depression.</p><p>Intense present-day shallow seismicity indicates active deformation along the northern and north-western semi-arid margin of the Pamir, where over the last century several M>6 and three M>7 crustal earthquakes, including a recent M6.4 event in 2016, were recorded. Earthquakes are distributed in the proximity of three main fault systems: the Pamir thrust system to the north, and the Darvaz fault and Vakhsh thrust system to the north-west. The pronounced topographic expression of these lithospheric faults is associated to a deeply incised landscape, which was profoundly shaped by past widespread glaciations. The transient evolution of the landscape following deglaciation is observed in the dynamic river network, characterised by intense fluvial incision and changes in the fluvial connectivity of the drainage system.</p><p>At depth, recent seismic tomography studies suggest delamination, stretching and tearing of the Asian slab beneath SW Pamir, and slab break-off underneath Hindu Kush. Slab break-off episodes are known to result in stress surges in the overlying lithosphere, potentially causing deformation and uplift.</p><p>In this complex system characterised by an important interplay between tectonics, climate and surface processes, we use qualitative and quantitative analyses of the topography and of the drainage systems evolution, inclusive of numerical tools, in order to define what is –and has been- the role played by the main lithospheric active faults of this area. In addition, we aim at identifying how landscape and surface dynamics respond, temporally and spatially, to processes, such as slab tearing/break-off, occurring at depth.</p>

scholarly journals Dispersal of the introduced red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in Norwegian waters: a tag-recapture study

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 1966-1976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Windsland ◽  
Carsten Hvingel ◽  
Einar M. Nilssen ◽  
Jan H. Sundet
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Red King Crab ◽  
Paralithodes Camtschaticus ◽  
Dispersal Rate ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
King Crab

Abstract The aim of this study was to explore the effect of sex, size, region, and density on dispersal rate of the introduced red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in Norwegian waters. We examined the effect of these factors using logistic regression analysis. Tag-recapture data corrected for fishing effort enabled us to estimate dispersal rates from four main regions along the Norwegian coast: Varangerfjorden, Tanafjorden, Laksefjorden, and Porsangerfjorden. The probability of dispersal was independent of sex and size, but both the logistic regression and the evaluation of corrected tag-recapture data revealed differences in dispersal between region and with increasing duration. The recapture data indicated a relationship between population density and dispersal within research regions but not between population density and dispersal between research regions. Our main conclusion is that there are large individual differences in dispersal ability and the range expansion of red king crab is a result of (i) the presence of long-distance dispersers and (ii) time-dependent slow migration by short distance dispersers. We also conclude that there appears less dispersal in Norwegian waters than in native waters, which might be caused by differences in geographical complexity.

scholarly journals Interspecific gene flow and vicariance in Northern African rear-edge white oak populations revealed by joint analysis of microsatellites and flanking sequences.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lepais Olivier ◽  
Abdeldjalil Aissi ◽  
Errol Véla ◽  
Yassine Beghami
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Interspecific Gene Flow ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Rear Edge ◽  
Flanking Sequences ◽  
Edge Populations

Rear-edge populations represent reservoirs of potentially unique genetic diversity but are particularly vulnerable to global changes. While continental-scale phylogeographic studies usually do not cover these populations, more focused local scale study of rear-edge populations should help better understand both past evolutionary history and its consequences for the persistence and conservation of these potentially unique populations. We studied molecular variation at 36 sequenced nuclear microsatellites in 11 rear-edge Quercus faginea and Q. canariensis populations across Algeria to shed light on taxonomic relationship, population past evolutionary history and recent demographic trajectory. We used descriptive approach and simulation-based inference to assess the information content and complementarity of linked microsatellite and flanking sequence variations. Genetic differentiation among populations classified into eight well-defined genetic clusters do not allow to unambiguously delineate two species. Instead, continuous level of genetic differentiation indicates interspecific gene flow or drift in isolation. Whereas the analysis of microsatellite variation allowed inferring recent interspecific gene flow, additional nucleotide variation in flanking sequences, by reducing homoplasy, pointed towards ancient interspecific gene flow followed by drift in isolation. The assessment of the weight of each polymorphism in the inference demonstrates the value of linked variation with contrasted mutational mechanisms and rates to refine historical demographic inference. Past population size decline inferred in some of these oak populations as well as low contemporary effective population size for most populations is a concern for the persistence of these populations of high evolutionary significance and conservation value.

scholarly journals (U-Th)/He Thermochronology of the Indus Group, Ladakh, Northwest India: Is Neogene Cooling a Continental-Scale Thermal Event in the India-Asia Collision Zone?

Lithosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bhattacharya ◽  
D. M. Robinson ◽  
D. A. Orme
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Indus Basin ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Collision Zone ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ca 50 ◽  
Northwest India

Abstract The India-Asia continental collision zone archives a sedimentary record of the tectonic, geodynamic, and erosional processes that control the thermal history of the Himalayan orogenic interior since the onset of collision in early Paleogene time. In this paper, we present new (U-Th)/He thermochronometric cooling age data from 18 detrital zircons (ZHe) and 19 detrital apatites (AHe) of the early Eocene–early Miocene (ca. 50–23 Ma) continental facies of the Indus Group along the India-Asia collision zone in Ladakh, northwest (NW) India. This along-strike regional-scale low-temperature thermochronometric data set from the Indus basin is the first report of ZHe and AHe cooling ages from western and eastern Ladakh. Thermal modeling of our ZHe and AHe cooling ages indicates a postdepositional Neogene cooling signal in the Indus Group. Cooling initiated at ca. 21–19 Ma, was operational along the ~300 km strike of the collision zone in NW India by ca. 11 Ma, and continued until ca. 3 Ma. The Miocene cooling signal, also present along the India-Asia collision zone in south Tibet, is a continental-scale cooling event likely linked to increased erosional efficiency by the Indus and Yarlung Rivers across an elevated region resulting from the subduction dynamics of the underthrusting Indian plate.

Pattern and Change in an Acacia aneura Shrubland and Triodia Hummock Grassland Mosaic on Rolling Hills in Central Australia

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
DMJS Bowman ◽  
PK Latz ◽  
WJ Panton
Keyword(s):  
Gradient Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Current Pattern ◽  
Environmental Correlates ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Central Australia ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Acacia Aneura

The environmental correlates of a mosaic of Acacia aneura F.Muell. ex Benth. shrublands and Triodia hummock grasslands on rolling conglomerate hills in central Australia were explored by indirect gradient analysis. A non-metric multidimension scaling ordination, based on the presence or absence of plant species, clearly separated the A. aneura shrubland from the Triodia hummock grassland; there were few intermediate quadrats. The A. aneura shrublands occurred on relatively deeper skeletal soils than the Triodia hummock grasslands. Unlike unidirection successional gradients from frequently burnt, treeless vegetation to very infrequently burnt forest vegetation, the ordination presented here is unusual because the quadrats with the greatest cover of A. aneura and Triodia occur on the poles, and quadrats from the most recently burnt vegetation and with the least cover of A. aneura and Triodia occur in the centre of the ordination. Interpretation of aerial photography taken in 1950 and 1987 showed that there has been no statistically significant change in the coverage of these two communities over that time period. Some quadrats that contained Triodia on the boundary of A. aneura shrublands had numerous charred A. aneura stumps which was interpreted as indicating some retreat of the shrublands. Experimental studies are required to determine the stability of the current pattern. Biogeographic evidence, however, shows that the spatial distribution of both communities has fluctuated at a continental scale through geological time.

scholarly journals Species traits, patch turnover and successional dynamics: when does intermediate disturbance favour metapopulation occupancy?

BMC Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederico Mestre ◽  
Ricardo Pita ◽  
António Mira ◽  
Pedro Beja
Keyword(s):  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Patch Occupancy ◽  
Intermediate Disturbance ◽  
Disturbance Frequency ◽  
Successional Species

Abstract Background In fragmented landscapes, natural and anthropogenic disturbances coupled with successional processes result in the destruction and creation of habitat patches. Disturbances are expected to reduce metapopulation occupancy for species associated with stable habitats, but they may benefit species adapted to transitory habitats by maintaining a dynamic mosaic of successional stages. However, while early-successional species may be favoured by very frequent disturbances resetting successional dynamics, metapopulation occupancy may be highest at intermediate disturbance levels for species with mid-successional habitat preferences, though this may be conditional on species traits and patch network characteristics. Here we test this ‘intermediate disturbance hypothesis’ applied to metapopulations (MIDH), using stochastic patch occupancy simulation modelling to assess when does intermediate disturbance favour metapopulation occupancy. We focused on 54 virtual species varying in their habitat preferences, dispersal abilities and local extinction and colonization rates. Long-term metapopulation dynamics was estimated in landscapes with different habitat amounts and patch turnover rates (i.e. disturbance frequency). Results Equilibrium metapopulation occupancy by late-successional species strongly declined with increasing disturbance frequency, while occupancy by early-successional species increased with disturbance frequency at low disturbance levels and tended to level-off thereafter. Occupancy by mid-successional species tended to increase along with disturbance frequency at low disturbance levels and declining thereafter. Irrespective of habitat preferences, occupancy increased with the amount of habitat, and with species dispersal ability and colonisation efficiency. Conclusions Our study suggests that MIDH is verified only for species associated with mid-successional habitats. These species may be particularly sensitive to land use changes causing either increases or decreases in disturbance frequency. This may be the case, for instance, of species associated with traditional agricultural and pastoral mosaic landscapes, where many species disappear either through intensification or abandonment processes that change disturbance frequency.

scholarly journals From Phenology and Habitat Preferences to Climate Change: Importance of Citizen Science in Studying Insect Ecology in the Continental Scale with American Red Flat Bark Beetle, Cucujus clavipes, as a Model Species

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 369
Author(s):  
Radomir Jaskuła ◽  
Marta Kolanowska ◽  
Marek Michalski ◽  
Axel Schwerk
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Body Coloration

The American red flat bark beetle, Cucujus clavipes, is a wide distributed saproxylic species divided into two subspecies: ssp. clavipes restricted to eastern regions of North America and ssp. puniceus occurring only in western regions of this continent. Unique morphological features, including body shape and body coloration, make this species easy to recognize even for amateurs. Surprisingly, except some studies focused on physiological adaptations of the species, the ecology of C. clavipes was almost unstudied. Based on over 500 records collected by citizen scientists and deposited in the iNaturalist data base, we studied phenological activity of adult beetles, habitat preferences and impact of future climate change for both subspecies separately. The results clearly show that spp. clavipes and ssp. puniceus can be characterized by differences in phenology and macrohabitat preferences, and their ranges do not overlap at any point. Spp. clavipes is found as more opportunistic taxon occurring in different forests as well as in urban and agricultural areas with tree vegetation always in elevations below 500 m, while elevational distribution of ssp. puniceus covers areas up to 2300 m, and the beetle was observed mainly in forested areas. Moreover, we expect that climate warming will have negative influence on both subspecies with the possible loss of proper niches at level even up to 47–70% of their actual ranges during next few decades. As the species is actually recognized as unthreatened and always co-occurs with many other species, we suggest, because of its expected future habitat loss, to pay more attention to conservationists for possible negative changes in saproxylic insects and/or forest fauna in North America. In addition, as our results clearly show that both subspecies of C. clavipes differ ecologically, which strongly supports earlier significant morphological and physiological differences noted between them, we suggest that their taxonomical status should be verified by molecular data, because very probably they represent separate species.

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